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MINNEAPOLIS – The 11th-seeded Penn State men’s basketball team used a strong defensive effort to defeat 14th-seeded Michigan 66-57 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday night inside the Target Center. Penn State advances to the second round and will face sixth-seeded Indiana at approximately 9 p.m. Thursday.
The Nittany Lions took the lead in the fourth minute of the game and never looked back in their solid first-round victory over the Wolverines. Stellar defense and some strong shooting helped Penn State win the Big Ten Tournament for the fourth consecutive year.
Zach Hicks A 20-point outing led the Nittany Lions to victory in the first round. Hicks drained a season-best six 3-pointers, tying the second-best single-game total for a Nittany Lion in a Big Ten Tournament game. Ace Baldwin Jr. filled the stat sheet, scoring 17 points with six assists, five rebounds, three steals and a block. Qudus Wahab scored 13 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, solidifying Penn State’s presence to seal the victory.
AS A STEP
- TO Demetrius Lilley A three-point play at the 14:57 mark gave the Nittany Lions an early 8-3 lead five minutes into the game.
- The Wolverines scored the next two baskets, but Penn State responded with an 8-3 run over the next 3:25 as a result. Zach Hicks The three-pointer gave the Nittany Lions a 16-10 lead with 7:48 left on the first-half clock.
- Michigan tied the score at 20 three minutes later, before a flurry of 3-pointers from Hicks and strong defense helped the Nittany Lions spend the final 4:05 of the half on a 13-2 run. Hicks hit three 3-pointers during the surge and Penn State did not allow a Wolverine field goal in the final 5:29 of the half as the Nittany Lions took a 33-22 lead into the locker room.
- Michigan started the second half hot as the Wolverines pulled within four at 35-31 just over two minutes into the half. Five points followed by Ace Baldwin Jr. then helped Penn State respond with a 14-6 run over the next 3:27 as five points from Hicks capped the run and put Penn State’s lead back into double digits at 47-35 with 14:40 left.
- The Wolverines responded with 11 of the next 14 points to suddenly bring Penn State’s lead to just four at 50-46 with 9:53 left.
- The Nittany Lions used five points from the free throw line and a hook shot by Wahab to score seven of the next nine to make it 57-48 at 7:31.
- Hicks hit his sixth 3-pointer of the night at the 5:50 mark to return Penn State’s lead to double digits at 60-49.
- Penn State’s defense got the job done down the stretch as the Wolverines scored just two points over the next five minutes. Michigan scored six in the final minute of play, but it proved too little, too late. The Nittany Lions were six of eight from the free throw line in the final five minutes to seal the 66-57 victory.
GAME NOTES
- Penn State has now won a Big Ten Tournament game for the fourth consecutive year and the sixth time in the last seven completed tournaments. Penn State advances to the second round of the Big Ten Tournament to face sixth-seeded Indiana on Thursday night at approximately 9 pm ET/8 pm CT.
- Penn State improves to 3-1 all-time in Big Ten Tournament games against Michigan.
- Michigan entered the game shooting a season-high 44.7 percent, but was stifled by the Nittany Lion defense that allowed the Wolverines to convert on just 34.5 percent from the field, including a 24.1 percent effort. in the first half.
- Penn State’s Big Ten-leading three-point defense limited the Wolverines to a 22.2 percent mark from downtown.
- Penn State forced 15 turnovers Wednesday night, including 11 in the first half alone.
- Zach Hicks, making his Big Ten Tournament debut, recorded a season-high 20 points against the Wolverines. His game is Penn State’s first 20-plus point game in the tournament since Jalen Pickett lost by 28 to Indiana in the semifinals of last year’s Big Ten Tournament.
- Hicks made a season-best six 3-pointers, including four in the first half of the game. The mark ties the second-best total in a Big Ten Tournament game in school history. The junior added six rebounds and an assist to his final line.
- In the second Big Ten Tournament game of his career, Qudus Wahab recorded career-highs in the tournament in points (13) and rebounds (8).
- Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Ace Baldwin Jr. He finished with 17 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals.
- Only two members of the Nittany Lions roster (Qudus Wahab during his stay in Maryland and Andy Cristos) had seen action in the conference tournament before tonight. Eleven Nittany Lions made their Big Ten Tournament debut on Wednesday.
- Dan Conlan He recorded his first block in a Penn State uniform.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Mike Rhoades, Ace Baldwin Jr. & Zach Hicks
REFLEXES
UNTIL NEXT TIME
- Penn State advances to face sixth-seeded Indiana at approximately 9 p.m. Thursday in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. The game will be broadcast nationally on the Big Ten Network.
Highmark Health presents the 2023-24 Penn State men’s basketball season.
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