EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Penn State men's basketball team fell victim to a hot-shooting Michigan State team as the Nittany Lions dropped a 92-61 road decision at the Breslin Center Thursday night.
Kanye Clary finished with a team-best 21 points, notching his fourth-straight 20-plus point effort while also adding five assists. Nick Kern Jr. finished with 10 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Spartans got out to an early 11-4 lead just over three minutes into the game.
- A conventional three-point play from Nick Kern Jr. had Penn State within six at 12-18 at the 12:47 mark, but the Spartans rattled off a 21-4 run over the next seven minutes to put Penn State in a 41-16 hole with 5:11 left on the first-half clock.
- Penn State held a slight 12-10 edge in the final five minutes of the opening term, but the Spartans took a 51-26 lead into halftime.
- Kanye Clary scored 11 points in the first 6:04 of the second half before Penn State strung together a 15-4 run over a 6:15 stretch from 14:51 to 8:36, but the Spartans still held onto a 71-52 lead with 8:36 to play. The Nittany Lions wouldn't be able to pull any closer as the Spartans earned the 92-61 home win.
GAME NOTES
- The Nittany Lions shot 81.8 percent (18-22) from the free throw line as a team, their third-highest percentage this season.
- Sophomore Kanye Clary posted his eighth 20-plus point scoring outing of the season as he scored 21 against the Spartans.
- Clary shot 100 percent from the free throw line on the night, connecting on all 10 of his attempts in the contest.
- Junior Nick Kern Jr. posted his second double-figure scoring game of his Nittany Lion tenure, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field. Kern Jr. added four boards, a block, and two steals.
- Freshman Bragi Guðmundsson scored a career-best four points, shooting 2-for-3 from the field.
UP NEXT
- The Nittany Lions make their return to the historic Palestra on Sunday, Jan. 7, when Penn State plays host to Michigan in the City of Brotherly Love.
- The 2023-24 Nittany Lion roster features several student-athletes with Philadelphia-area ties including Jameel Brown (Philadelphia, Pa.; Westtown School), Demetrius Lilley (Philadelphia, Pa.; Lower Merion) and Zach Hicks (Camden, N.J.; Camden Catholic).
- Fans are encouraged to wear white. The game sold out within hours in early November.
- Tipoff is slated for noon and the contest will be televised nationally by the Big Ten Network.
The 2023-24 Penn State men's basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.