Penn State struggled to find its stroke early in its Big Ten conference opener Thursday, night falling to 18th-ranked Michigan, 71-53.
Tim Frazier led the Nittany Lions with 20 points but had a cold hand early in the game, turning the ball over five times and shooting 8-18 from the floor. It was Frazier’s sixth game over the 20-point margin and his 12th game in double figures this season. Jermaine Marshall also had nine points but was in foul trouble early, limiting his playing time.
The Wolverines were led by Tim Hardaway Jr., who had 26 points and was instrumental in several Michigan runs throughout the game.
Penn State was unable to capitalize on a slow Michigan start and fell in to an early 11-5 hole and trailed 36-22 heading into halftime. The Nittany Lion offense, which usually features several double-figure scorers, struggled to find its rhythm offensively, leading to long possessions without much movement or production.
Trey Lewis had solid minutes off the bench for the Nittany Lions, scoring nine points, including a few strong finishes at the basket, while taking on high school rival Trey Burke. Burke finished the game with 13 points but struggled from the field, shooting only 3-11, but was able to pick up fouls in the process.
Penn State falls to 8-6 on the year and 0-1 in the Big Ten. Michigan improves to 11-2 and 1-0 in conference.
The Nittany Lions will next travel to Northwestern to take on the 10-3, 0-1 Wildcats on New Year’s Day. Northwestern is coming off two straight road losses to top-25 teams and will be looking for the first win in conference play.
