Penn State Fights Hard, Drops Big Ten Opener in OT at Maryland

It was an improvement from losing to Bucknell, but Penn State dropped its Big Ten opener at Maryland, 81-75 in overtime.

Kanye Clary led Penn State with 25 points, and Ace Baldwin added 16.

For Maryland, Julian Reese led the way with 24 points and 15 rebounds, and Jahmir Young led all scorers with 28.

PSU (4-5, 0-1) has now lost five straight.

PSU got off to a hot start, leading 9-4 at the first media timeout. 

The start continued until the next break, and Penn State led 15-7.

Maryland (5-4, 1-0) got it together before the next break, going on a 9-3 run to trail 20-16.

But Penn State held steady for the next four minutes and led 25-20 at the last media timeout. 

Maryland tied the game with a little more than three minutes left in the half on a 3-pointer by Jamie Kaiser Jr. But Penn State answered with a layup by Kern and two free throws by Kanye Clary. With less than a minute left, Maryland cut the deficit back to one on a 3 by Jahari Long. 

Penn State went into halftime up 30-28. Clary led the all scorers with 13 points. For Maryland, Jahmir Young led the scoring with 10.

Maryland continued to play well in the second half, leading 37-35 at the first media timeout. Penn State went on a 9-0 run– which featured 3s by Clary and Zach kicks– to take a 44-37 lead into the second media timeout. 

But Maryland kept fighting and made it a 49-48 game on a 3 by Young just before the U8 timeout.

The game kept going back and forth. Maryland took a 63-61 lead on a 3 by Kaiser and held that lead into the final media timeout. 

Penn State retook the lead with a little more than two minutes left on a 3 by Leo O’Boyle, but Young gave Maryland the lead back with a duece on the next possession. 

With Maryland up 69-66, Clary made a basket with 41 seconds left and got fouled. He made the foul shot to tie the game at 69. 

With 22 seconds left, Maryland’s Julian Reese gave put the team ahead with a free throw. Kanye Clary missed a three on the next possession. Maryland’s Jahari Long fouled Baldwin with 4 seconds left to put him at the line. He made both, and Maryland failed to score on its last possession of regulation, sending the game to overtime.

Penn State didn’t make a field goal in overtime and lost, 81-75.

PSU’s next game is Sunday against Ohio State in the first Big Ten home game of the Mike Rhoades era. Tipoff is scheulded for 6 on the Big Ten Network.