UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team went cold down the stretch in a tough 59-56 loss to Rutgers Sunday night.
The Nittany Lions led the Scarlet Knights for more than 32 minutes of the game, but made just one field goal in the final 13:22 as Rutgers was able to come away with the victory.
Camren Wynter scored 16 points to lead the way for Penn State. Jalen Pickett finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Rutgers held an early 5-2 lead three minutes into the game before a Kebba Njie dunk ignited a 12-0 Penn State run. Wynter drilled two triples and Pickett capped the streak off with back-to-back buckets as Penn State grabbed a 14-5 advantage.
- After a Scarlet Knights' jumper, Pickett added two more baskets before Kanye Clary drilled a 3-pointer and Njie added another dunk and Penn State turned out a 9-0 run in a span of 1:26 to race out to a 23-7 lead.
- Penn State's lead reached as much as 17 at the 7:46 mark of the opening term. The Scarlet Knights spent the final 4:14 of the half on a 10-3 streak to trim the Nittany Lion edge to 10 at 31-21 heading into the locker room.
- Wynter scored six-straight points to spark an 11-2 Penn State run in the first 2:58 of the second stanza as the Nittany Lions ran their lead up to 42-23.
- The Scarlet Knights strung together an 18-6 stretch over the next 6:24 to pull within seven at 48-41 with 10:37 to play.
- A trio of Seth Lundy free throws and a Njie layup had the Penn State lead back in double-digits at 53-43, but the Nittany Lions went cold for the remainder of the game. The Nittany Lions went 0-for-14 from the field in the final 9:16 as Rutgers clawed back for the 59-56 win.
GAME NOTES
- Finishing with five assists tonight, Jalen Pickett tied the program single-season record with his 198th helper of the season. Tim Frazier dished 198 through 32 games in the 2011-12 season.
- Camren Wynter led Penn State in scoring for the third time this season, recording 16 points in the game.
- The Nittany Lion defense held Rutgers almost 10 points under its season scoring average of 68.8 points per game.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry
Senior+ Guard Camren Wynter
UP NEXT
- The Nittany Lions head to Northwestern Wednesday night for their final road game of the regular season at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network. Penn State then returns home to host Maryland in the regular-season finale on Senior Day presented by the Penn State Alumni Association at noon Sunday.
The 2022-23 Penn State men's basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.