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Quick Report: Penn State 56, Nebraska 55

02/25/2016, 10:00pm EST
By Marley Paul

It wasn’t pretty, but frankly, it never has been for Penn State. But despite ending the game on the wrong end of a late run, the Nittany Lions walked out of the Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday winners of three straight and four of their last five in Big Ten play with a 56-55 win over Nebraska. With the victory, Penn State overtakes the Cornhuskers in the conference standings as well, now in ninth place as they look to for a first-day bye in the Big 10 tournament.

At first… 

The opening first half was a forgettable one for coach Pat Chambers, whose vocal frustrations with his team could be heard from the opposite end of his position in the arena. His team missed several rotations and didn’t execute plays time and time again, but they were bailed out as the Cornhuskers couldn’t buy a basket. Nebraska shot just 30 percent in the first half, only 8 percentage points fewer than the Nittany Lions.

Lethal distance shooting from their top two guns, however, sent Penn State into the half with a 28-20 as Shep Garner (12 points) and Brandon Taylor (11 points) hit 9 of 17 from the field, including five 3-pointers to carry the team. Shavon Shields contributed 14 points on 5 of 8 (2 of 3 from 3-pt range) for the Cornhuskers, adding three rebounds.

Turning point…

Hitting 6 of its first 9 shots, Penn State jumped out to a commanding 44-28 lead.

That lead didn’t hold. En route to a 25-point game, Shields carried the Cornhuskers back into the contest slowly over the final 10 minutes and Nebraska eventually eliminated a double-digit deficit, tying the game at 55 in the final minute of play. 

Garner, who had the hot hand for Penn State all night, was set to take the final of the game. Instead of settling for a 3, the Chester native drove to the basket and drew contact, sending him to the free throw line with seven seconds left. He iced the game, hitting the first of two and watched Shields miss a potential game-winner at the buzzer.

Standout Stars…

Garner and Taylor combined for 41 of Penn State’s 56 points, Only three others scored, each adding five respectively. The two leading scorers continue to pace their team on the offensive end and are doing it in an efficient manner nailing a combined 15 of 33 shots.

Noteworthy Number…

In the final nine minutes, Chambers watched his team nearly hand the game away, committing seven turnovers in that time period. Despite finishing with just 13, the stagnant offense (0 for 6 from the field to close the game) is a worrisome sign, especially when their shooters have off nights.

Up next: 

Penn State (15-13, 6-9 Big 10) @ Michigan State Feb. 28 Noon

Nebraska (14-15, 6-10 Big 10) vs. Purdue Mar. 1 7 p.m. 

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