Penn State men’s basketball (12-13, 6-8 Big Ten) couldn’t get it done against Michigan State (16-9, 8-6 Big Ten) on Wednesday night in its second loss to the Spartans this season.

Ace Baldwin Jr., Nick Kern Jr., and Zach Hicks were the lone bright spots in a disappointing outing inside the Bryce Jordan Center. Malik Hall dropped a career-high 29 points for the Spartans in the victory.

How It Happened

Mike Rhoades rolled out his usual starting lineup after the loss on Sunday to Northwestern. The Spartans won the opening tip but could not score on the game’s opening possession. Kern got the scoring started for the Nittany Lions on the other end of the floor. Malik Hall answered for Michigan State before Hicks retook the lead for Penn State moments later with a three-pointer.

Qudus Wahab kept the momentum going for the Nittany Lions with his signature hook shot and Penn State led early on 7-2. Out of the under-16 timeout, Puff Johnson entered the game for the first time in two contests. Favour Aire also checked into the game before picking up his first foul of the evening. After a few sloppy possessions between both teams, Coen Carr tied the game at seven with a transition dunk.

Hicks connected on his second three of the opening minutes to retake the lead. Carson Cooper laid in an easy two over Wahab to give the Spartans their first lead of the game. Jaden Akins connected from three to extend the lead for the visitors. Puff Johnson stopped the 9-0 Michigan State run with his first bucket of the night.

Hall and the Spartans continued adding to their lead after the under-twelve timeout. The Nittany Lions’ woes persisted, turning it over on their next possession. Baldwin went to the line to shoot three shots after being fouled on a three-point attempt. Baldwin cashed in all three of his shots. Kern then elevated above the rim for an easy dunk to bring the Nittany Lions back within four points.

Akins stopped the momentum by swishing home a three on the other end of the court. The Spartans continued to rebuild their lead after the under-eight media timeout. In the blink of an eye, Michigan State led 30-18. Kern got his pocket picked on the offensive end and the visitors slammed it home in transition.

Wahab finally stopped the run with another two points for the big man. Akins once again connected from behind the arc and Michigan State led 35-20 with four and a half minutes left. Jameel Brown hit his first shot of the game and Baldwin banked in a three on back-to-back possessions to cut into the deficit.

The shots kept flowing for Tom Izzo’s side as Xavier Booker fired off a three that rattled home to eclipse 40 first-half points with three minutes to spare. With the shot clock expiring Brown airballed a three-pointer, as it only got worse for the blue and white.

Johnson swished home his second three of the night with a minute left in the half. Penn State held for the final shot but D’Marco Dunn missed on a three-pointer from the wing. The Nittany Lions went into the half trailing by 14 points.

Kanye Clary and Aire started the second half for the Nittany Lions and Clary began the scoring with a jumper in the paint. Baldwin made the basket and drew a foul on the next possession for a good start to the second half. Clary fouled Mady Sissoko on the next possession to send the Spartans to the line.

Kern kept the momentum in favor of the Nittany Lions and cut the deficit down to eight with a jumper of his own. However, Sissoko and Tyson Walker answer for the visitors once again. Kern drilled a corner three which brought the Bryce Jordan Center crowd to its feet before the first media timeout of the second half.

Play between both teams stalled with turnovers being committed on both ends of the court during the next couple of minutes. Walker extended the lead to 13 points with a right-handed floater of Wahab in the paint with 12 minutes left.

Following the under-12 timeout, Dunn drilled a three from the wing to make it a 56-46 ballgame. After a chaotic possession, Johnson threw up a last-second shot and was fouled on the attempt, heading to the line to drill two shots.

Michigan State turned it over and Baldwin made the Spartans pay with two more points. Hall headed to the line after a questionable foul on Johnson and the senior made both free throws. As Michigan State had all night, it once again extended its lead after the mini Penn State run.

Kern slammed home a dunk off a pass from Baldwin and Wahab blocked Cooper in transition seconds later in an exciting burst of action. At the under-eight media break, Michigan State led 66-52. Kern hit another corner three, proving to be one of the few bright spots for the Nittany Lions.

Clary and Hall traded buckets but the lead remained at double digits for Michigan State. The Spartans extended the lead with five minutes left to play as the game seemed more and more out of reach for Penn State.

Hicks kept his hot hand going with another three out of the final media timeout. Hall went coast to coast to add two more points to his total. With 2:14 remaining, Clary knocked down two free throws at the line. Akins cherry-picked in transition as his strong night continued.

In the final minute of regulation, both teams went to their benches. Some starters remained including Hicks who buried two more threes in the final moments. Despite the final push, the Nittany Lions dropped the game 80-72.

Takeaways:

• Michigan State swept the season series. In East Lansing and State College, the Spartans got the best of the Nittany Lions in the opening year of the Rhoades era. From the jump in both games, Izzo’s squad controlled all aspects of the game.
• The Spartans shot the lights out of the gym. Michigan State picked apart every defense the Nittany Lions threw at them.
• Penn State looked out of sorts all evening long. Even after going on a mini-run, the Nittany Lions would commit a costly turnover or mental mistake on defense. Those mistakes can’t be made against top teams like the Spartans.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will be back in action at noon on Saturday, February 17, on the road against Nebraska. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.