Kern's dunk went over the head of 6'7" Texas A&M forward Andersson Garcia and began a momentum shift for the Nittany Lions' second half offensive push.
The Nittany Lions suffered their first loss of the Mike Rhoades era.
The Lady Lions were handed their first loss of the season but not without a fight.
The Nittany Lions dominated Maryland from the start, earning their 11th sweep of the season.
Shay Ciezki dominated the fourth quarter, and her 17 points stole the show and secured victory for Penn State.
With the win, the Nittany Lions advance to their first Elite Eight since 2018.