Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports Penn State shot a miserable 27% from the floor Penn State’s 2023-24 season came to a close with a 61-59 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament second round. A late offensive rebound and putback by the Hoosiers’ Anthony Leal was the final dagger. Penn State was looking to be the first team to make the Big Ten quarterfinal three straight years as a double-digit seed but came up short. The Lions hung around all night despite being completely outmatched in the paint and fielding the worst shooting performance of the season. Indiana started off with a quick 10-2 lead, immediately establishing its dominance in the paint. Penn State woke up a little bit with threes from D’Marco Dunn and Nick Kern to tie the game at 10, but it was one step forward, two steps back for the offense for most of the first half. The Lions made 10 free throws in the half and recorded 8 offensive rebounds to keep pace. Despite a clunker of a half from the offense, Penn State only trailed by 5 at halftime. The Lions appeared to take charge of the game early in the second half, opening with a 13-2 run capped by Zach Hicks’ second 4-point play of the night. But as quickly as Penn State seized the momentum, Indiana seemed to take it away just as fast, responding with a 7-0 run to take a 43-42 lead. Some Big Ten refball took center stage in the last 10 minutes, with the teams combining for two field goals over a 7:37 stretch until Kel’El Ware’s dunk put the Hoosiers ahead 59-57 with 1:45 to play. Ace Baldwin answered with a basket of his own to tie the game at 59, and Penn State came up with two defensive stands in the final minute to give the offense a chance to win the game. Baldwin missed two shots before Leal’s game-winning putback. Puff Johnson had a good look for a game-winning three in the final seconds, but it clanked off the rim. Players of the Game Puff Johnson- 16 points, 7-7 free throws, 8 rebounds, 2 steals In a game where pretty much everyone was stuck in the mud offensively, Puff made several key plays despite being plagued with foul trouble in the second half and made all 7 of his free throws. He led the team in free throws made, steals, field goals made, and defensive rebounds in the game. What’s Next Penn State’s season has come to an end. While there will not be as much turnover as last season, Qudus Wahab and Leo O’Boyle are both out of eligibility. Ace Baldwin and Puff Johnson both have one more year of eligibility if they wish to use it. Source: https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2024/3 ... tournament