Quick Report: Penn State 71, Northwestern 62

Marley Paul (@MarleyPaul22)
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Penn State picked up a much needed Big Ten victory at Northwestern on Saturday after opening conference playing losing four of its first five contests. The Nittany Lions (11-8, 2-4 B1G) rode an early collective hot-hand to outlast the Wildcats (15-4, 3-3) 71-62 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

At first...
Both teams exchanged the lead early, and Penn State claimed a quick 5-2 lead the Wildcats scored six unanswered to jump ahead 8-5 five minutes into the game. Donovan Jack nailed a corner 3-pointer minutes later as a 15-2 run ensued for Penn State for a 20-10 lead, creating the separation that eventually made the difference for the remainder of the game.

Turning point...
Taking a comfortable 30-23 lead into the half, Penn State kept things rolling into the second half. Through five minutes, the Nittany Lions maintained a 38-27 advantage before an 8-0 run capped by a Brandon Taylor three stretched the lead to 48-31 just three minutes later. However, it was far from easy sailing to the finish line as the Wildcats stuck around to make things interesting until the final buzzer.

Northwestern put together a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to 59-50 in the final two minutes, but after prolonging the game as long as they can, eventually succumbed to the visitors after a free throw contest.

Shining star...
Taylor has been the go-to player for Penn State all season, and he was once again on Saturday with 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists. But he received a welcome hand from fellow senior captain, Jack, who put together one of his best outings of the year. Typically susceptive to foul trouble, Jack managed to stay on the court against the Wildcats and rewarded coach Chambers with 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds.

Noteworthy number...
+6
The Nittany Lions were often the victims of the 3-point line, among the poorest shooting teams in the conference, while allowing opponents to prosper from beyond the arc. That was not at all the case versus Northwestern, which entered the game averaging nine makes per game, four more than Penn State. After 40 minutes, Penn State finished with a plus-six advantage in 3s, shooting 9 of 21 (43%) while the Wildcats connected on just 3 of 26 (12%).

Up next:
Penn State vs. Wisconsin, Jan. 21, 8 p.m.
Northwestern at No. 3 Maryland, Jan. 19, 8 p.m.