UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team electrified a sold-out Rec Hall crowd as the Nittany Lions rallied back from a double-digit deficit, including a seven-point deficit in the final 36 seconds, to stun #12 Illinois, 90-89, in Penn State's Return to Rec game.
The Nittany Lions trailed by 14 with 15:59 to play, by 10 with 2:30 to play and by seven with under 40 seconds to play. Jameel Brown hit a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left, which was followed by a Brown steal and Puff Johnson layup to put the score at 89-87 Illinois. The Illini missed two free throws on their following possession before Zach Hicks was fouled shooting a 3-pointer with three seconds left. Hicks made all three of his free throws to give the Nittany Lions the 90-89 edge and the Penn State defense came up with a stop in the final second as the Nittany Lions earned their second top-15 win of the season.
Nick Kern Jr. led Penn State with a career-best 22 points, 18 of which came in the second half. Hicks finished with 13 points and a team-best eight rebounds. Qudus Wahab had 13 points and four rebounds, while Brown tallied 11 points and three steals. Ace Baldwin Jr. registered a double-double with 10 points and 12 assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Nittany Lions got off to a fast start as eight points from Qudus Wahab helped Penn State start 6-for-7 from the field and race out to a 16-7 lead less than five minutes into the game.
- Illinois responded with a 9-2 run over the next two minutes to pull within two at 16-14, but Penn State answered right back with a 9-2 streak of its own to put the score at 25-16 with 10:56 left on the first-half clock.
- The Nittany Lions held onto the first-half lead until a 9-2 spurt from the Illini turned a 32-26 Penn State lead into a 35-34 Illini edge, giving Illinois its first lead of the game at the 4:15 mark. The Illini made eight of their final 11 shots of the first half as Illinois took a seven-point, 48-41, lead into halftime.
- The Illini stretched their lead to double-digits with their first bucket of the second half. Illinois threatened to pull away four minutes into the term as the Illini lead reached 14at 61-47.
- Nick Kern Jr. scored Penn State's next 13 points from 15:39 to 12:28 of the second half before Jameel Brown buried a triple from the top of the key to re-ignite the Rec Hall crowd and pull Penn State back within seven at 70-63 with 12:03 to play.
- The Nittany Lions were within five after another Brown triple was followed by a pair of Puff Johnson free throws to make it 75-70 with 6:28 to play.
- Illinois responded with the next seven points to thwart the Nittany Lion momentum and pull back ahead by double digits at 82-70 a minute later.
- An immediate response by the Nittany Lions put them back within five with less than two minutes to play.
- With 0:35 on the clock, Penn State scored five points in six seconds to cut the Illinois lead to 89-97 with just 29.3 remaining.
- Hicks was fouled on a three-point attempt with three seconds left and connected on all three to seal the win over the 12th-ranked Illini.
GAME NOTES
- This marks Penn State's second top-15 win of the season and second under first-year head coach Mike Rhoades. The Nittany Lions also defeated then-No. 11 Wisconsin (87-83) on Jan. 16 inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
- Penn State trailed the Illini by as much as 14. The Nittany Lions have now erased double-digit deficits to come back and win in four of their seven Big Ten wins.
- Penn State is now 3-1 in Return to Rec games and 517-184 all-time in Rec Hall.
- The Nittany Lions have now won four-straight games against the Illini.
- Penn State's 90 points ties the Nittany Lions' season high and is the most that PSU has scored in a Big Ten game this season.
- Nick Kern Jr. scored a career-high 22 points, 18 of which came in the second half. It bested his previous career high of 18 points that was set on two occasions.
- Ace Baldwin Jr. recorded the second double-double of his Penn State career, tallying 10 points and 12 assists. Baldwin Jr. contributed two boards, two steals and a block to his final line.
- Zach Hicks tied his career high with two blocks in the contest. Hicks finished with 13 points, a season-high-tying eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block.
- Qudus Wahab posted 13 points on a 6-for-10 effort from the field. Wahab added four boards and a pair of blocks to his final line.
- RayQuawndis Mitchell tied his season high with four points in his first game action since January.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Mike Rhoades
Zach Hicks, Jameel Brown and Nick Kern Jr.
HIGHLIGHTS
UP NEXT
- The Nittany Lions are back in the Bryce Jordan Center Saturday to host Indiana at noon in Penn State's Coaches vs. Cancer game and Alumni Day game.
The 2023-24 Penn State men's basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.