In the NCAA Tournament Round of 32, Penn State men’s basketball team lost to Texas 71-66 after fighting back from a double-digit deficit and leading by three. Texas went on a 10-0 run coming out of a timeout, leading by seven, which proved to be the difference. Myles Dread’s three-pointer sparked a 10-0 run for Penn State, but they couldn’t hold on for the win. Jalen Pickett recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and his 10 rebounds are tied for fifth in program history for an NCAA Tournament game. Penn State’s 23-14 season was highlighted by their first NCAA Tournament win since 2001 and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011. Five Penn State players finished in double figures, with Camren Wynter leading the way with 16 points. Penn State and Texas had their first-ever game against each other in the NCAA Tournament, and the matchup marked Penn State’s first-ever game against a Big 12 team in the NCAA Tournament.
Penn State’s magical run in the NCAA Tournament ended as second-seeded Texas defeated them 71-66 in the Round of 32 on Saturday night in Des Moines, Iowa. The tenth-seeded Nittany Lions fought back from a double-digit deficit to take a three-point lead with 4:48 remaining, but Texas closed the game on a 16-8 run. The loss brought an end to Penn State’s historic season, which ended with a record of 23-14. This season marked only the 12th 20-win season in the 127-year history of Penn State men’s basketball. Penn State won their first NCAA Tournament game since 2001 and made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011, highlighting what will go down as one of the best seasons in program history.
Five Penn State players finished in double figures, with Camren Wynter leading the way with 16 points. Jalen Pickett had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, marking his seventh double-double of the season. Myles Dread scored 12 points on 4-of-7 from three-point range, while Andrew Funk and Seth Lundy chipped in 12 points and 11 points respectively. Lundy also grabbed seven rebounds.
In the first half, Texas took an 11-6 lead with an 8-2 run after Penn State led briefly 4-3. Both teams struggled from the field, with a combined 8-for-24 shooting, including 0-9 from three, in the first 8:17. Dread hit a three from the corner to make it 11-9 Texas, and Kanye Clary tied the game up at 11 before Texas connected on the other end, ending a 1-for-11 drought to make it 13-11 in favor of the Longhorns with 7:28 left in the half.
Penn State’s Dread hit another three-pointer to cut the Texas lead to 21-20 at the 4:27 mark, but the Longhorns finished the half on a 10-3 run to take a 31-23 lead. Texas went up by as many as 11 points early in the second half, but the Nittany Lions fought back, cutting the lead to four on an Andrew Funk and Pickett layup to make it 43-39, forcing a Texas timeout at the 13:25 mark. However, Texas extended its lead to seven, 55-48, after hitting their first three of the game with 8:32 remaining, ending their 0-for-11 drought from long distance.
In the end, Penn State couldn’t pull off the upset against a talented Texas team, but they leave the tournament with their heads held high after an impressive season.
In the NCAA Tournament Round of 32, Myles Dread’s three-pointer began a 10-0 run for Penn State with 7:03 remaining, but they lost 71-66 to second-seeded Texas. Although Dread missed the free throw, he hit another three to make it 55-54 in favor of Texas. Camren Wynter connected on both free throws, and Seth Lundy scored on a steal and layup, leading to a Texas timeout with Penn State leading by three. However, Texas went on a 10-0 run coming out of the timeout, leading by seven, which proved to be the difference.
Jalen Pickett made five field goals, bringing his season total up to a school record-tying 260. He also recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds, tied for fifth in program history for an NCAA Tournament game. Seven of Penn State’s 22 all-time tournament games have resulted in a five-point margin or less. The matchup against Texas marked Penn State’s first-ever game against a Big 12 team in the NCAA Tournament.
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