Penn State men’s basketball (8-12, 5-11 Big Ten) earned a much-needed 86-83 win over Nebraska (5-16, 1-13 Big Ten) at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln Tuesday night.

Tuesday’s contest went down to the wire thanks mainly to a program-record 41 points for Nebraska’s Teddy Allen. The star guard was simply unstoppable, but Penn State’s team effort was enough to slide by the Cornhuskers for its first road Big Ten victory of the season.

Myreon Jones led the way with 29 points and hit six threes, while Myles Dread added 16, and Jamari Wheeler had 13. The Nittany Lions shot 40% from the field as a team and hit 14 total threes in a team-wide offensive clinic.

How It Happened

The Nittany Lions started off slow with a turnover on their opening possession, but the group settled down quickly and a Myreon Jones’ trey gave them a 3-0 lead early. Jones stayed red-hot from there, as he nailed two more from deep to help Penn State to an 11-8 lead at the first media timeout.

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— Onward State (@OnwardState) February 24, 2021

Jim Ferry’s team turned defense into offense out of the break and picked up a few easy buckets to stretch the lead. Nebraska’s Teddy Allen, however, kept the Cornhuskers alive on the offensive end.

The two sides went back-and-forth at a rapid pace over the next few minutes, and this one was tied at 19 with 11:40 to play in the first half.

Jones hit a ridiculous fourth three-pointer of the first half, but the Nittany Lions just couldn’t get separation. Allen ripped off an absurd 17 points through just over 12 minutes of play, and he was the main reason why this game stayed tied at 24 at the ensuing media timeout.

Fred Hoiberg spent his first timeout quickly out of the break after a fifth (!!!) three for Jones and a wide-open lay up for freshman Abdou Tsimbila. Penn State’s offense went somewhat quiet after that stoppage while Allen continued to score, but a couple of buckets from Myles Dread and Jamari Wheeler helped the Nittany Lions hold the lead.

Ferry’s group shot a solid 44.4% from the field in the first, but Allen’s program-record 28 points held Penn State’s lead to just 39-38 at halftime.

The Nittany Lions opened the second half with an Izaiah Brockington and-one, but (guess who!) Allen responded with a three. The scoring continued at a frenetic pace as Trent Buttrick got on the board and Jones stayed hot, but the game was tied at 47 at the first media timeout.

Penn State turned it up after the break, as Jamari Wheeler and Jones both nailed threes to lead an 11-0 run. Along with the treys, the Nittany Lions’ scrappy defense lead to some instant offense on the run.

Allen and Nebraska found a way to score over the next few minutes, but John Harrar put up an impressive seven points from the free throw line to keep Penn State rolling. Dread also picked up two quick three-balls, but Nebraska Teddy Allen simply refused to go away.

This one was tied at 70 with 6:16 to go.

Wheeler set the tone out of the break with his third three of the night, and a couple of buckets from Jones and Harrar helped Penn State hold a slim three-point lead with three minutes to play.

Harrar heated up down the stretch while Jones kept doing his thing, and Nebraska simply couldn’t keep up. Two free throws from Jones gave Penn State an 81-74 lead with 52.9 to play, but the Cornhuskers battled back down the stretch.

The comeback effort was to no avail, however. Nebraska got within one of the lead, but Wheeler and Jones hit clutch free throws down the stretch. The Cornhuskers had a chance to tie in the final seconds, but Trey McGowens’ three didn’t go and Penn State escaped with an 86-83 win.

Takeaways

• When Myreon Jones wasn’t hitting threes, Penn State was turning defense into offense on a consistent basis. The Nittany Lions forced 18 total turnovers and scored 25 points off of them. Other than that leading to some pretty entertaining basketball, it can serve as a great source of scoring for Jim Ferry’s team when the shot goes cold (which has happened on several occasions this season).
• It wasn’t perfect, but John Harrar managed his foul trouble fairly well Tuesday night. He played with three down the stretch, but Jim Ferry’s willingness to utilize Abdou Tsimbila and Trent Buttrick early helped protect the King of Delco. A few extra bench minutes didn’t hurt Harrar’s productivity either, as he finished with 14 boards and a solid ten points, including several big buckets down the stretch.
• What a refreshing team effort. Even with Teddy Allen shooting the lights out, it never felt like Penn State lost control of the game thanks to so many solid offensive performances. Myreon Jones led the way with 29 points, but Myles dread also nailed four treys and had 16 points, while Izaiah Brockington and Jamari Wheeler were consistent finishers in transition. Oh by the way, it doesn’t hurt when you shoot 40% from the field and hit 14total threes.
• Teddy Allen’s performance is just how Penn State men’s basketball’s luck works. Allen had already broken Nebraska’s single game scoring record at halftime with 28 points, and finished with an absurd 41 points and shot 16-for-24 from the field. That stat line is quite simply a joke and is just fitting for the Nittany Lions, but they somehow managed to overcome it.

What’s Next?

Jim Ferry’s squad will return home after a two-game road stretch to host Purdue Friday night at the BJC. That contest will tip off at 7 p.m. and be broadcast on FS1.