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Penn State basketball earns gritty quad one win at Northwestern

On Wednesday, Penn State earned a massive win over Northwestern in overtime.

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Penn State basketball
Credit: @Adiel_Photography (Instagram)

It has been a season full of ups and downs for the Penn State Nittany Lions (18-12, 9-10 Big Ten). After Sunday’s crushing loss to Rutgers, Penn State basketball had its back pressed against the wall — on Wednesday night, the Lions hit the road to face the quad one Northwestern Wildcats (20-10, 11-8 Big Ten), and earned a gritty quad one win in overtime.

Penn State basketball starts slow, though remains in the game

After melting down and blowing a massive 19-point lead against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, the Penn State Nittany Lions headed to Welsh-Ryan Arena just north of Chicago to face Northwestern. Early on, it was clear that Penn State was in their own heads; however, a Seth Lundy dunk appeared to get the Lions to focus up. Five minutes into the game, Northwestern managed to cling onto an 8-5 lead.

Northwestern extended its lead to 10-5 before a TV timeout with 14:20 remaining in the half — throughout the first six minutes, Penn State basketball was playing sloppily and taking poor, rushed shots. After a short scoring drought, Penn State got back on the board with a bucket from freshman guard Kanye Clary — the Nittany Lions still trailed by seven at the time. A minutes later, Northwestern pushed its lead to ten with another 3-pointer.

With 4:16 remaining in the half, Penn State star Andrew Funk buried three free throws to make it a 23-17 game — the Nittany Lions were closing in, and a three from Seth Lundy made it a one bucket game. A long two-ball from Jalen Pickett forced a Northwestern timeout — the Wildcats’ lead had shrunk to one point as Northwestern took a timeout.

After a sloppy first half, the Penn State Nittany Lions trailed Northwestern by four — heading into the intermission the scoreboard read Northwestern 28, Penn State 24. After an awful performance against Rutgers on Sunday, Penn State sharpshooter Seth Lundy was the Nittany Lions’ leading scorer with eight at the break — in all, Lundy totaled 14 points, six rebounds, and one block.

“First of all — and I told coach Collins this afterwards — it’s been fun watching [Northwestern] play this year,” Penn State coach Micah Shrewsberry said after the game. “We had to come in here and battle, and I’m just so proud of our guys. Every time we haven’t played well and every time we’ve lost or something has happened, [the team] has responded every single time. Our leadership and our poise came through — I am a way better coach with a guy like Cam Wynter sitting next to me.”

Penn State first half stats

  • Penn State trailed 28-24 at the break.
  • Seth Lundy led the Lions with eight points — he was followed by Andrew Funk and Cameron Wynter, who both scored six.
  • Penn State basketball was shooting 38.1% from the floor (23.1% from the floor).
  • At one point in the first half, the Nittany Lions had 10 points and nine turnovers.
  • Penn State only led for 18 seconds throughout the entire first half.
  • Over the past 40 minutes (second half vs. Rutgers, first half vs. Northwestern), Jalen Pickett attempted four total shots.

Gritty second half leads to overtime

To open the second half, Penn State basketball star Cam Wynter drilled a 3-pointer to bring the game back within one. After getting a stop on the defensive side of the ball, the Nittany Lions Wynter sunk another jumper to give the Nittany Lions a one-point lead — this lead was short-lived as Northwestern buried a three just seconds later to make it a 31-29 game in the Wildcats’ favor. Northwestern added to that lead on their next trip down the court, and put Penn State right back into a two-bucket hole.

Andrew Funk brought the game back within two with 17:15 remaining in the game, though Funk sunk another three and gave Penn State its third lead of the game. Seth Lundy buried another Penn State 3-pointer, giving the Nittany Lions a 37-33 lead and prompting a Northwestern timeout. Right out of the timeout, the Wildcats turned the ball over, which led to an offensive foul, giving the Wildcats the ball right back

After a short scoring drought, Northwestern scored twice and tied the game up at 37-37 with 13 minutes remaining.

A vicious back-and-forth half saw the Penn State Nittany Lions trailing by three points with four minutes remaining in the game, with the score at 58-55 in Northwestern’s favor. With 2:20 remaining, Cam Wynter sunk a 3-pointer to tie the game at 58-58 before Northwestern drilled one of its two free throws to retake the lead at 59-58 with two minutes left.

Northwestern’s lead was erased by Andrew Funk, who sunk another Nittany Lion three just moments later. All of Penn State’s shooters proved to be too much for Northwestern’s defense in the second half as 30 of Penn State’s late points came from beyond the arc.

“[Jalen Picket] is [Penn State’s] inside presence, and they’ve done a great job of surrounding him with elite shooting,” Northwestern head coach Chris Collins said after the game. “They spread those guys, and their inside threat is Pickett, which is unique because he’s their point guard… you gotta be really smart, you gotta be really dialed in, because [Pickett] can really pass… I think that’s what makes them tough — they’re really difficult to defend.”

