UNIVERSITY PARK– Many Penn State fans feard a letdown Saturday against Indiana.
After all, the team was less than 72 hours removed from an emotional win over No. 12 Illinois at Rec Hall, and being back in the, let’s just say, less unique Bryce Jordan Center was a different environment.
But Penn State avoided a letdown and completed a season sweep over Indiana with a 68-63 win.
Both teams got off to a slow star offensively, with Penn State (14-14, 8-9 Big Ten) leading 5-3 at the first media timeout which came a second under 16:00.
The game stayed competitive for eight minutes, with Indiana (14-13, 6-10) 14-12 at the U12 timeout and 24-23 at the under-8.
At the last media timeout of the half of the first half, it was a tie game.
Kel’el Ware led Indiana with 11 first-half points and Malik Reneau added 10. Reneau ended up leading all scorers with 27 points, tying for the game high. Penn State’s Ace Baldwin led all scorers with 15 in the first half, adding four assists, a pair of steals and a block.
Penn State led 40-33 at the half. The team shot well overall, going 12 for 25 from the field, and went a solid 5-for-10 from 3-point land. The officiating crew wasn’t afraid to blow it’s whistles, either. Indiana shot 12 foul shots, making nine, and Penn State shot 14, making 11.
Early in the second half, Penn State went up by double digitis on a three by Zach Hicks. PSU led 47-37 at the first media timeout of the second half. By the next media, Indiana had cut it to five. But Penn State held strong, and by the under eight timeout, led 65-56.
It never lost that lead
Baldwin ended with 23, adding eight assists. Zach Hicks added 14. Qudus Wahab and Nick Kern also added 11 and D’Marco Dunn 10. For Indiana, Ware finished with 16– only five in the second half– and Trey Galloway added an even 10.
Penn State looks to keep it going Tuesday night at Iowa. Tipoff is scheduled for 9.
