Taylor Leads Penn State Past Northwestern, 71-62

PENN STATE 71, Northwestern 62 RELATED LINKS Box Score (HTML) | Box Score | Postgame Notes PHOTOS USATSI Gallery BLOG Basketball Blog SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | #PSUMBB

QUICK STATS PSU NU Field Goals 19-44 26-67 Field Goal % 43.2 38.8 3 FG M-A 9-21 3-26 3 FG % 42.9 11.5 Free Throws 24-33 7-15 Free Throw % 72.7 46.7 Rebounds 42 34 Assists 14 14 Turnovers 13 4 Blocks 5 1 Steals 2 5 LEADERS PSU NU Points Taylor - 19 Demps - 22 Rebounds Jack - 9 Lumpkin - 6 Assists Foster - 5 McIntosh - 10 Steals Foster - 1 Pardon - 2 Lumpkin - 2 Blocks Taylor - 2 Van Zegeren -1 NEXT UP 1/21 H vs. Wisconsin - (BTN 8 p.m. ET)

Jan. 16, 2016

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) - Brandon Taylor scored 19 points and Donovon Jack had 14 as Penn State beat Northwestern 71-62 on Saturday night.

Payton Banks added 10 for the Nittany Lions, who shot 9-for-21 from 3-point range.

Tre Demps had 22 points and Bryant McIntosh and Dererk Pardon added 12 apiece for Northwestern. The Wildcats (15-4) shot 39 percent from the field.

The Nittany Lions (11-8, 2-4) had lost four of five and were coming off losses to No. 4 Michigan State and No. 24 Purdue. Penn State entered the game shooting 29.6 percent on 3-pointers, last in the conference.

Northwestern had won two straight and 12 of 14. The Wildcats entered the game making 9.1 3-pointers per game on average and were 8-0 when making 10 or more shots from beyond the arc.

Jack completed a 3-point play with 15:23 left for a 38-27 Penn State lead. Garner and Taylor each nailed a 3 to extend the lead to 48-31.

Demps then hit Northwestern's first 3-pointer with 10:21 remaining to snap the Wildcats' 0-for-17 skid from beyond the arc. But Jordan Dickerson answered on the other end with a dunk to keep Penn State ahead 50-34. Jack hit a jumper to give the Nittany Lions their largest lead at 18.

Northwestern went on an 8-0 run to pull within nine before Penn State made 14 of 18 free throws.

McIntosh was held under his team-leading 16.1 points per game. He shot 6-of-15 from the field. Demps shot 9 of 20.

Penn State led 30-23 at halftime after shooting 6-for-13 from beyond the arc. Northwestern missed all 12 of its 3-point attempts before the break. McIntosh was initially credited with a 3-pointer with 15:18 left, but his foot was inside the line and the call was reversed to a two-pointer. The Wildcats entered the game shooting 37 percent from long distance to rank sixth in the Big Ten.

Taylor led the Nittany Lions with 11 points and three 3-pointers at the break. The Wildcats shot 28.1 percent from the field to Penn State's 42.3 percent. The Nittany Lions took their largest lead of the half (25-14) on Devin Foster's 3 with 5:56 remaining.

Penn State returns home to take on Wisconsin Thursday, Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center.