After Penn State basketball was eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament on March 1, Mike Rhoades was asked what his message was to his team with one game left.
“Do it right,” he said. “Do it right for the name on the front. Do it right for the name on the back. This is the last week that we’ll be together — this team here with these seniors. Do it right. Do everything right. If you’re about the right stuff, if you care about your teammates, you’ll approach this week the right way as a basketball player. And let’s go see what happens at Wisconsin on Saturday because we get to put the uniform on again.”
At the start of the game, it seemed as though Rhoades’ message fell on deaf ears, as No. 12 Wisconsin started 6-for-8 from the field and grabbed a 16-3 lead within the first four minutes.
Over the next four minutes though, Penn State basketball pulled to within five (26-21), with Nick Kern Jr. scoring seven of its 18 points during the run. Wisconsin responded with its own run, outscoring PSU 14-6 to retake a 13-point lead with 4:15 left in the half. For the third time, the Badgers held a 13-point edge over the visiting Nittany Lions.
That would be their largest lead of the game.
D’Marco Dunn started the last eight games of the season and averaged 13 points. (Penn State Athletics)
To close the half, Penn State basketball held Wisconsin scoreless as a part of an 8-0 run. Kern and D’Marco Dunn kept the Nittany Lions within striking distance, combining for 18 of PSU’s 35 first-half points.
The run was extended to 21-7 in the second half, with Ace Baldwin Jr. powering his way to the basket for an and-one opportunity. He made the free throw, giving his team its first lead.
Wisconsin seemed to be on the verge of breaking away again as both teams traded blows over the next seven minutes. The Badgers used a 9-2 run to retake the lead (60-59), but that would be the last time they were in front.
After a Kern turnover on the ensuing possession, Wisconsin’s Jack Janicki had a chance to swing the game’s momentum, but he misfired on his 3-pointer. Coming down, Freddie Dilione V found Dunn on the right wing for a catch-and-shoot 3. Swish.
That was only Dunn’s second made 3 of the game, but an avalanche was building. With Wisconsin looking to regain some energy, Yanic Konan Niederhauser denied its chance with a block on Steven Crowl. Then, the big man found Dunn in the left corner for consecutive 3s to give the Nittany Lions a five-point edge.
Wisconsin pulled to within two points twice in the final minutes Saturday, but Dunn and PSU had a response each time. After those two Dunn 3-pointers, Penn State basketball outscored the Badgers 27-15 over the last 8:52.
D’MARCO DUNN CLOSES COLLEGE CAREER ON A HEATER
Through the first 13 games of the year, Dunn averaged 5.8 points on 39/34/93 shooting splits. Much like last year, he struggled to stay consistent. In the opening three games of the year, he scored double digits. Then, he only eclipsed 10 points once through the next 10 games.
When the calendar turned to 2025, though, Dunn seemed to find his groove. With increased minutes (from 15.9 to 25) due to injuries, the senior guard averaged 9.5 points on 47/40/88 shooting splits. But over the last eight games, which he started, those numbers increased to 13 points, 58% from the field, 48% from 3, and 85.7% from the free throw line.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.And against the No. 12 team in the country, he put on an offensive master class.
Sure, 25 points on 9-for-11 shooting (4-of-5 from 3) looks good, but the timeliness and context of his buckets were even better. Whenever Wisconsin threatened to pull away or retake control of the game, Dunn had an answer.
Dunn scored six of Penn State’s first 11 points in the first half to cut the 16-3 deficit down to seven (18-11). His 10 first-half points closed the gap, and his second-half takeover delivered the knockout blow.
After his two 3s that ended that 9-2 Wisconsin run, he suddenly turned into the deadliest playmaker on the floor. Following two made Wisconsin free throws, Dunn responded with an attack on the second side for a lob to Konan Niederhauser.
Penn State got another stop, moved the ball around, and once it landed in Dunn’s hands he immediately attacked again. He got two feet in the paint, stopped, and hit a turnaround hook to make it a seven-point game.
Then, Wisconsin ran off five unanswered before Rhoades called on number two again. This time, Dunn came off staggered screens before rising and drilling his fourth 3 of the day. The Nittany Lions now held a five-point lead with 3:55 left.
The Badgers made one final push, but a pair of free throws by Freddie Dilione V and a layup by Dunn made it 76-70 with 3:09 remaining. Dunn finished with a new career high and scored or assisted on 15 of Penn State’s final 27 points. In his last game as a collegiate athlete, Dunn put on a performance that should be remembered for years.
BADGERS GET CLAMPED DOWN
Entering Saturday’s game, Wisconsin was one of the most efficient offenses in the nation. It ranked 11th in offensive rating on KenPom and was top 60 in effective field goal percentage. However, the Badgers had been struggling in the four games prior to Penn State. Their scoring average had dropped seven points (from 81 to 74) and their effective field goal rate fell to 49.2%, which would rank in the 25th percentile.
When Wisconsin started 10-for-13 against Penn State, it seemed that the Badgers were beginning to come out of their shooting funk. Then, Rhoades went to a 2-3 zone.
On the first five zone possessions, the Badgers had seven points. They would have five points on the next 19, with only three coming from the field. The switch to zone in the first half completely neutered Wisconsin’s offense, resulting in the Badgers missing their last nine shots before halftime. Six of those misses were against the 2-3.
Rhoades toggled between man and zone throughout the game, keeping Wisconsin out of rhythm. On 35 total zone defense possessions, the 11th best offense in the country shot 19.4%. After that 10-for-13 start, Wisconsin went 15-for-56, finishing with an overall field-goal percentage of 36.2%.
Five wins in the last 13 games of the season isn’t a glamorous way to close the year. