Penn State men’s basketball got its first victory over Wisconsin since 2011 Saturday afternoon.

Leading the charge for the Nittany Lions in the 81-71 win over the No. 14 Badgers were John Harrar and Izaiah Brockington, both of whom had slow starts in the first half but shined in the final 20 minutes.

Harrar started the game with just three points and zero rebounds, which is clearly uncharacteristic for him and a testament to Wisconsin’s defense. Brockington faired slightly better statistically, scoring six points and gathering five rebounds.

Coming out of halftime, the Nittany Lions made some key adjustments on both sides of the ball that gave Harrar and Brockington the opportunity to flourish.

“In the first half, we were playing Wisconsin’s brand of basketball,” Harrar said. “When we start playing Penn State’s brand of basketball, like getting in the paint and hurrying them up on defense, then everyone plays better.”

Harrar finished the game with 17 points and eight rebounds, including a clutch “and-one” conversion that provided a big spark for the Nittany Lions as the game got down to the wire.

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Brockington ended the game with 18 points and nine rebounds. His ability to make mid-range shots and drive into the paint makes him a dangerous player for opposing teams to guard, and he showcased that on his scoring tear. Not to mention a massive slam dunk that also gave Penn State some juice early in the second half.

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“I feel like my dunk was really big for our momentum,” Brockington said. “It was a great pass from MJ [Myreon Jones]. Once I got it, I knew I had to finish it with emphasis. Adding to the lead, it was definitely a big momentum boost.”

The pair had extremely big plays that not just shifted the momentum of the game but gave the rest of the team confidence to play with down the stretch. Harrar’s leadership has been a focal point all year for the team, and the group clearly responds well when he steps into the role. There’s no doubt Brockington has consistently played a high level alongside him and provided other players with a model to look up to.

Head coach Jim Ferry had nothing but high praise for both players following the win.

“[John has] confidence now. He’s always been a super unselfish kid, and he has great confidence in everything he does, which he should,” Ferry said. “He’s putting pressure on me, I have to start running plays for him.”

Ferry believes that the year Brockington needed to sit out as a transfer after arriving at Penn State helped him turn into the guard he is today.

“[Transferring in] takes a little while to get into that groove, and now you’re seeing the development of him year after year of just working and improving,” Ferry said. “He deserves everything he gets, and he has been really good for us all year.”

There’s no question that when Harrar and Brockington are playing at their best, Penn State is at its best. Add in players like Myreon Jones, Seth Lundy, Sam Sessoms, Jamari Wheeler, and Myles Dread, and this group’s depth becomes both obvious and dynamic.

The Nittany Lions travel to Wisconsin on Tuesday, February 2, to take on the No. 14 Badgers once again. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. on FS1.