Same Old Story for the Hoosiers in loss at Penn State 

February 25, 2024 Broadcast, College 0

Same Old Story for the Hoosiers in loss at Penn State 
By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports
The Indiana Hoosiers lost to the Penn State Nittany Lions 83-74 on Saturday afternoon at Bryce Jordan Center in State College, PA. The Hoosiers are 14-13 on the season and 6-10 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers have lost 4 in a row and 5 of the last 6 games and will host Wisconsin on Tuesday Night. Indiana has lost 4 straight to Penn State for the first time since 2008-09 and lead the all-time series 42-17 and its the first time since 2009 that Penn State swept Indiana. Penn State is 14-14 overall and 8-9 in the Big Ten and have won their last two games after knocking off Illinois Wednesday Night in a throwback game in Rec Hall which is where Penn State called home before they moved into the Bryce Jordan Center.
Malik Reneau led the Hoosiers with 27 points and 6 rebounds. Kel’el Ware added 16 points and 8 rebounds and Trey Galloway added 11 points along with 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Indiana finished the game 29-57 form the field for 50%, 2-15 from three-point line and 14-25 from the free throw line for 56%. Indiana pulled down 31 rebounds, dished out 14 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks and committed 14 turnovers. Indiana had 50 points in the paint, 13 points off turnovers and 11 points off the bench.
Penn State’s starting five all scored in double figures led by Ace Baldwin Jr. with 23 points. Zach Hicks scored 17 points, D’Marco Dunn added 13 points and 11 points apiece from Qudus Wahab and Nick Kern Jr. Wahab pulled down 11 rebounds for his 4th double-double of the season. Puff Johnson added 8 points off the bench. Penn State finished 24-53 from the field for 45%, 9-21 from three-point range for 43% and 26-30 from the free throw line.  Penn State pulled down 32 rebounds, dished out 14 assists, 6 steals, 1 block and committed 11 turnovers. Penn State scored 28 points in the paint, 13 points off turnovers and 8 points off the bench.
The game was tied 32-32 with 2:55 left in the first half as the Hoosiers were scoring inside and hanging in despite going 0-5 in the first half form three-point range. Penn State finished the half on 8-1 run and went into the locker room leading 40-32. Penn State was up 50-39 with 15:25 left when the Hoosiers went on a 10-2 run when Trey Galloway scored on a layup to make it 52-49 with 12:08 left in the second half. Penn State kept lead as the Hoosiers got within two with 10:06 left when Malik Reneau scored and made a free throw to make it 56-54. Penn State increased the lead to double digits and the Hoosiers got within five with 2:31 left trailing 72-67. Penn State finished the game outscoring Indiana 11-7 and 43-41 in the second half.
The Hoosiers hit their first three-pointer of the game with 1:35 left when Mackenize Mgbako scored 7 points for the entire game. C. J. Gunn added a second three pointer with three seconds left as he finished with 5 times. The Hoosiers have struggled all season from three-point land and the free throw line and a lot of games that is what it has come down to why Indiana has struggled so much this season. Anthony Walker scored 4 points, Gabe Cupps and Anthony Leal added 2 points each and Payton Sparks played and did not score.
The Hoosiers have four conferences games left with Wisconsin and Michigan State at home and Minnesota and Maryland on the road and the Hoosiers are in position of playing on the first day in the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis. The Hoosiers have been an 11 seed three times in 2009, 2011 and 2020 going 1-2 in those games. If things do not get any better and the teams below Indiana wins some games the Hoosiers are looking at their lowest seed ever in the Big Ten Tournament and that would be another reason that gives the Hoosier Nation fan base a reason to make a coaching change just three years into the Mike Woodson era. After two winning season and two NCAA Tournament appearances Woodson will be back next season despite a rough season and fans hope that things can and will be fixed in the off season.
(The following is credit sourced to Penn State University Athletics)

Nittany Lions Complete Season Sweep of Indiana with 83-74 Victory

Penn State completes regular-season sweep of Hoosiers for just second time in program history and first since 2009

 

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men’s basketball team picked up its second-straight win with an 83-74 victory over Indiana on Saturday afternoon inside the Bryce Jordan Center.

