Penn State (25-13, 11-10 Big Ten) cruised past No. 4 seed Mississippi State (25-12, 9-9 SEC) 75-60 at Madison Square Garden to advance to the NIT Championship this Thursday. Tony Carr and Shep Garner combined for 39 points in the blowout victory.

Kim Garner had a feeling that her son Shep was going to play well tonight. Well, her prediction came true. The senior, Garner, not only scored 18 points and led Penn State to the 75-60 victory against Mississippi State, but also broke the all-time record for career three-pointers made in Penn State history.

How It Happened

The game started out slow for both teams, but Penn State was able to build up a seven point lead going into the second quarter with Garner leading the way. Although sophomore Tony Carr struggled from the field in the first quarter, he was able to get back on track as the game went on.

The wheels came off for Mississippi State in the second quarter. The Nittany Lions were able to continue their strong finish to the first quarter as they ripped off a 24-0 run that put the team up 37-11 with about six minutes left before the half. The game-altering run featured threes off the fingers of Garner, Carr, junior Josh Reaves, and sophomore Lamar Stevens. Penn State was also able to really get Carr going in the second quarter, as he went into halftime with 14 points — leading all scorers. Garner added in 12 points as well.

Coming out of halftime, Garner needed only one more three-pointer to break the Penn State all-time record for most threes. With a little over 8 minutes left in the third quarter, Garner was able to sink three No. 333 of his Penn State career and claim the record. The senior was on fire, going 6 for 9 on the night from distance. By the end of the third quarter, Penn State was able to maintain a 24-point lead mainly due to its accuracy from deep. The Nittany Lions went 11 for 20 from three-point line against the Bulldogs.

Although Mississippi State outscored Penn State 19-10 in the fourth quarter, it was not enough. Penn State punctuated this lopsided game with a punishing alley-oop from Garner to Reaves, and cruised to the 75-60 win.

Player Of The Game

Shep Garner | Senior | Guard

Not only did Garner become the record holder for the most three-pointers made in the history of the Penn State basketball program, but the senior was also on fire from deep against the Bulldogs. Garner went 6 for 9 from the three-point line en route to leading the Nittany Lions to the NIT Championship game.

What’s Next

The Nittany Lions will play Utah in the NIT Championship game on Thursday. The game will tip at 7 p.m. at Madison Square Garden on ESPN2.