MADISON, Wis. – The Penn State men's basketball team cut into No. 19 Wisconsin's lead to make it a one-point game, 57-56, with 85 seconds left on the clock, but the Badgers held off the Nittany Lions to win 61-57 at the Kohl Center Saturday afternoon.
Badger Brevin Pritzl broke a 53-53 tie with a layup with 3:59 left in the game to give Wisconsin a two-point lead, 55-53. A minute later, he added the first of five Wisconsin free throws that helped keep Penn State from getting any closer in the final minutes. Neither team made a field goal after Pritzl's basket with the two teams combining for 15 free throw attempts.
Stevens hit the second of his two free throw attempts to put the Nittany Lions down only two, 59-57, with 43 seconds left. A missed 3-pointer by Wisconsin and Penn State team rebound gave the Nittany Lions a chance with 15.5 seconds remaining in the game. A turnover and immediate foul by Reaves but Wisconson's Nate Reuvers at the line where he missed on his first attempt and made the second for a 60-57 Badger lead.
On a play eventually ruled a Penn State turnover, the ball was awarded to Wisconsin with 1.9 seconds left in the game. The Nittany Lions sent the Badgers to the line in an attempt to get one more offensive possession.
Lamar Stevens recorded his 11th career double-double with game-best totals in the scoring column with 22 points and 10 rebounds as well as three blocks. Senior guard Josh Reaves had 14 points and nine rebounds and added two blocks and a steal to his stat line.
Wisconsin capitalized on 11 Penn State turnovers for 12 points and led by Pritzl's 17 points, had 26 points from the bench to aid the Badger effort.
Reaves' 3-pointer at 17:39 gave the Nittany Lions an eight-point lead, but the Badgers went to the paint for their next eight points to erase the Nittany Lions' lead and knot the game at 38. Ties at 41 and 43 gave way to a 46-43 Wisconsin lead on a Pritzl 3-pointer from the left corner.
Another Prtizl triple and then three free throws by Brad Davison put the Badgers up by five with 9:11 left to play. Back-to-back baskets by Rasir Bolton and his subsequent free throw tied the game at 52. Ninety seconds later the game was tied at 53 after the two teams traded missed shots and free throws.
The Badgers' final field goal of the game, a layup by Pritzl at 3:59, gave Wisconsin a 55-53 lead as it held off Penn State for the win.
Stevens had 12 points at the break as the only player in the game with double figures at that point and five rebounds as the Nittany Lions led 33-26. The junior forward converted a three-point play to give Penn State its largest lead 31-22 with 2:14 left in the first period.
The Nittany Lions jumped out to a 9-4 lead after freshman guard Myles Dread connected the Nittany Lions' first 3-pointer. Reaves would add two more treys and Stevens one in the half as Penn State had seven-point leads at 21-14 and 23-16 in the first 13 minutes of the period, same as the halftime margin.
For the game, Pritzl went 5-5 and connected on four 3-pointers. Ethan Happ scored his first points with 5:52 left in the first half and totaled 14 points, five assists and four steals. Kobe King had four timely baskets for nine points and D'Mitrik Trice, Khalil Iverson and Brad Davison each had six each.
Penn State heads to Rutgers on for a 7 p.m. game on Wednesday, March 6. The Nittany Lions return home to celebrate their seniors and alumni weekend on Sunday, March 10.
For information or to purchase Penn State men's single-game tickets for the final home game, visit GoPSUsports.com/mbbsinglegametix or call 1-800-NITTANY, weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
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