NEW YORK CITY – The Penn State men's basketball team battled back from a 10-point second-half deficit to force overtime, but ultimately dropped a heartbreaker in the final seconds to Georgia Tech as the Yellow Jackets claimed an 82-81 win Saturday afternoon inside Madison Square Garden.
The Nittany Lions trailed Georgia Tech by 10 with 8:38 to play, but used a strong defensive effort and timely shots to force overtime. Penn State scored 27 points off 17 Georgia Tech turnovers throughout the game.
Kanye Clary led the way with 23 points and seven boards, fueling Penn State with 12 points in the second half. Ace Baldwin Jr. posted 18 points, seven assists, and four steals, while D'Marco Dunn racked up 17 points and Puff Johnson collected 15 points. Qudus Wahab posted his fifth game with ten-plus rebounds this season, securing 10 boards.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Five points from Baldwin Jr. helped Penn State get out to an early 9-4 lead less than three minutes into the game. Penn State remained in front by five at 22-17 at the 10:50 mark, but the Yellow Jackets knotted the score at 22 a minute later.
- The Nittany Lions were back in front at 28-26 before Georgia Tech rattled off a 9-1 run over the next 3:36 to pull ahead 35-29 with 1:58 left in the first half.
- D'Marco Dunn's second triple of the game snapped the Yellow Jacket streak at the 1:41 mark. GA Tech went up 39-34 before Baldwin Jr. drained a buzzer-beating trey to end the half and send the Nittany Lions into the locker room down two, 39-37.
- The Nittany Lions scored the first basket of the second half and extended a 10-5 run out of the break to go up 47-44 at the 16:15 mark, taking back the lead for the first time in the final half.
- Georgia Tech opened up a 13-2 streak, including nine in a row, to take an eight-point lead with 12:28 to play. The Nittany Lions scored in bursts but the Yellow Jackets were able to extend a game-high 10 point lead with 8:38 left to play.
- Penn State then fought back, constructing a 16-5 run over a seven-minute stretch to take the lead with 1:19 left to play. Six points from Dunn and five from Johnson had the Nittany Lions back on top with a minute left.
- A singular free throw by the Yellow Jackets tied the game at 72 with 1:12 to play and the clocked ticked under 20 seconds to play and Baldwin Jr. came up with a clutch steal to give Penn State a final opportunity to score in regulation. The Nittany Lions were unable to convert a three-point attempt and the game headed to overtime.
- Penn State took its first lead of the overtime period, a 77-76 advantage, with 2:20 to play on a triple by Johnson. Back-and-forth baskets put the Yellow Jackets up by one point with 0:36 on the clock.
- Clary put the Nittany Lions up 81-80 with a floater at the 0:23 mark of the extra frame, but a controversial foul call led to a pair of free throws by the Yellow Jackets with 2.1 seconds to play. The Nittany Lions heaved up a prayer in the final seconds, but Georgia Tech walked away with the 82-81 overtime win.
GAME NOTES
- Penn State played in its second overtime game in its last three outings after going to extra time against Maryland on Dec. 6.
- In a solid defensive effort, the Nittany Lions recorded 13 steals in the game, their second-highest mark of the season and their fifth game with 10+ swipes in a game this year.
- Four Nittany Lions scored in double figures: Kanye Clary (23), Ace Baldwin Jr. (18), D'Marco Dunn (17), and Puff Johnson (15).
- Sophomore Kanye Clary posted his fifth game this season with 20+ points, finishing with 23 points, including 12 in the second half.
- Senior Ace Baldwin Jr. connected on a season-best four 3-pointers in the game. Baldwin Jr. finished with 18 points, including 13 in the first half.
- Baldwin Jr. snagged a season high-tying four steals. He has recorded four steals in a game three times this season and has had multiple steals in all but two games this year.
- Junior D'Marco Dunn set his career high with 17 points in the game. Dunn also posted his second consecutive game with multiple made 3-pointers, tying his career high with three triples this afternoon.
- Graduate student Qudus Wahab collected 10 rebounds in the game, his fourth double-figure rebounding outing of the season.
- Johnson tied his season high with 15 points. He added four rebounds, two steals and finished +13 in plus-minus. Ten of Johnson's 15 points came in the second half, while five were in overtime.
UP NEXT
- Penn State returns home to the Bryce Jordan Center to host Le Moyne on Thursday, December 21 in a 7 p.m. tilt.
The 2023-24 Penn State men's basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.