Penn State men’s basketball traveled to the World’s Most Famous Arena Saturday to take on Georgia Tech at Madison Square Garden as part of the in-season Holiday Festival tripleheader.

The Nittany Lions fell 82-81 to the Yellow Jackets in overtime largely as a result of a questionable last-minute foul on guard Ace Baldwin Jr. in the final moments of play.

Despite the disappointing finish, our photographers were at The Mecca to capture the action-packed afternoon.

Coming off of an electric win at home against Ohio State, the Nittany Lions rolled into The Garden with no shortage of momentum.

The ball was tipped, and Qudus Wahab initiated the scoring with two free throws from the stripe. Baldwin followed it up with a deep three for a fast 5-0 lead. 

The scoring continued for Penn State as Kanye Clary added a layup to the stat sheet.

VCU product Baldwin is making a name for himself at Penn State and had a great performance in New York, including 18 points, seven assists, and four steals.

Baldwin lifted the momentum with a buzzer-beating triple to send Penn State into the locker room trailing 39-37.

At the half, the Nittany Lions were outrebounded 26-8, while Georgia Tech had registered nine offensive rebounds.

The Yellow Jackets held their largest lead of the game at 57-49 following a 13-2 run out of the break. Puff Johnson answered for the blue and white, swishing a three in front of the Penn State bench for his first points of the game.

Demetrius Lilley and D’Marco Dunn worked hard to pull down offensive rebounds, and after a timeout, Dunn managed to tip a put-back in for two points. However, the challenge persisted on the defensive end, and Penn State struggled to counter the Yellow Jackets’ offensive stride.

Baldwin made a game-altering move with a steal and subsequent timeout with 13.5 seconds left in regulation. Trying to win it with the final shot, he attempted a three-pointer at the buzzer, but it missed, and the game went into overtime tied at 72 after a successful Nittany Lion comeback.

Johnson made a crucial shot, propelling the Nittany Lions to a 77-76 lead with less than a minute remaining in overtime.

With 16.1 seconds left, Penn State held onto a slim 81-80 lead. In an attempt to strategize for the final possession, Georgia Tech called a timeout.

In a crucial turn of events out of the timeout, Baldwin was called for a foul while going for a loose ball, despite no apparent contact. The controversial call turned out to be a significant advantage for the Yellow Jackets, as they sank both free throws, reclaiming the lead at 82-81 after a questionable decision by the officials.

Baldwin miss his last-second three-point attempt to secure the win, and disapproving boos echoed through Madison Square Garden as the buzzer rang through The Mecca.

Head coach Mike Rhoades, visibly upset, expressed his frustration with the officials, particularly regarding the final foul call on his Nittany Lions in the aftermath of the game.

Penn State fell 82-81 and to a 5-6 season record, but the support for the blue and white in the World’s Most Famous Arena was strong.