Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports An 8-0 run in 35 seconds completed the unlikely comeback. Penn State men’s basketball (13-14, 7-9) defeated No. 12 Illinois (19-7, 10-5) Wednesday night 90-89 in the Nittany Lions’ first game at Rec Hall since 2015. A firey crowd at the “Return to Rec” game was enough to spark a 17-6 run for Penn State out of the gates. The early-game atmosphere was cool, but it evoked bittersweet feelings as a return to the BJC is right around the corner. Illinois weathered the early storm and took a seven-point lead into halftime. Ace Baldwin had an impressive seven assists at the halfway point and was tied with Qudus Wahab for a team-high 10 points. The Illini suddenly remembered it was competing for a Big Ten title once the second half started and quickly took a double-digit lead. The Illini dominated in the rebounding department, hovering around double Penn State’s mark during much of the second half. The advantage was 49-25 when the dust settled. It seemed like we were heading for a sleepy finish with Illinois in the driver’s seat until Nick Kern Jr. dug deep and went on an insane run. He accounted for 13 consecutive Penn State points and got the crowd back into things. It then erupted after a Jameel Brown triple. @PennStateMBB pic.twitter.com/i8Cz54jIhB— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 22, 2024 Still, Illinois asserted itself as the better team down the stretch. Penn State made it as close as a two-point game but was massively outrebounded and slightly outclassed by the Illini. The Nittany Lions also shot poorly from the free-throw line (just 60%), killing their momentum in key moments. In the final minute, Penn State caught magic once more and brought things within one possession thanks to crafty defensive plays and a Jameel Brown triple — he had three on the night — near the 30-second mark. Despite a controversial no-call on an Illinois travel, Penn State stayed in the game. The Rec Hall crowd forced Coleman Hawkins to miss two free throws in a row, and the Nittany Lions had one possession to force a miracle down two points. Zach Hicks got fouled in three-point land. Swish. Swish Swish. One final defensive stand with four seconds remaining was all Penn State needed to cause a Rec Hall court storm. It was an 8-0 run in 35 seconds. Play them all in this building. Penn State wins a thriller in the Return to Rec Hall over No. 12 Illinois.A court storming in Rec Hall. pic.twitter.com/TNGCKUsSPT— Spencer Ripchik (@RipchikSpencer) February 22, 2024 Player of the Game Nick Kern Jr. - 22 points (career high), 4 rebounds, 2 steals Kern’s unlikely second-half turnover was the only reason Penn State wasn’t blown out of this game. Like many of the transfer portal additions, Kern has seemed to come into his own more and more as the season has progressed. Random Observations
- The BJC stinks - Fans have been clamoring for a “return to Rec” for a while. Maybe it wasn’t just the allure of Rec Hall itself — although its Palestra-esque design is timeless — but the desire to get out of the Bryce Jordan Center that was driving this ask. The BJC is great for THON and farewell tour concerts, but not for hoops.
- CJF in the house - Everyone’s favorite football coach was in the house along with key staffer Frank Leonard. Even recruiting can be put on pause for a Wednesday night at Rec Hall. Did he storm the court?
- Kanye Clary Ewing theory? - It’s a bit weird to just play basketball and act like your leading scorer didn’t just suddenly leave the program. But, Penn State proved it could compete with outKanye Clary before, and a strong effort tonight kept that belief alive. The offense does seem to run just a bit smoother.
- That last minute was a blur - My goodness, what a terrible collapse by Illinois. The Illini completely folded under the pressure and let Penn State carry itself to the finish line on pure adrenaline. The Nittany Lions were missing key free throws all game, but the script completely flipped in the last minute or so of the game. We might be seeing that in highlight clips for a while.
Up Next Penn State will host Indiana at noon on Saturday, February 24. It will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. Source: https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2024/2 ... ll-miracle