A goaltend was called on Penn State to tie the game at 61-61 with 1:10 remaining in the game — with 40 seconds remaining, Northwestern regained possession and took a timeout. Two halves of basketball was not enough to settle this game, so the two teams headed to overtime.

Overtime

Northwestern started overtime with a pair of free throws, though Penn State basketball re-gained the lead behind a Cam Wynter three. The Wildcats responded with another two before Seth Lundy’s three rimmed out. With 2:00 showing on the clock, Northwestern’s lead was one. Penn State’s Evan Mahaffey tied the game at 65-65 after hitting one of his two free throws before the Nittany Lions got a defensive stop.

With 35.5 seconds showing on the clock, Penn State basketball re-gained possession — with 0.7 seconds remaining, Cam Wynter finished off his astounding game with a massive 3-pointer, which gave the Nittany Lions a 68-65 lead.

After the Rutgers loss, coach Micah Shrewsberry was adamant that the loss was on his shoulders — time and time again, Shrewsberry circled back to being “out-coached” and insinuated that he let his team down. Tonight, the story appeared to be a bit different as the Nittany Lions pulled off the late comeback victory on the road.

“Just putting our guys in a better position,” Shrewsberry said. “I’ve been trying to do that — trying to look at what I thought they might do and trying to help us in the best way. I didn’t feel like I helped in the right way [against Rutgers]. But, I apologized to our team, and that’s a mature group that we have, and they can bounce back really quickly — they were back in the gym on Monday morning. Seth Lundy is back in the gym working on his game, [Jalen] Pickett is back in the gym, Cam [Wynter], [Andrew] Funk, all those guys were in there picking themselves up. They shook it off really quickly.”

Wynter leads Nittany Lions to massive quad one win

Despite Penn State’s recent shooting woes, star sharp shooter Cam Wynter showed great poise and accumulated 24 points against Northwestern — this is a great sign of things to come for Wynter and the Nittany Lions after falling short last weekend.

“We just got back in the gym and keep working,” Wynter told CJ Mangum of Basic Blues Nation. “That’s what we’ve done all year, and no matter how the game goes, everyone just flips the page and just keeps working and gets back in the gym.”

Second half stats

  • Cameron Wynter led the Lions in scoring with 24 points on 9-15 shooting (4-5 from three).
  • Penn State uncharacteristically had 13 turnovers on the night, compared to Northwestern’s five.
  • There were 12 ties and 22 lead changes throughout the game.
  • The Nittany Lions only led for 4:51 in the entire game.
  • Final score: Penn State 68, Northwestern, 65


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ICYMI: Penn State basketball legend Lamar Stevens finds new NBA home

Former Penn State basketball star finds a new home in the NBA.

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Penn State basketball, Lamar Stevens, Boston Celtics
Mar 3, 2020; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions forward Lamar Stevens (11) reacts after shooting a three point shot during the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Bryce Jordan Center. Michigan State defeated Penn State 79-71. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

Argubly the GOAT of Penn State basketball has found a new home after his surprise trade and release this offseason. According to NBA insider Shams Charania, forward Lamar Stevens has agreed to a deal with the Boston Celtics. 

The Penn State legend had spent his first 3 years in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers after signing with them as a free agent after going undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft. He started as a 2-way player with the organization and eventually earned a full contract as his role grew in Cleveland. He played in a total of 165 games for the Cavs, including 38 starts, where he averaged 5.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Lamar was able to masterfully transition from an offensive focal point and go-to scorer at Penn State to an off-ball defensive-minded role player in the NBA. 

Lamar joins a Celtics team that has been very familiar with Penn State in recent years. Former men’s basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry was an assistant coach for the Celtics for 6 years and has maintained a good relationship with a lot of his fellow colleagues and players. This includes former Celtics head coach and current general manager Brad Stevens, who made his way to Penn State to visit coach shrews and watch the Nittany Lions a number of times over Shrewsberry’s 2 years in Happy Valley. 

Lamar Stevens will look to contribute to a Boston Celtics team that has lofty expectations. After a season that saw them lose in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals and a busy offseason of moves, the Celtics will be one of the favorites to win out in the East and ultimately win the NBA finals. Stevens picking up a lot of starts seems unlikely, barring injury, but he has the potential to carve out a great bench role in Boston thanks to his incredible defense and instant energy. 



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BREAKING: Penn State basketball lands Dominick Stewart

The Penn State basketball team has landed a new commit in the 2024 class today.

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Mike Rhoades, Penn State basketball, Dominic Stewart
Dec 5, 2018; Austin, TX, USA; Virginia Commonwealth Rams head coach Mike Rhoades walks the baseline watching the team play during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Frank Erwin Center. Mandatory Credit: John Gutierrez-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Rhoades and the rest of the Penn State men’s basketball recruiting staff got some good news today from the recruiting trail as the 2023-2024 season inches closer. The 2023 schedule was released this week and tip-off is nearing closer. But before that takes place, Rhoades and his staff have been hard at work trying to secure the future. A step in that direction was taken today, as the Nittany Lions landed top prospect Dominick Stewart. 

