Penn State men’s basketball overcame 12-point first half deficit but couldn’t erase a late double-digit Maryland lead in the final stages of Saturday afternoon’s game, falling 74-68 on the road to the Terrapins in College Park for their fourth consecutive loss.
The Nittany Lions took quite some time to get going on Saturday, scoring just three points in the opening eight minutes of plays as Maryland worked out to an early 11-3 lead. Penn State would eventually get its feet underneath it in the first half but not before the Terps found themselves ahead 21-9 with 7:22 left to go in the half. From there the Nittany Lions would charge, making eight-straight shots from the field to go on a 21-9 of its own to trail by just three, 31-28 at the half, effectively putting some ugly basketball in rearview.
The Nittany Lions managed 12 points off the bench in the first half of play, getting six each from Myles Dread and Kanye Clary while Seth Lundy, Andrew Funk and Jalen Pickett combined for 16 points from the starting five. Despite a fairly balanced scoring effort once Penn State got going, the Nittany Lions would commit 13 turnovers on the afternoon, leading to 17 Maryland points.
Penn State would shoot – and play – much better in the second half as the Nittany Lions looked to break a three-game losing streak with a crucial conference road victory. The Nittany Lions hung around for the majority of the final 20 minutes of play, eventually tying the game at 47-47 with just over 10 minutes to go in regulation. Clary continued his strong outing and would finish the afternoon with 17 points to lead Penn State while Myles Dread’s 11 points would be a welcome contribution, even as he eventually fouled out of the game. After a fairly quiet first half, Pickett scored 11 second-half points as Penn State went 16-for-29 from the field in the final 20 minutes.
Despite the improved shooting, Penn State couldn’t overcome Maryland’s interior scoring and watched the Terps shoot 23 free throws to the Nittany Lions’ four. A 7-0 run by Maryland watched a three point lead balloon into a 64-52 margin with just over two minutes to go in the game. Penn State would miss six-straight shots over that span, all but one coming from beyond the arc. The Nittany Lions would proceed to make six of their last seven makes, cutting Maryland’s once 13-point lead to just six, but serving as far too little far too late.
Penn State finished the game having shot 50.9% from the field while Maryland made 53% of its shots. Turnovers, a free throw disparity and timely shooting all played a part in the outcome as Maryland got 23 points from guard Hakim Hart and 18 more from Jahmir Young.
The Nittany Lions now at 14-11 on the year, return home to host Illinois on Tuesday after the Bryce Jordan Center before heading back on the road to Minnesota next weekend to face the Gophers in Minneapolis.
