The Nittany Lions scored 45 points in the second half but it wasn’t enough to overcome a 36-19 halftime deficit as the Iowa Hawkeyes beat Penn State 77-64 Saturday afternoon.
Penn State shot 27 percent from the floor and just 2-of-13 from three in the first half and committed 11 turnovers. Iowa’s Aaron White had 10 first half points as four of the Hawkeye’s starting five players scored in double figures. White, and Bryce Cartwright both had 17 points while Matt Gatens led the way with 18 on the day.
Penn State shot 53 percent from the floor and 8-of-16 from three in the second half, but a 3-of-17 start to the game led to an early 23-7 hole with 8:34 remaining in the first half. The Nittany Lions were unable to overcome early foul trouble and several defensive lapses which allowed Iowa to maintain their double-digit lead, even in the midst of a 17-5 run in the second half by Penn State.
Tim Frazier led the Nittany Lions with 23 points, five assists and five rebounds but had limited help from the rest of his teammates. Jermaine Marshall had 13 points including a sequence of three consecutive three-pointers which helped bring Penn State within 11 after being down by as many as 26 early in the second half.
Penn State will play again on the road on this Wednesday taking on No. 9 Michigan State. The game is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
Notes:
With 438 points, 151 assists and 51 steals on the year, Frazier stands on the cusp of becoming the first Lion ever to post a 500, 150 and 50 season in those categories.
Billy Oliver returned to the lineup after missing the past few games with issues related to concussion like symptoms.
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