Penn State stuns Iowa

UNIVERSITY PARK — On Feb. 17, the Penn State Nittany Lions completed an upset and stunned the No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes at the Bryce Jordan Center, knocking them off, 79-75.

Penn State enhanced their home record to 9-3, while leveling their overall season record at 13-13, gaining some respectability, as they now stand 11th in Big Ten conference standings.

Iowa came into this game with the top record in the Big Ten, but costly team and player fouls late in the second half proved to be their Achilles heal, as they dropped to 20-6 overall on the season. This allowed Penn State to capitalize and extend their lead with beneficial free throw shots. Iowa now holds a conference record of 10-3.

Penn State had three players in double figures: forward Donovon Jack, guard Shep Garner and forward Brandon Taylor. Jack was the team-leading scorer for Penn State, with 19 points. Taylor and Garner followed suit with 18 points apiece.

Taylor credits his other teammates for his personal success on the court, after putting up 18 points and shooting 50 percent from the field.

“My personal success was a testament to the work ethic of my teammates and overall confidence of the team, with all players one through 12 contributing together,” he said.

Penn State forward Payton Banks totaled eight points on the evening, earning six points from the field (3-12) and racking up six points from 3-point range (2-7).

One highlight in the game was a turnover induced by Iowa guard Peter Jok with 2:08 minutes remaining in the second half, leading to a steal by Penn State shooting guard Isaiah Washington. At the time, Penn State led 65-60. After his steal, Washington missed a 3-point shot, but Brandon Taylor picked up the offensive rebound and made a jumper with 1:36 minutes remaining, giving Penn State a 67-60 lead. Penn State never looked back and never relinquished their second-half lead.

Penn State’s bench carried the load, as the team collectively scored 29 bench points.

Penn State head coach Patrick Chambers felt that the majority of the team’s success was attributed to its “teamwork” mentality and a “total team effort,” while he believed that all the players, starters and bench players alike, were accountable for the team’s brilliant upset win.

“They played for each other, they came in and raised the bar, and faced adversity and challenges, but never lost their edge and stayed their course,” he said.

Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery was disgusted with his team’s performance, particularly in the second half, as Iowa never established a lead at that point. He gave credit and props to Brandon Taylor, respecting his shot on any given night, acknowledging his big game potential and sheer offensive production.

“We hung in there, but we have to just work, and that’s all you can do,” McCaffery said. “We didn’t turn it over that much in the first half, but Brandon Taylor, he’s gonna stretch you 3 to 4 feet.”

The Nittany Lions followed that up with a 70-58 win over Rutgers on Feb. 20.