Takeaways and how it happened: Penn State basketball drops Big Ten matchup against Wisconsin

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- The Penn State men’s basketball program dropped a heartbreaker in overtime Wednesday night as they were defeated by the Wisconsin Badgers 79-74. 

Penn State-Wisconsin: How it happened

The Badgers and Nittany Lions came to play in a crucial game for both sides.

Both teams traded shots to start the game. The first half of the game was within a shot up until the ten-minute mark in the period. Good shooting and drawing fouls helped the Badgers create some separation from the Nittany Lions. Carter Gilmore and Connor Essegian played a key role in creating a multi-point lead.

With a little more than 6:30 to play in the period, a Kebba Njie layup brought this game within two for the Nittany Lions. But, it was the closest the half would get.

The first half ended with a Jalen Pickett tip-in basket to make it a 35-29 game in favor of the Badgers. 

One of the biggest keys to getting the separation late in the period came down to free throws. The Badgers made seven of eight from the charity stripe in the half, while the Nittany Lions made just one of two. 

Cam Wynter led the Nittany Lions in scoring with eight points, Pickett led the team in rebounds with five and was tied for the lead in assists with Mikey Henn at three. 

The duo of Essegian and Wahl led Wisconsin with 10 points in the first half.

Penn State was ready to fight back in the second half.  It fought a back-and-forth battle, though. After a stretch of Nittany Lion dominance, head coach Micah Shrewsberry’s team finally tied the game with 6:30 to play. Then, a Lundy three-point shot with 4:18 to go gave the Nittany Lions their first lead since early in the second half. 

However, a minute later, a Chucky Hepburn step-back three gave the Badgers the lead back. But, after Penn State took the lead and then gave it back, Lundy answered with a heavily contested three with the shot clock dwindling, to tie the game back up with 23 seconds left.

The Badgers had two late chances to win the game but failed to convert either of the two shots. 

Overtime was slow to develop, with only nine points scored through the first four minutes of the five-minute period.  Wisconsin scored five of the nine points, though, then five unanswered to give them the cushion needed to complete the 79-74 victory. 

Badgers-Lions takeaways

–Wisconsin scored 33 of its 79 points from the three, shooting 45.8 percnet from three on the night. Penn State needs to contest more shots at the three-point line. It gave up too many wide-open looks at the basket from behind the arc.

–Pickett found his groove in the second half. He and Lundy helped lead the team to overtime. Pickett had 17 points, followed by Wynter and his 15 points and Lundy scored 14. Funk added 10 of his own, but the rest of the team remained in single digits. 

–The combo of Essegian and Wahl powered Wisconsin through the first half. Hepburn took his turn in the second half and helped push Wisconsin to the win.  Hepburn shot five for nine from three, and 6-16 from the field, leading him to a game-high of 19 points.