Huskers Clamp Down on Penn State, 68-49

Nebraska relied on one of its strongest defensive efforts of the season to post a 68-49 win over Penn State Saturday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena. 

The Huskers (18-8, 8-7 Big Ten) held Penn State to a season-low 49 points, more than 25 points per game below the Nittany Lions’ season average. It marked the lowest total Nebraska had allowed in Big Ten play since the 2014-15 season. 

Keisei Tominaga had 12 of his team-high 17 points in the second half, while Juwan Gary and Rienk Mast added 13 and 12 points respectively, as Nebraska improved to 16-1 at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season.

Leading 28-22 at the break, the Huskers opened the second half with a 10-2 run over the first 3:17 to stretch the margin to 14 after a Tominaga jumper.

Penn State (12-14, 6-9 Big Ten) got to within 38-28, but a Tominaga 3-pointer and a Gary layup that saw NU use a 13-2 spurt to push the margin to 51-30 after a Gary tip-in with 9:47 left. Gary had six rebounds as Nebraska enjoyed a 42-31 advantage on the glass.

Penn State would mount a comeback, trimming a 22-point deficit to 12 after a 12-2 run to get within 55-43 after an Ace Baldwin Jr. 3-pointer with 5:51 left, but Nebraska answered right back. A Tominaga 3-pointer and a Mast basket pushed the lead to 17 with just under five minutes remaining, and NU cruised to a 19-point margin.

Zach Hicks led Penn State with 13 points while Baldwin added 10 points and five steals in a losing effort.

Nebraska used a strong defensive effort to take a 28-22 halftime lead. The Huskers held Penn State to 30.8 shooting in the opening 20 minutes and forced eight turnovers, which led to nine Husker points.

Nebraska trailed early, but the Huskers went on a 12-2 run to build a 12-6 lead after a C.J. Wilcher jumper 11:37 left in the half. The game would remain close as neither team led by more than six points in the opening 20 minutes. PSU battled back, as Hicks scored four straight points to tie it a 18-all with 6:14 left in the half.

Tominaga then took over, keying a 7-2 Husker run with two baskets sandwiched around a nice dish to Josiah Allick for the basket to make it 25-20 after Tominaga’s 3-pointer with 3:32 in the half.

NU held the Nittany Lions scoreless for the final 3:10 of the half and extended the lead to 28-22 after a 3-point play from Gary with 29.4 seconds left in the half.

The Huskers return to action when they travel to Indiana this Wednesday, Feb. 21. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (central) and the game will be televised on BTN and broadcast on the Huskers Radio Network.