Penn State men’s basketball (14-9, 5-7 Big Ten) lost another contest on the road Sunday afternoon, falling to Nebraska (11-13, 4-9 Big Ten) 72-63. Seth Lundy’s 24 points and seven rebounds were not enough to complete the comeback effort.

Jalen Pickett contributed 15 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds to the outing, while Andrew Funk added 14 points as well. No other player on Micah Shrewsberry’s roster scored more than three points.

How It Happened

Seth Lundy got the scoring started for the Nittany Lions with an open three, though the Cornhuskers sank two of their own to get out to an early lead. Michael Henn cut that lead down with a layup after receiving a pinpoint pass from Jalen Pickett. Both teams continued to trade baskets, exchanging threes and points in the paint, but Nebraska maintained the lead throughout the first seven minutes of the first half.

The Cornhuskers then went on an 11-0 run, while the Nittany Lions remained scoreless for five minutes. They struggled on both sides of the ball, and Shrewsberry was not far from pleased. He was very animated on the sideline regarding the lack of defense and the poor shot selections early on.

Kebba Njie finally broke the scoring drought with a layup in the paint, but Nebraska’s defense kept Penn State in check. Lundy hit another three and, suddenly, the Nittany Lions embarked on a run of their own. The Cornhuskers quickly responded, going on a 9-0 run to extend their lead.

Pickett broke the run with an open jumper from the free throw line, but the Cornhuskers quickly responded with a layup. Lundy was the hottest shooter on the court, as he sank his fourth and fifth three-pointers of the half, causing Fred Hoiberg to call a timeout with under a minute left. Neither team could hit a basket before the half ended, and they went into the break with the score at 37-28.

Nebraska immediately hit a three as the second half started, but Penn State responded with baskets from Pickett and Dallion Johnson. Pickett hit a major three, though the Cornhuskers marched into the paint two possessions in a row to extend the lead. Lundy quickly responded with a three of his own, and the Nittany Lions were still alive.

After a scoring drought spanning over two minutes, Evan Mahaffey drove to the basket for a layup. Lundy then hit another three to cut the lead to five, but Nebraska responded with a long jump shot to push the lead back to seven.

Andrew Funk hit a three and suddenly the lead was down to four points. Then, the Cornhuskers responded with a layup to keep a healthy lead. That sequence happened again, with Funk hitting another three and Nebraska responding with a layup. Anything the Nittany Lions tried to do, the Cornhuskers responded almost immediately.

Lundy tied the Penn State record with eight-made three pointer to cut the lead down to four, and Njie made a free throw to make it a one-possession game. But, Nebraska scored on a layup and it became a two-possession game just like that.

Pickett muscled his way to the basket to cut the lead down to four, but the Cornhuskers continued to answer and never let the game slip. That was the same story in the last two minutes of the game.

Nebraska hit a massive three, but Funk responded with a three of his own to keep pace. At the end of the day, the Cornhuskers made enough free throws to put it away, pulling out a 72-63 victory at the Nittany Lions’ expense.

Takeaways

• Penn State fans need to be thankful for Seth Lundy. This game looked to be a blowout early in the first half, and Lundy’s five three-pointers kept them in the game. Compare that to the rest of the team, which didn’t have a scorer with more than five points, and it is clear that Lundy should be considered as the engine that kept them running.
• Kebba Njie had one of the best games of his Penn State career. Despite only scoring three points, he brought down nine rebounds, with five of them being on the offensive glass. He also put his body on the line several times throughout the game, which shows he is listening to criticism of him being not physical enough in the paint. His free throw shooting and overall offensive output need to improve, but it is a good sign to see his defensive game making those changes.
• Folks, the Nittany Lions might not be an NCAA Tournament team after all. It isn’t just the result, it’s how they played for forty minutes on the court. If this team continues to play at this level for the rest of the season, they may not even be an NIT team.

What’s Next

The Nittany Lions will return to Happy Valley to take on Wisconsin at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 8. The game will air live on BTN.