For a moment it looked like it was going to get away from Penn State.
With Iowa leading 31-21 early in the second half the Nittany Lions were on the ropes. A few more Hawkeye baskets might just put the game out of reach. Iowa was a team on a six-game winning streak, a team that had embarrassed opponents on a regular basis. One more punch might just spell the end to a tournament run for Penn State.
So it was safe to say things didn’t look too good for the No. 13 seeded Nittany Lions.
But like they have all season, Penn State stayed the course, played tough defense and found a way to stay in the game. Found a way to keep Iowa within reach. Slowly but surely the lead shrank and with it the confidence of a team that probably didn’t feel too worried about Ross Travis shooting jump shots.
24 hours earlier after Penn State dispatched Nebraska, Cornhusker star Terran Petteway spoke of an early season loss that sent Nebraska’s season on a downward spiral. It became a mental hurdle the rest of the way. Trying not to lose had become as much the mission as trying to win. A backwards way of playing the game.
So as much as Penn State wants to move on from the losing tradition, the funny thing about losing frequently is how comfortable a team can get in the face of it. The Nittany Lions only truly pulled away in the final minute of play, but they calmly took care of business, even if the business wasn’t always the prettiest to watch.
Iowa on the other hand looked out of sorts, and with the pressures of March squarely on the Hawkeyes’ shoulders, Penn State with a new found confidence through a 48 point second half en route to an eventual 67-58 victory. The Nittany Lions had nothing to lose.
Penn State’s first half certainly wouldn’t have led anyone to believe the postseason run was going to continue. A 19 point 20 minute span that’s most redeeming quality was Penn State’s ability keep Iowa from running away with the game. Blocks, fouls and missed shots were the theme for both teams and an Iowa block at the buzzer a fitting way to end a dismal 20 minutes of play.
If losing is the biggest tradition of Penn State basketball, never giving up is probably a close second and perhaps the only way Penn State ever came back to win on Thursday afternoon.
Down double figures Penn State slowly chipped away and turned a 31-21 deficit into a 36-34 lead over the span of seven minutes of basketball Iowa will want to forget as quickly as possible. Some of it was Penn State, some of it was Iowa and its inexplicable 0-5 record at neutral sites this season. Whatever the issue, the Nittany Lions took a 39-36 lead with 10:04 to play.
Free throws, and back-to-back three by DJ Newbill blew the game open as the Big Ten’s leading scorer poured in seven points in under a minute to give Penn State a 10 point lead. From there iowa clawed back, but another Newbill jumper with 5:17 to play made it a 54-45 margin.
Like all things Penn State basketball, the game would still close down to a single possession as Iowa free throws and timely shots cut into the lead that nearly everyone suspected would not last.
Leading by just two points with over 30 seconds to play, Ross Travis powered down the baseline and whipped up a reserve layup and the foul to give the Nittany Lions a 60-56 margin. A made free throw extended that lead and from there it was simply free throws and missed shots by Iowa to close out what not too long ago seemed like a most improbable victory.
Penn State picks up its 18th win of the year and will face Purdue for a date in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals on Friday afternoon.
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