IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Penn State men’s basketball team trimmed a double-digit down to one, but wasn’t able to get a game-winning shot to fall in a tough 76-75 road loss at Iowa Friday night.
The Nittany Lions held the Hawkeyes scoreless for the final 3:27 and closed the game on a 7-0 run. Penn State had three chances at a potential go-ahead or game-winning shot in the final 12 seconds, but wasn’t able to convert.
Nick Kern Jr. led Penn State with 18 points and seven rebounds. Yanic Konan Niederhauser scored 13 points, while Freddie Dilione V tallied 10 points and seven boards. Ace Baldwin Jr. dished a team-best seven assists to go along with seven points and two rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Penn State made eight of its first 13 field goal attempts and Zach Hicks contributed six points as the score sat knotted at 19-19 just under eight minutes into the game.
- Iowa used a 9-2 run from 10:22 to 7:55 to pull ahead 30-23. A pair of Nick Kern Jr. layups had Penn State within five at 32-27, but Iowa answered with the next five points to take a 10-point lead at 37-27 with 5:02 left in the first half.
- Four Penn State free throws helped the Nittany Lions trim the Iowa lead to 37-31, but the Hawkeyes stretched it right back to 10 at 41-31 with 2:22 left on the first-half clock.
- D’Marco Dunn nailed a 3-pointer at the 2:01 mark that sparked a 7-2 Nittany Lion run to close the half and pull Penn State within five at 43-38 heading into the locker room.
- Iowa scored the first basket of the second half, but a three-point play from Yanic Konan Niederhauser helped Penn State score six of the next eight points to cut the Iowa edge to 47-44 following a Kachi Nzeh dunk at 17:38.
- The Hawkeyes used three 3-pointers to fuel an 11-4 answer over the next four minutes and reclaim a double-digit lead at 58-48 with 12:21 to play.
- The Nittany Lions wouldn’t get closer than seven until Ace Baldwin Jr. drilled a corner 3-pointer at the 6:07 mark that had Penn State back within five at 68-63.
- Iowa answered with a pair of 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to quiet the Nittany Lion momentum and jump ahead with 74-65 just over a minute later.
- Zach Hicks canned a trey with just under four minutes to play to make it 74-68.
- Penn State held the Hawkeyes scoreless for the game’s final 3:27 while six points from Yanic Konan Niederhauser fueled a 7-0 Nittany Lion run and PSU clawed its way into a one-point game at 76-75 with 53 seconds to play.
- The Nittany Lions got a big defensive stop on Iowa’s next possession. Penn State had several attempts at a potentially game-winning shot in the final seconds, but couldn’t get one to fall as Iowa held on for the 76-75 win.
GAME NOTES
- Penn State falls to 13-7 overall and 3-6 in Big Ten play.
- The Nittany Lions are now 4-22 all-time when playing in Iowa City.
- Penn State shot just 22.7 percent (5-22) from 3-point range, compared to Iowa’s 47.8 percent (11-23) clip.
- The Nittany Lions finished the game with a 49.1 FG% (28-57) and 70.0 FT% (14-20).
- The Nittany Lions owned a 12-1 advantage in second-chance points.
- Nick Kern Jr. tallied his 16th double-digit scoring game of the season.
- Six of Yanic Konan Niederhauser’s 13 points came in Penn State’s game-closing run.
- Freddie Dilione V scored in double figures for the 12th time this season.
- Freshman Miles Goodman played a season-high 11 minutes, finishing with three points and three rebounds.
UP NEXT
- The Nittany Lions remain on the road and head to #21 Michigan for a 6:30 p.m. Monday night matchup on Big Ten Network.
The 2024-25 Penn State men’s basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.