On a night where the Golden State Warriors were looking to go 20-0 on the year Shep Garner pulled out his best Stephen Curry impression, scoring 30 points as Penn State beat Boston College 67-58 on Wednesday night.
Opening the night going 5-of-5 from the floor and all from behind the arc, Garner piloted a Penn State offense that cooled after Garner came back to Earth going 0-for-4 from the field to close out the half. Payton Banks added five more points in the half while the Nittany Lions shot 32% from the field.
Boston College did well to get back into the game following Garner’s hot start turning a seven-point deficit into a 30-29 halftime lead as both teams traded baskets, 20 combined free throws and just one turnover.
AJ Turner paced the Eagles’ offense with 13 first half points, joining Garner in the two man show for 20 minutes of play. Boston College registered seven assists on nine made field goals.
It was all Garner in the second half though opening with a quick eight points to take his total to 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting with well over 10 minutes to go in regulation. Boston College took a brief 38-31 second half lead before Garner turned it on a blasted the Nittany Lions back out in front. Penn State went up 48-44 with 11:55 to go in the game, shooting much more effectively in the early stages of the second half.
Boston College continued to push but Penn State’s strong second half also continued as the Nittany Lions responded with key rebounds and shot making to take a 59-53 lead with 3:11 to go in the game. Garner settled down after his opening outburst with still “just” 28 point late in the game. Donovan Jack adde a key three and basket on nearly back-to-back possessions to help Penn State stay in front. The Nittany Lions also brought their assist total into double figures with 12 on the the night and a 40-27 advantage on the glass.
Two Jordan Dickerson free throws helped seal the deal and putt Penn State up 63-53 with just over a minute remaining. Josh Reaves added two more from the line to extend the late last minute lead to 12 points.
Oh, and Curry scored 28 points in the third quarter of the Warriors’ win.
