Three takeaways from Penn State basketball's loss to Maryland
Penn State Nittany Lions basketball suffered a 67-61 loss to Maryland on the road on Monday night.
It was the eighth loss in nine road games for the Nittany Lions on the season, as Penn State fell to 11-13 overall and 6-10 in conference play.
Let’s dive into some takeaways from the game.
1. Turnovers prove costly
On the list of things Penn State can’t afford to do, giving the ball away resides at the top.
Every offensive possession is precious to a Nittany Lion team that scores fewer points than any Big Ten program. Plus, transition opportunities allow Penn State’s opposition a break from the Nittany Lions’ stingy halfcourt defense.
Penn State gave the ball away 13 times in total — and nine times in the second half. Maryland held a 17-6 advantage in fast-break points.
After Penn State took a four-point lead early in the second half, the Terps turned to a zone defense that put the Nittany Lions out of sorts and forced several giveaways. The Nittany Lions had flustered Maryland with their pick-and-roll action, and this adjustment by Danny Manning took that away.
The Terrapins also extended their defense after made baskets, forcing a few turnovers with a full-court pressure look as well.
The Nittany Lions were actually pretty efficient in the second half, making 14 of their 26 field goal attempts. But they turned it over on 27 percent of their possessions in the second frame.
Even for the most talented offensive teams, that’s a difficult number to overcome.
2. Penn State postseason push takes a hit
With two consecutive wins at the Bryce Jordan Center last week, the Nittany Lions put themselves in a decent position to make a run at an NIT berth.
They’d need three wins in their final five Big Ten games and a victory in the conference tournament to make their case for a bid. While it is no longer an explicit rule, the NIT typically does not accept sub-.500 teams.
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A loss to Maryland makes getting to that threshold significantly more challenging.
The Nittany Lions need to go 3-1 down the stretch now — or make a run in the Big Ten Tournament.
With trips to Illinois and Rutgers still on the schedule, that seems particularly unlikely.
This team has proven that it’s unwise to count them out, but Penn State’s postseason hopes suffered a major blow Monday. Getting there will now require a major surprise.
3. John Harrar’s excellence continues
Make it three consecutive double-doubles for John Harrar, who is doing his best to will the Nittany Lions to wins down the stretch run.
He succeeded against Michigan State and helped lead the charge against Minnesota, but Penn State came up short despite his efforts on Monday.
A dominant force in the pick-and-roll game with Jalen Pickett and Sam Sessoms, Harrar finished the game with 14 points and 13 boards, with four of those rebounds coming on the offensive end.
Without Greg Lee, who remains out due to an ankle injury, Harrar is Penn State’s only reliable presence in the post.
The possibility of this team winning on any given night has to start and end with an excellent game from Harrar, and he continues to provide them.
