Following an embarrassing 17-point, 74-57 blowout loss to the No. 24 Purdue Boilermakers, the Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Northwestern Wildcats, 71-62, at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Jan. 16. With the win, Penn State snapped a two-game losing streak.
Here are the Game Grades for Penn State’s victory over Northwestern:
■ Backcourt — A
Guard Shep Garner collected nine points in the game and was 2-8 from the field and 4-6 from the line. Garner also went 1-5 from 3-point range. Guard Devin Foster also finished with nine points on the evening, as he went 2-5 from the field and shot 50 percent from beyond the arc, going 1-2. Foster also added a steal.
As a team, Penn State shot 43.2 percent (19-44) from the field. Penn State’s free throw percentage for the game was an impressive 72.7 percent, 26 percent better than the Wildcats’ free throw percentage of 46.7 percent. Collectively, the Nittany Lions had six points off turnovers.
■ Frontcourt — A
Penn State led by as many as 18 points, their largest lead of the game, with 8:06 to go in the second half. A large part of Penn State’s offensive success throughout the game was credited to the brilliant play by forwards Brandon Taylor and Donovan Jack. Taylor had a team-leading 19 points in the game and shot a robust 4-7 (57.1 percent) from beyond the arc, while Jack collected 14 points and nine rebounds. Brandon Taylor anchored seven rebounds. Forward Payton Banks also finished in double figures with 10 points on the evening. Center Jordan Dickerson finished with five points for the game, while collecting four rebounds and added one block.
Penn State out-rebounded Northwestern for the game, 42-34. Penn State also led Northwestern in the blocks in the game, 5-1.
■ Bench — A
Penn State’s bench played exceptionally well, and the team collected 26 bench points compared to the Wildcat’s 19 bench points. A total of 14 of Penn State’s 26 bench points came in the second half. Foster scored nine of the team’s bench points, while Jack was credited with scoring over half of the team’s total bench points. Forward Deividas Zemgulis chipped in with three points off the bench.
■ Coaching — B+
Penn State outscored Northwestern 30-23 in the first half and outscored them 41-39 in the second half. Penn State held Northwestern to a 38.8 percent field goal clip for the entire game.
The Penn State Nittany Lions’ next game is Thursday, Jan. 21, when they will host Wisconsin. Opening tip-off is set for 8 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center.
