Strong Penn State comeback wilts late in upset bid against No. 3 Purdue

Micah Shrewsberry prepared his Penn State team for what was coming.

Hosting No. 3 Purdue at the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday afternoon, the Nittany Lions were going to take punches. Physically and figuratively, the Boilermakers represent one of college basketball’s toughest teams, loaded with talent, experience, and size.

For Shrewsberry and the Nittany Lions to notch a win against his former program, the test would be in the response. 

“Our pregame speech was like, it’s a boxing match. Purdue’s gonna throw their punches. Go back to your corner and go back when it’s a timeout. Let’s go. Let’s go throw our punches,” Penn State senior forward John Harrar said. “That’s just a basketball game.”

On the losing end of a 74-67 decision in front of 10,464 fans, the Nittany Lions weren’t able to land the knockout they’d sought in the upset bid.

But in a game they’d fallen behind by as many as 13 points nearing the midpoint of the second half, few could argue the Nittany Lions didn’t throw their punches. 

Led by 21 points from guard Jalen Pickett, the transfer helped spark the comeback run with a pair of back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the second half. Soon bolstered by Seth Lundy’s first made field goal of the afternoon after an 0-for-6 start, the Nittany Lions’ 51-38 deficit was quickly reduced to a 53-49 game on a Greg Lee bucket with 8:11 left to play.

From there, Penn State fought.

“I think you try to go on your runs. They were the tougher team. They set the rules for that and then we come out, we have Jalen Picket who hit a couple of big shots for us and then other guys got involved,” Harrar said. “I think once our offense gets going, we get back and we can set our defense which I think our set defense is one of the best in the Big Ten.”

At the most critical juncture of the game for the Nittany Lions, it showed.

Ripping off a run of seven made 3-pointers on 10 made shots, after connecting on only one in the first half, the Nittany Lions eventually took a 65-64 lead on Lee’s make from the corner with 3:42 to play out of an under-four media timeout. 

It wouldn’t last. 

In a game dominated by Purdue big man Trevion Williams late, the forward scoring 14 of his team-high 21 points in the second half, the response was swift and devastating for Penn State. First giving up a second-chance bucket to the big, the Nittany Lions’ shot clock turnover parlayed into a Mason Gillis 3-pointer from the wing to boost the Boilermakers’ lead to 69-65. 

“With this team, you have to pick and choose. You can’t take everything away,” Shrewsberry said. “There’s a bunch of dudes that can shoot and they have two monsters in the paint, and then guys rebounding on the glass. What do you take away versus the number one offensive team in the country? 

“You have to kind of cat and mouse Mason Gillis a little bit. He’s got to beat you. You can’t let Sasha beat you. You can’t let the bigs beat you. And you can’t get kicked out, open shots for Isaiah. Mason, kudos to him. He made some huge shots, big shots for them down the stretch. Sometimes you got to take a gamble. Sometimes the gamble works for you and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Returning from a Purdue turnover and Myles Dread 3-point miss, Williams put it all to rest. Completing an and-one in the paint, it put Purdue ahead, 72-67. In its wake, a stretch concluded in which Penn State wouldn’t threaten again. 

But in a game that saw Penn State connect on 47 percent of its shots from the floor, including eight made threes, and go even with Purdue in rebounds, 30-30, Shrewsberry saw positives from which to build. 

“I’m proud of their effort. I hate losing. You guys know this. I hate losing. But when you prepare the right way, when you play and you leave everything out there on the court, you can feel okay with the results. And I feel okay with the results,” Shrewsberry said. “I hate losing. But we were a good version of ourselves and we left everything on the court. We’ll get back to work tomorrow and get ready for Rutgers.”

The Nittany Lions return to action Tuesday when they host Rutgers (6:30 p.m., BTN).

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