The Huskers looked to continue their momentum on the road against Penn State after a big home win against Ohio State, but like the story has been all year, NU couldn’t get their second win in a row in Big Ten play.
Penn State got out to a blazing start converting a four-point play and hitting two more threes to burst out to a 10-point lead. Nebraska responded out of a timeout with an 8-0 run of their own, led by six straight points from Derrick Walker.
Shortly after, disaster would strike for Nebraska as starting guard Emmanuel Bandoumel went down with an apparent leg injury. Bandoumel was helped off the floor and would not return to the game. Bandoumel was a huge part of the Big Red’s defensive improvement this season. Nebraska was already shorthanded after starting forward Juwan Gary was officially announced out for the rest of the season after injuring against Illinois earlier in the month. Freshman Jamarques Lawrence would see significant minutes in Bandoumels absence.
For the majority of the first half, lids didn’t come off either basket. Each squad scored a combined nine points for 7 minutes of play. Penn State held a 15-12 lead with eight minutes to go in half-one.
CJ Wilcher, who came off the bench for the second straight game, hit a three to tie the game at 15. Nittany Lion guard Andrew Funk responded on the next possession with his fourth made three of the half. Nebraska got the game within two with three minutes to go, but Penn State finished the half strong, led by star Jalen Pickett and a final-minute three-point play by Funk to end the half up 29-23
Penn State, like they have the whole year, lived off the three-point line in half one. Penn State entered today’s game fifth in the country in three-pointers made per game with 10.9 and ninth in three-point percentage. While they shut down the inside, only allowing 4 points from the paint, Nebraska could not run the lions off the arc. Penn State hit eight threes in half one. Funk hit half of them and finished the first with 16
Derrick Walker led Nebraska with six points, five rebounds, and two assists.
Out of the locker rooms, both teams came out firing. Nebraska put together a 7-0 run led by four Walker points and another Wilcher three to tie the game at 33. Penn State responded with a 10-3 run to regain their seven-point lead. The two sides traded baskets until Fred Hoiberg called a timeout after another Nittany Lion three that made the game 50-41 with 12 to go.
Penn State began to pull away as they grabbed an 11-point lead, but Keisei Tominaga came alive for the Huskers. Tominaga scored 11 of the next 13 Nebraska points and help the Huskers bring the deficit within three with eight minutes left.
Nebraska put in a great effort, but Penn State shut down the Husker surge. The Lions put together a 13-4 run led by Seth Lundy. Lundy finished with 16 points, and 13 of them came in the second half. Nebraska would make a last-minute 6-0 run to try and steal a win, but Penn State would shut the attempt down and walk away with a 76-65 victory.
It was a complete shift in strategy on the offensive end for Penn State in the second half. The Nittany Lions, after scoring only four points in the paint, spread the floor, attacked the basket, and scored 20 points inside the free-throw line.
Funk led Penn State with 23, and star Jalen Pickett finished with 12 on 6-of-8 shooting.
Free throw shooting was once again a thorn in the Cornhusker’s side as the Big Red went 13-24 from the charity stripe. Who is to say how much different the game could have been if the Huskers converted their freebies
Walker led NU with 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Keisei Tominaga had an incredible second half and walked away with 13 points, and two made threes.
Nebraska now moves to 10-10 on the year and 3-6 in the Big Ten on the season.