Penn State basketball lands Dominick Stewart

Class of 2024 guard Dominick Stewart announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions on Friday afternoon. Dominick is a 6’5 guard from Maryland and is currently playing at the Southern California Academy in California. He is the 184th-ranked player nationally and a three-star by the ON3 industry rankings. He carries an impressive offer list that includes Butler, Creighton, Mississippi State, and Cal. Penn State offered back in July after Dominick’s very strong showing on the AAU circuit which included All-Breakout team selections at Peach Jam in the Nike EYBL session #3. This commitment comes from a recent visit he took to Happy Valley at the beginning of the month. 

Stewart looks like a good get, especially after that impressive AAU run that got many schools noticing him. He is a smart and skilled player who can fit into many lineups and spots on the court. He is a good shooter with a great jumper. His jump shot is smooth and quick which allows him to avoid contests and score in bunches when he gets hot.

He processes the game at an impressive speed and is constantly making the right play. Not your typical lead ball playmaker, but is a fantastic connector, keeping the ball moving and hitting the open man. Those smarts apply to the other side of the ball too. Stewart uses his good size at hoard effectively to guard up and down the lineup. He is a good and willing team defender which fits the Rhoades style well. 

Where does Stewart fit in at Penn State?

Stewart, originally a member of the 2025 class, becomes the second member of Penn State’s 2024 class after reclassifying. He joins fellow guard Jahvin Carter as the first high school recruit to commit to Penn State since Mike Rhoades took over. Jahvin, who committed back in June, and Stewart make an interesting pair in the backcourt and share a lot of skills that the staff clearly values. The biggest one is their basketball IQ. They should both be important pieces in building a smart and skilled program for the future of Penn State Basketball. 



Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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Penn State Basketball has released its 2023-2024 official schedule

The Penn State basketball 2023-2024 schedule is here!

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Penn State basketball, Mike Rhoades, Schedule
Mar 18, 2023; Des Moines, IA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard Myles Dread (2) and forward Michael Henn (24) salute fans after a loss to the Texas Longhorns at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

After a long wait, we now know what awaits the Penn State Men’s Basketball team this winter. Year 1 of the Mike Rhoades era is around the corner with the release of the 2023-2024 basketball schedule. The schedule totals 30 games including an in-season tournament, a potential revenge game, and another Palestra special

Penn State Basketball has released its 2023-2024 official schedule

Before all that, however, the season opens up on November 6th against Delaware State. This game, at the Bryce Jordan Center, starts a run of home games to begin the year against Lehigh (November 10th), St. Francis (November 14th), and Morehead State (November 17th). This all leads to the ESPN Events Invitational.

Penn State gets its first big test down in Orlando in a rematch against Texas A&M. The game takes place on Thanksgiving, November 23rd, and will be a great chance to test out the radically different roster against a more familiar opponent. Penn State will play a total of 3 games in the tournament win or lose with the potential for a very intriguing matchup

If the Nittany Lions are able to go all the way to the championship they could match up against Mike Rhoades’ former school, VCU. This would obviously be huge for the coach against his old school, but it also features a “revenge” opportunity for a couple of players as well. Point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. and forward Nick Kern Jr. both followed coach Rhoades from VCU to Penn State this past spring. While this game would be amazing, it is unlikely. Penn State and VCU would both have to mirror each other in each round whether that means winning out, losing out, or somewhere in between. A matchup we are guaranteed is another Big Ten Showdown in Philly.

On January 7th the Nittany Lions will take on Michigan in the Palestra. This will be the second year in a row Penn State will host a game in the historic arena and the 4th time since their 2017 matchup against Michigan State. Penn State has a long history in the arena playing 61 games there since 1927, and win or lose, the environment is always electric. 

The schedule in full goes as follows:

November 6th: vs. Delaware State

November 10th: vs Lehigh

November 14th: vs St. Francis(PA) 

November 17th: vs. Morehead State

November 23rd: vs Texas A&M*

November 24th: vs Butler/FAU*

November 26th: vs TBD*

December 2nd: vs Bucknell

December 6th: at Maryland

December 9th: vs. Ohio State

December 21st: vs Le Moyne

December 29th: vs Rider

January 4th: at Michigan State

January 7th: vs Michigan 

January 10th: vs Northwestern

January 13th: at Purdue 

January 16th: vs Wisconsin

January 20th: at Ohio State

January 27th: vs Minnesota

January 31st: at Rutgers

February 3rd: at Indiana

February 8th: vs Iowa

February 11th: at Northwestern

February 14th: vs. Michigan State

February 17th: at Nebraska 

February 21st: vs Illinois 

February 24th: vs Indiana 

February 27th: at Iowa 

March 2nd: at Minnesota 

March 10th: vs Maryland 

March 13th-17th: Big Ten Tournament

*= ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando, Florida

**= home game in Philly at Palestra

Penn State has already played a couple of warm-up games with two big wins in the Bahamas that gave us our first look at this new squad. The team has also announced a third against Robert Morris on October 27th as they gear up to take on this 23-24 schedule. As Mike Rhoades looks to begin a new era in Penn State basketball. 



Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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