UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team dropped a tough and tightly-contested 76-72 battle to Northwestern Wednesday night inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
The Nittany Lions commanded the first half, shooting 55.6 percent from the field as they entered the halftime break up eight on the Wildcats. Penn State went cold in the second half and couldn't quite overcome Northwestern's push despite out-rebounding the Wildcats 30-25 and forcing 18 turnovers in the game.
Sophomore Kanye Clary led Penn State with 25 points, four rebounds, and two assists in the game. Junior Nick Kern Jr. set his season high with 14 points, while graduate student Qudus Wahab collected his third double-double of the season, pairing 13 points with 10 rebounds. Senior Ace Baldwin Jr. tied Penn State's single-game record and set the Bryce Jordan Center facility record with eight steals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Penn State controlled the opening tip and got off to a hot start, making its first three field goal attempts on a 6-0 stretch, blanking Northwestern through the first 2:18 of play.
- The Nittany Lions maintained a slim lead until the Wildcats were able to tie the game at 22 with 7:13 remaining. Penn State had seven different players score through the first 13 minutes of play, with Wahab leading the way with seven points on a perfect 3-for-3 effort from the field.
- A 12-3 run for the Nittany Lions, including eight points from Clary, put them in front 34-25 with less than four minutes to play in the opening frame.
- Northwestern gained a point on the Nittany Lions, but Penn State still entered the halftime break up 40-32.
- Penn State answered a 5-2 spurt by the Wildcats at the beginning of the second half with a 9-4 run to take their first double-digit lead of the night, a 51-41 advantage with 16:34 to play.
- Northwestern constructed a 21-4 streak over the next seven minutes to open up a 62-55 lead over the Nittany Lions with 9:18 on the clock.
- Penn State answered with a 6-0 run, including four from Clary, to get back within one with less than eight minutes remaining.
- The Wildcats countered with a 10-4 stretch to go back up by seven with 1:50 to play in regulation.
- Penn State continued to fight, clawing back to get within two of the Wildcats with 29.4 seconds on the clock, trailing 74-72.
- Northwestern was able to tack on a free throw and take a 75-72 lead through the final horn.
GAME NOTES
- Northwestern came into the game leading the Big Ten and ranking fifth in the country in fewest turnovers per game with an average of just 8.8 turnovers per contest. Penn State forced the Wildcats into a season-high 18 turnovers and the Nittany Lions collected a season high-tying 14 steals.
- Senior Ace Baldwin Jr. set the Bryce Jordan Center facility record and tied Penn State's program record with a career-best eight steals in the game. The eight steals are the most a Penn State player has recorded in a game since Monroe Brown posted eight swipes at Rhode Island on Jan. 3, 1991. Baldwin Jr. also finished with six points and a team-best five assists.
- Kanye Clary notched his ninth 20-plus point effort of the season and 13th double-digit scoring game with a game-high 25 points.
- Qudus Wahab posted his first double-double of Big Ten play and third double-double of the season with 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
- Nick Kern Jr. scored a season-best 14 points and paired that with seven boards.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Mike Rhoades
Sophomore guard Kanye Clary
UP NEXT
- The Nittany Lions are back on the road Saturday when Penn State travels to #1 Purdue for a 2:15 p.m. tipoff on the Big Ten Network.