Penn State men’s basketball (10-13, 1-11 Big Ten) fell to No. 2 Michigan (21-1, 11-1 Big Ten) 110-69 on Thursday evening in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The Nittany Lions were out four contributors for their road matchup against the second-ranked team in the country. Ivan Juric was out for his second straight game, and Eli Rice could not go due to a head injury he suffered over the weekend.

How It Happened

The Nittany Lions looked to start hot coming off their first Big Ten win of the season on Sunday against Minnesota. Freddie Dilione knocked down the first bucket of the night from the mid-range. The Wolvernies scored eight straight points for a quick response.

The Michigan scoring run continued out of the first media timeout, as the home team dominated the offensive glass early on. Trailing 15-2, and after a seven-minute scoring drought, Melih Tunca hit two free throws to break the seal on the room for the Nittany Lions.

Dilione and Tunca turned defense into offense, and the Tennessee transfer had a transition layup before Elliot Cadeau drilled a triple for Michigan. Justin Houser used a lefty hook and connected with Penn State trailing 21-10. Dilione missed on a 3-pointer a few possessions later. Michigan led by 13 points halfway through the first half.

Mike Rhoades’ guys committed an unforced turnover out of a timeout, and the Wolverines went the other way for two more points. Josh Reed drove to the rim, and the Nittany Lions started to find success, forcing a couple of fouls. Reed connected on both shots from the charity stripe.

Nimari Burnett and Cadeau answered Reed’s two with a 5-0 run, and Rhoades called a quick timeout with over seven minutes in the first half remaining. Kayden Mingo finally found his first bucket with a floater in the paint out of the timeout. Burnett flushed home a dunk to answer Mingo’s basket, and the Wolvernies led 35-14.

After another defensive mistake by Penn State, the Michigan lead expanded once again. Tunca stopped another Wolverine run with a tough turnaround, but the home team continued to have too much offense against the depleted Nittany Lions in the first half.

Mingo grabbed another bucket before halftime, but the offensive barrage on the other end of the court was not letting up. Reed and Burnett traded buckets as Michigan led by more than 30 points with under a minute to go at the end of the opening 20 minutes. Michigan led 56-24 at the break.

Tough first half. pic.twitter.com/yXD3A7VslR

— Onward State (@OnwardState) February 6, 2026

Michigan wasted no time picking up where it started in the first half, scoring a quick seven points in the first two minutes of the second half. Dominick Stewart converted an and-one on the offensive end after struggling with foul trouble in the opening frame.

Reed went high off the glass to score another bucket on his strong night, but the second-ranked Wolverines responded with another scoring run, highlighted by Burnett from distance again as he continued his career game. Tunca scored in transition out of the under-sixteen media timeout, but Michigan led 76-38.

Dilione grabbed another bucket as the bright spots dwindled in the game with Michigan doubling up the Nittany Lions 80-40. Aday Mara blocked another shot at the rim, and the Wolverines continued to smother the Penn State offense.

Trey McKenney drilled a 3-pointer in front of the Michigan bench as the blue and white woes progressed with under halfway to play in the second half. Tunca knocked down two more shots at the charity stripe as Rhoades’ squad kept working on the little things. Mingo hit two more free throws for Penn State a couple of possessions later.

Reed finally hit the first Penn State 3-pointer of the game with under eight minutes to play in the game after starting 0-14 from deep. Michigan led 93-50 at the second-to-last media timeout. Burnett checked out for the Wolverines with 6:30 to go with a career high 31 points. Mason Blackwood got on the scoresheet on the next trip up the floor.

With the game in its closing minutes, Dilione knocked down two more points at the foul line. Another Wolverine triple got Michigan over the 100-point mark on the night with two minutes left. A couple of garbage time buckets, the wisery was over for Penn State, and Michigan won 110-69.

Takeaways

• Penn State stood nearly no chance against the second ranked Wolrverines on the road without four different players. The Nittany Lions have struggled in Big Ten play to say the least, and now playing a few men down, it makes the uphill climb only harder.
• Michigan dominated the paint with Reed playing his second straight game out of position at the five spot. The Wolverines finished with 50 points in the paint and outrebounded the Nittany Lions by 27.
• After a loss as bad as this one on the scoreboard, there is nothing Penn State can do other than head home and forget about it.

What’s Next?

Penn State returns home to host USC at noon on Sunday, February 8, at the Bryce Jordan Center. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.