This past weekend, Penn State men’s basketball took on then-No. 1 Purdue, at the Palestra, which is affectionately referred to as the “Cathedral of College Basketball.”

Despite the Nittany Lions’ second-half collapse, the Palestra provided an awe-inspiring backdrop for one of Penn State’s most important games of the season. Let’s take a look back at some of our favorite photos from the game.

The Palestra is home to the University of Pennsylvania men’s basketball team but has also served as the site of numerous historical college basketball games. Penn State has played “home games” at the Palestra in the past, most recently in 2020.

As the sun set over the Palestra’s iconic facade, Penn State fans filed into the arena to prepare for some Nittany Lion hoops.

Penn State took to the court to warm up. For some Nittany Lions, the Palestra was familiar territory. Andrew Funk and Seth Lundy combined for four Philadelphia Catholic League high school championships in this historic arena for Archbishop Wood and Roman Catholic, respectively.

There were some familiar faces in attendance, including analyst Andy Katz, Penn State hoops alum and Nuggets General Manager Calvin Booth, and Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens.

The ball was tipped, and the game was underway.

The Nittany Lions had some serious momentum in the first half. Jalen Pickett had several celebration-worthy plays, and Evan Mahaffey rocked a dunk that breathed life into Penn State’s bench.

For a little while, it looked like Penn State may manage to contain Purdue star Zach Edey on defense and get shots over him on offense. The Nittany Lions even went into the half with a six-point lead.

The Nittany Lions had a rough start to the second half, to say the least. The Boilermakers started the half with a 12-0 run, which was finally put to an end by Kebba Njie and a wide-open dunk.

Penn State struggled to get its offense going in the second half. The crowd, dominated by a sea of white, grew frustrated with the officiating — as did Micah Shrewsberry, who ultimately received a technical foul.

The Nittany Lions ultimately couldn’t contain Edey and Purdue. Despite having a six-point lead at halftime, Penn State headed back to Happy Valley with a 76-63 loss.

No matter the result, there’s no denying that the Palestra truly is one of the best places to play or watch some college basketball.