COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Penn State men's basketball team dropped a tough 81-75 overtime battle at Maryland in the Nittany Lions' Big Ten opener Wednesday night at the Xfinity Center.
Penn State led the entire first half before battling it out with the Terrapins in the second half and into overtime. Ten of the game's 17 lead changes occurred in the final eight minutes of regulation as the teams went back-and-forth down to the wire. The Nittany Lions surged late as Ace Baldwin Jr. converted a pair of clutch free throws to send the game to overtime, but the Nittany Lions ran out of gas in the extra frame.
Baldwin Jr. scored 16 in the game, including a perfect 9-for-9 effort form the free throw line. Kanye Clary paced Penn State with 25 points, his fourth 20-plus point scoring outing of the season. Nick Kern Jr. posted a solid line, scoring nine points with eight rebounds and four assists without committing a turnover.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Penn State got off to a 3-0 start and held Maryland without a bucket for the first 2:15. Led by four points from Clary, the Nittany Lions led the Terrapins 9-4 through the first media timeout, recording three steals in the first five minutes of the game.
- An 11-3 stretch over 2:48 had Penn State up 20-9 with 10:15 to go in the half. Clary chipped in four more points during the run and led all scorers with eight in the first ten minutes of play.
- Maryland then extended a 16-5 scoring run to tie the game at 25 with 3:07 remaining in the first half.
- Penn State finished up the first half with five of the final eight points and entered the break ahead 30-28. Thirteen points in the opening frame from Clary fronted the Penn State group that never trailed through the first 20 minutes of play.
- Five-straight out of halftime for the Terrapins gave them their first lead of the game.
- The two squads battled back-and-forth for the next two minutes before nine in a row from the Nittany Lions put them up 44-37 with 12:11 remaining in the game.
- A 13-5 run by the Terrapins put them back out in front, 50-49, at the 7:39 mark of the second half.
- It came down to the wire as the teams fought through ten lead changes over the final eight minutes of play. Basket-for-basket, the Nittany Lions and the Terrapins went at it and, with four seconds left and the Nittany Lions down a pair, Ace Baldwin Jr. converted a pair of clutch free throws to tie the game at 71. Maryland was unable to convert the final shot of regulation as the game entered overtime.
- The Terrapins were able to escape the overtime period with an 81-75 victory.
GAME NOTES
- Penn State forced 16 Maryland turnovers in the game, the most it has committed in a single game this season. The Nittany Lions' nine steals are their fourth-most in a game this year.
- The Nittany Lions went 19-21 from the free throw line, a 90.5 percent effort. This marks the first time Penn State has shot 90 percent or better from the line since it went 14-15 on March 12 against Purdue. Both Baldwin Jr. (9-for-9) and Clary (7-for-7, Big Ten career-best) went perfect from the stripe in the contest.
- Sophomore Kanye Clary tied his career high with two 3-pointers in the contest. Clary led the Nittany Lions with 25 points, his fourth outing this season with 20 or more in a game.
- Senior Ace Baldwin Jr. tied his season highs with nine free throws made and five assists in the game.
- Junior Nick Kern Jr. matched his career high with four assists while also setting a season-best mark with eight rebounds in the contest. Kern Jr. added nine points to his final line without committing a turnover.
UP NEXT
- The Nittany Lions host Ohio State on Saturday, December 9 for their Big Ten home opener. The game is slated for a 6 p.m. start and will air on Big Ten Network.
The 2023-24 Penn State men's basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.