 

With the win, Penn State completes the regular-season sweep of Indiana for for the first time since 2009 and just the second time in program history. The Nittany Lions have won four games in a row against Hoosiers and five of the last six.

 

In a tight first half that featured featuring six ties, six lead changes, and each team having leads no larger than four points, the Nittany Lions strung together an 8-1 run to close out the final 2:45 of the first half and never surrendered the lead from there. Penn State limited the Hoosiers to just 2-of-15 from three-point range in the game and every PSU starter scored in double figures.

 

Senior Ace Baldwin Jr. led the way for the Nittany Lions, scoring 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting to go along with nine assists, eight rebounds and four steals in 40 minutes of action. Qudus Wahab finished with a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 boards, while Zach Hicks dropped 17 points, including four threes, marking his seventh-straight game scoring in double figures.  D’Marco Dunn tallied 13 points, while Nick Kern Jr. added 11 points and five rebounds.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • A back-and-forth first half saw six ties, six lead changes and neither team lead by more than four until the final 1:04.
  • With the score tied at 32-32 with 2:55 left in the opening stanza, eight points from Ace Baldwin Jr. comprised an 8-0 Nittany Lion streak over the next 2:30 as Penn State pulled ahead by eight at 40-32 with 25 seconds left on the first-half clock.
  • Indiana added a free throw in the final seconds, but the Hoosiers were held without a field goal for the final 2:55 as the Nittany Lions took a 40-33 edge into halftime.
  • A D’Marco Dunn triple opened the second half to put Penn State ahead by double-digits and serve as the front end of a 7-2 Nittany Lion streak that gave Penn State a 47-35 advantage with 16:40 to play.
  • The Hoosiers strung together a 14-5 stretch of the next 4:17 to trim the Nittany Lion lead to three at 52-49.
  • Indiana was within two at 56-54 two minutes later before Hicks hit his third three of the day and Puff Johnson followed with a floater in the lane to force an Indiana timeout at the 8:57 mark as Penn State pulled back ahead by seven at 61-54.
  • Nick Kern Jr. followed with five points in the 80 seconds following the Hoosier timeout to cap Penn State’s 10-2 run and put the Nittany Lions back up by double digits at 66-56 with 7:33 to play.
  • Penn State kept Indiana at arm’s length until a 7-2 Hoosier streak from 4:28 to 2:58 had IU back within five at 72-67.
  • Kern Jr. followed with a pair of free throws before Zach Hicks hit a dagger of a 3-pointer and completed a four-point play to put the Nittany Lions up 78-67 with 1:49 to play.
  • Indiana put up a fight in the final minutes, but Penn State was able to close out the 83-74 win to complete the regular-season sweep of the Hoosiers.

 

GAME NOTES

  • Penn State’s victory completed the season sweep of Indiana after the Nittany Lions also defeated the Hoosiers 85-71 in Bloomington on Feb. 3.
  • The Nittany Lions have won four in a row and five of the last six games against Indiana.
  • The Nittany Lions held Indiana without a made 3-pointer until 1:35 in the second half. Penn State shot an efficient 43% (9-21) from behind the arc.
  • Every starter scored in double figures for the Nittany Lions.
  • Penn State eclipsed 80 points for the sixth time in Big Ten play.
  • Ace Baldwin Jr. scored 23 points, 15 in the first half, shooting an impressive 7-of-12 from the field and making all eight of his free throws. Baldwin Jr. assisted on nine Penn State baskets.
  • Qudus Wahab recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards.
  • Zach Hicks scored in double-figures for the seventh-straight game with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. He added seven rebounds and an assist for the game.
  • Nick Kern Jr. tallied 11 points, six rebounds and an assist.
  • D’Marco Dunn dropped 13 points along with one assist and one rebound to his final stat line.

 

FROM THE SOURCE

Head Coach Mike Rhoades: https://gopsusports.com/watch/?Archive=9150&type=Archive

 

Ace Baldwin Jr. & Zach Hicks: https://gopsusports.com/watch/?Archive=9149&type=Archive

 

Press conference files available for download: https://bit.ly/PSUMBBMediaCentral

 

UP NEXT

  • Penn State travels to Iowa Tuesday looking to complete the regular-season sweep of the Hawkeyes. Tipoff from Iowa City is slated for 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.

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