PHILADELPHIA — It was a game Penn State likely intended would expand its dominance in one of college basketball’s most historic cities, drawing eyes on a team with NCAA Tournament aspirations. It was labeled a White Out, but specks of joyous red littered the packed stands at The Palestra, where the Nittany Lions sustained a 77-71 loss to Indiana on Sunday.
Zach Hicks, a Philadelphia native, nailed a 3-pointer with 1:43 remaining that brought Penn State within one score of Indiana, which led by as many as 16 points midway through the second half. The Hoosiers then made four consecutive free throws, all but putting the finishing touches on Mike Rhoades’ Nittany Lions, which dropped to 12-3 on the year.
Nick Kern Jr. threw down emphatic slams on his way to a team-high 21 points and Ace Baldwin Jr. contributed 12 points and seven assists. They led an, at times, suffocating defensive effort and scored efficiently through contact, but Penn State ultimately didn’t provide enough juice offensively on a day it shot 3-for-20 from 3-point range and 10-for-17 from the free-throw line.
“You don’t make all your shots. That’s reality. You’re not gonna make them all,” Rhoades said postgame. “… That’s how it goes. You’re gonna have games like that. You hope you don’t have games where you’re missing from three and from the free throw line against good teams, because that’s a double whammy.”
Hooisers’ center Oumar Ballo tallied a game-high 25 points and 13 rebounds while forward Mackenzie Mgbako scored 20 points. Mike Woodson’s dynamic duo shined in front of NBA personnel from five different teams: the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings.
“(Mgbako) was huge for us,” Woodson said. “We featured him and he responded big time. He made some shots over the top of the big 7-footer (Yanic Konan Niederhauser) that they had, who I think is a hell of a player. But I thought at the start of the second half, it was all Mack that opened the doors for us.”
It’s unlikely these NBA staffers were disappointed by a tightly contested match between two of the Big Ten’s best. After entering the halftime break knotted at 29, Indiana jumped ahead by as much as 16 points before Penn State stormed back and cut the lead to as low as two. The cheers from the well-attended fans in red, as well as those in white, never settled.
But Penn State simply couldn’t shoot its way to a win. Freddie Dilione V and Kern hit consecutive 3-pointers late in the second half, snapping an 0-for-12 streak. By that point, however, the damage had mostly been done.
For the Nittany Lions, the road only gets more challenging from here. Their record is admirable and one of their most efficient starts in recent memory, but three consecutive games against ranked opponents awaits. They’ll face No. 22 Illinois on the road on Wednesday, host No. 9 Oregon next Sunday and then play at No. 18 Michigan State on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
Big Ten play is in full effect, and Penn State has set itself up nicely for its first NCAA Tournament bid under head coach Mike Rhoades. But nothing is promised in this conference. And the Nittany Lions, who already possess a win over No. 20 Purdue, will be tasked with proving they belong over what is likely to be their most treacherous stretch of the year.
“I think we have a good team. I love this team. And we’re different than a lot of teams in the league,” Rhoades said. “… We got to have that urgency and that discipline to go play those teams and beat those teams. But that’s what you sign up for. That’s the fun of it. But with this group of guys we have, as pissed as I am now that we lost the game, I’m excited with what we’re capable of doing.”
