Penn State men’s basketball (7-9, 4-9 Big Ten) fell just short to Michigan State (10-7, 5-7 Big Ten) 60-58 in East Lansing Tuesday night despite an electric double-double performance from John Harrar.

Harrar and Myreon Jones had 17 and 15 points, respectively, but the Nittany Lions couldn’t recover from a poor first half. Penn State had solid looks for the win in the final seconds, but the shots just didn’t fall.

How It Happened

Both teams began the game with poor offense, but Penn State jumped out to a very early 4-1 lead thanks to an excellent rebounding effort and scrappy defense.

The Nittany Lions’ lead didn’t last long as Michigan State quickly upped its shooting performance. The Spartans rode a 9-0 run heading into the second media timeout, taking a 14-6 lead. Poor shooting and turnover woes plagued Penn State early on.

Despite the early deficit, Penn State went tit-for-tat with Sparty throughout most of the first half. The Nittany Lions were able to cut the lead to five near the nine-minute mark, but Michigan State held a healthy advantage from the beginning of the game.

At the third media timeout, Penn State had only made two of its last 11 shots, while Michigan State only made one of its last seven. Sloppy play continued on both sides and Sparty led 22-13 at the five-minute mark.

Offensive woes continued for both teams as the first half wound down. Myles Dread hit Penn State’s only three of the first half near the one-minute mark, but Harrar led the way with nine points at the buzzer.

Michigan State took a healthy 32-24 lead into the locker room. Penn State shot just 32.3% from the field and 10% from beyond in the first half. A strong defensive effort kept the Nittany Lions in the game amid their poor shooting performance.

A strong slam from Sparty’s Marcus Bingham Jr. out of the gate set a precedent for the second half. Continued crafty play from John Harrar kept Penn State in the game as the Nittany Lions only trailed by four near the 15-minute mark.

Penn State stuck to its brand of hard-nosed, gritty play as the second half progressed. Strong two-way play from Jamari Wheeler combined with great all-around rebounding kept the Nittany Lions in the game. A clutch three-ball from Sam Sessoms tied the game at 41 near the second media timeout of the half.

Michigan State went on a bit of the run after the game was tied, but a bump in three-point shooting from Penn State kept it in the game. The Nittany Lions brought the game back to 51-48 by the penultimate media timeout. A smooth layup from a red-hot Jones finally gave Penn State its first lead since 6-5.

Penn State held a small lead towards the end of the second half, but a scoring drought that lasted more than two and a half minutes in crunch time was enough to put the Nittany Lions away. Penn State had two final looks at the basket, but Michigan State came away with a narrow 60-58 victory in East Lansing.

Takeaways

• John Harrar is awesome. Plain and simple. He topped Penn State’s stat sheet with an incredibly impressive 17 points and 14 rebounds. His energy is infectious, his presence in the paint is essential, and he’s just a joy to watch. Harrar kept the Nittany Lions in the game when their typical scorers went cold.
• Once again, Penn State stuck around despite a brutal start to the game. The Nittany Lions’ 10% clip from downtown was pretty abysmal in the first half. Alas, shooters kept shooting and shots started falling.
• Penn State’s “close losses” might not cut it for much longer if it wants to make the NCAA Tournament. While the Nittany Lions weren’t expected to win this game, it would have been a huge win to add to their resume. If this team is serious about postseason play, it needs to start closing out these types of games.

What’s Next

Penn State will return home to the Bryce Jordan Center to host Nebraska this Sunday on Valentine’s Day. The game against the Cornhuskers will tip off at 3 p.m. and be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.