After a humiliating, but expected, 92-65 loss to No. 5 Michigan State, Penn State looked to bounce back as it traveled to West Lafayette to take on No. 24 Purdue.

With no Josh Reaves in the lineup, Penn State lacked explosiveness, and it affected the team’s overall performance. The Boilermakers came to play and made the Nittany Lions pay for their mistakes while dominating the glass in a lopsided 74-57 decimation of the Lions.

How It Happened

The first half was a very sloppy and undisciplined one for the Nittany Lions. Every player except Payton Banks finished the half with at least one foul, and Shep Garner led the team with six turnovers. Purdue’s Vince Edwards and Isaac Haas gave Penn State a difficult time down low in the first half, putting up 11 and 10 respectively and shot 7-for-8 combined from the field.

Brandon Taylor, who led the Lions early with nine points off 4-for-7 shooting, was the only source of scoring in the first half. Just as his shooting heated up, he got into early foul trouble and ended with three in the first half. Two stats dominated the first half for the Boilermakers: free throws and rebounds. Purdue shot 15 free throw attempts versus Penn State’s two, while dominating the boards with 23 rebounds compared to Penn State’s 11.

Penn State showed more of the same in the second half. The good news was that Shep Garner only turned the ball over once after giving it up six times in the first. The bad news was that Purdue led by 24 at one point in the half. The Nittany Lions couldn’t find a way to stop Vince Edwards, who shot 6-for-8 with 19 points while knocking down four three-pointers down the stretch.

The Nittany Lions couldn’t seem to find any edge under the basket against the Boilermakers, as Purdue dominated the glass throughout the game. Purdue ended with 42 rebounds, and didn’t allow Penn State any second chance opportunities. Purdue showed why it’s ranked and why the Lions had no chance in this game with a remarkable 74-57 win over the visitors.

Player Of The Game

Brandon Taylor | Forward | Senior

The senior forward was once again the bright spot in a listless team performance after leading the team with 21 points after going 10-for-15 from the field. Even though it seems like Taylor tries to do everything himself, his solo performance was the only thing that went right in this game.

What’s Next?

Penn State travels to Northwestern to take on the Wildcats on January 16 at 8:30 p.m. before coming home to play Wisconsin on January 21 at 8:00 p.m.