DES MOINES, Iowa – The tenth-seeded Penn State men's basketball team fought back from a double-digit deficit to take a three-point lead with 4:48 remaining, but second-seeded Texas closed the game on a 16-8 run as the Nittany Lions fell, 71-66, in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 on Saturday night.
The Nittany Lions' historic season comes to a close at 23-14, just the 12th 20-win season in the 127-year history of Penn State men's basketball. The Nittany Lions won their first NCAA Tournament game since 2001 and made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011 to highlight what will go down as one of the best seasons in program history.
Five Penn State players finished in double figures, led by Camren Wynter's 16 points. Jalen Pickett finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, marking his seventh double-double of the season. Myles Dread scored 12 points on 4-of-7 from three-point range. Andrew Funk chipped in 12 points, while Seth Lundy finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Nittany Lions jumped out to a 4-3 lead early, but Texas put together an 8-2 run to take an 11-6 advantage heading into the first media timeout.
- Both teams were a combined 8-for-24 from the field, including 0-9 from three through the first 8:17 until Dread hit a three from the corner to make it an 11-9 Texas lead.
- Kanye Clary scored on a floater in the lane to tie the game up at 11 before Texas connected on the other end, ending a 1-for-11 UT drought to make it 13-11 in favor of the Longhorns with 7:28 to go in the first half.
- Dread hit another three-pointer to cut the Texas lead to 21-20 at the 4:27 mark, but the Longhorns finished the half on a 10-3 run to take their biggest lead of the game, 31-23.
- Texas went up by as many as 11 points early in the second half, but the Nittany Lions scored the next four on a Lundy bank shot and a Pickett layup as the shot clock expired to cut the lead to 39-32 entering the first media timeout.
- Penn State got the lead down to four on an Andrew Funk and Pickett layup to make it 43-39, forcing a Texas timeout at the 13:25 mark.
- Texas hit its first three of the game with 8:32 to go, after starting the contest 0-for-11 from long distance, to extend its lead to seven, 55-48.
- Dread drilled a three and got fouled with 7:03 to go to begin a 10-0 run. Despite missing the free throw, Dread would hit another three to make it 55-54 in favor of Texas. Wynter connected on both free throws and Seth Lundy scored on a steal and layup to force a Texas timeout with Penn State leading by three.
- The Longhorns went on a 10-0 run coming out of the timeout, which proved to be the difference as they led by seven.
- With five seconds to go, the Nittany Lions sliced the lead to three on a four-point play from Lundy, but Texas hit two ensuing free throws, resulting in a 71-66 final.
GAME NOTES
- Pickett made five field goals on the night, bringing his season total up to a school record-tying 260.
- Pickett finished the game with 11 points and 10 rebounds, marking his seventh double-double of the season.
- Pickett's 10 rebounds are tied for fifth in program history for an NCAA Tournament game.
- Seven of Penn State's 22 all-time tournament games have resulted in a five-point margin or less.
- The matchup against Texas was Penn State's first ever game against a Big 12 team in the NCAA Tournament.
The 2022-23 Penn State men's basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.