Penn State held its own with one of the nation’s best on Wednesday but a second half surge by No. 4 Wisconsin was too much for the Nittany Lions as they fell 89-72 on New Years’ Eve.
The Nittany Lions fell behind early 8-0 but hot shooting by DJ Newbill and strong defense got Penn State back into the game with a 13-4 run in the early going. Newbill opened the game on fire going 6-for-6 from the field with ease. Freshman Shep Garner was also ready for the big stage, adding several great assists and baskets to help Penn State take a 30-27 lead with just over six minutes to play in the half.
While both teams traded brief leads, it was Wisconsin that closed out the half strong thanks to Frank Kaminsky’s 10 first half points to go with his 7 rebounds. The Badgers’ 16-9 run gave them a 43-36 lead at the break as Penn State turned the ball over seven times in the opening half.
Penn State got an early basket from a struggling Brandon Taylor in the second half but Wisconsin’s quick 8-2 run forced a Nittany Lion timeout just under three minutes into the final 20 minutes of play.
Wisconsin’s eventual 22 point lead was cut to 16 thanks to a 10-4 run by Penn State midway through the half but the Nittany Lions would get no closer for the remainder of the game.
Penn State was led by Newbill’s 29 points and a pair of 11 point outings by Shep Garner and Geno Thorpe. Other than that the Nittany Lions received a mixed bag of performances with Brandon Taylor and Ross Travis going a combined 3-of-12 from the floor.
Wisconsin was led by Kaminsky’s 18 points and 14 rebounds as the Badgers showed why they are one of the nation’s best with balance across the floor and four players solidly in double figures.
The Nittany Lions finished the game having shot 53 percent from the floor with 24 points off the bench and only two second half turnovers. A performance like that against a team other than Wisconsin (a Final Four favorite) and Penn State will win more games than not.
That it why as Penn State now stands at 12-2 on the year. The Nittany Lions’ opening loss in Big Ten play will do very little to hurt their postseason aspirations. That said, a big weekend meeting with Rutgers and an upcoming showdown with Michigan will tell fans a lot about the Nittany Lions as they move into the thick of Big Ten play.
Rutgers is as much of a must-win game as things get at this time of year with a Big Ten home opener against an up and down Wolverine squad a key chance to pick up a victory.
In many ways Penn State looked about as good as a middle of the pack team can against a team with national title hopes. In that light, it gives fans reason to still believe that things are looking up. But with only a few days before a trip to New Jersey to face the Scarlet Knights it will once again be time for the Nittany Lions to deliver on the hype of their early season success.
