Quick Report: Penn State 76, Nebraska 67

Mike Watkins (above, in Jan.) came two blocks shy of a triple-double as Penn State won its Big 10 tourney opener on Wednesday. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Vincent Lungaro (@VinceLungaro)
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Penn State snaps five-game losing streak, beats Nebraska 76-67 to advance to second round of Big Ten Tournament.

At First…
Penn State came out firing and opened up a 25-14 lead at the 10:12 mark in the first half, culminating on a three-pointer from Lamar Stevens. This prompted Cornhuskers coach Tim Miles to call timeout and Nebraska responded with a 16-5 run to tie the game at 30 with just over four minutes to go in the first half.

It was the Nittany Lions’ turn to go on a run and they did just that by closing out the half on a 8-3 run to go into the break up 38-33. Penn State controlled much of the game from there, but things started to fall apart in the final few minutes. The Nittany Lions stalled offensively and thanks to a pair of tough three-pointers from Glynn Watson Jr. and Evan Taylor in the final minute and a half, Nebraska was able to tie the game and force overtime.

Turning Point…

Nebraska seemingly had all the momentum, but Penn State was able to shake off the poor ending to the second half and went on a 10-2 run to open overtime. Stevens opened the scoring with a three and Shep Garner soon added another. The junior then connected on four straight free throws to put the Nittany Lions firmly in control.

With star Tai Webster fouling out, the Cornhuskers never got back within striking distance again in overtime and Penn State closed out a much needed win.

Standout Stars…
Mike Watkins was all over the floor for Penn State on both offense and defense. The freshman big man notched a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Watkins also set a Big Ten Tournament record with eight blocked shots.

The Nittany Lions also got big contributions from the backcourt duo of Tony Carr and Shep Garner, the latter of which started the game off the bench with a sore foot. Carr and Garner tallied 16 points each, while Carr led his team with six assists.

Noteworthy Numbers…
4: Garner had struggled with consistency in his shot all season, but he provided a scoring punch from beyond the arc that Penn State desperately needed. Garner was 4-of-7 from three, including his trey early on in over overtime that sparked the Nittany Lions’ run.

0: Nebraska was able to force overtime, but the Cornhuskers never held a lead during the course of Wednesday game. There were zero lead changes on the evening, as Penn State led for 40 minutes and 57 seconds.

Up Next…
Penn State (15-17, 6-12 Big Ten) vs. Michigan State (18-13, 10-8Big Ten) -- Thu. March 9