PENN STATE 56, Nebraska 55
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Feb. 25, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (AP) - Shep Garner scored 22 points, made five 3-pointers and hit a go-ahead free throw in the final seconds and Penn State hung on to beat Nebraska 56-55 on Thursday.
Brandon Taylor added 19 points and added five 3-pointers for the Nittany Lions (15-13, 6-9 Big Ten) who won their third-straight game and tied for their most conference wins under coach Patrick Chambers.
Shavon Shields scored 25 points for the Cornhuskers (14-15, 6-10) who lost their third straight and seventh in their last nine.
Penn State led by 18 with 14:16 to play but the Cornhuskers cut that lead to six twice and to two with 2:46 left.
After Taylor missed an alley-oop try with 1:06 left, Tai Webster brought Nebraska within two when he drew a foul on his way to the basket and sank one of two free throws. Penn State missed its next three shots and Michael Jacobson was fouled under the basket and made two from the foul line to tie the game 55-55 with 50 seconds left.
Garner put Penn State ahead for good when he drew a foul on a late drive and made one of two free throws. Shields missed a jumper at the buzzer to seal Penn State's win.
Garner, Taylor and the rest of the Nittany Lions were as cold in the final minutes as they were hot earlier in the game.
Taylor powered Penn State's offense with three 3-pointers early and Garner helped the Nittany Lions take a 28-20 first-half lead with seven unanswered points to close out the first half.
Meanwhile, Nebraska had few answers outside of Shields - who scored 14 of his points in the first half - for Penn State's tight defense. The Cornhuskers turned the ball over six times, went nearly seven minutes without a basket midway through the first and closed out the first 20 minutes on a 4-for-13 skid.
Both Taylor and Garner picked up the second half where they left off. They opened with back-to-back 3-pointers. The Nittany Lions continued to build their lead with secondary scoring from Donovon Jack who scored all five of his points in a 36-second span that gave Penn State its 18-point lead.
But Shields brought his team within striking distance. He scored nine of his points during a 21-11 run that that cut Penn State's lead to 55-49 with 3:55 left.
Penn State made just one basket over the final 6:55.
TIP-INS
Nebraska: The Cornhuskers dominated at times down low late. They finished with 24 points in the paint to Penn State's 12 and scored 15 second-chance points to Penn State's eight.
Penn State: Taylor and Garner combined for 23 of Penn State's 28 first-half points. Meanwhile, four other Nittany Lions shot a combined 2-for-12 over the first 20 minutes.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions hit the road for the final time in Big Ten play, taking on No. 6/7 Michigan State in the Breslin Center in East Lansing. The game will tip at noon Sunday, Feb. 28 on the Big Ten Network.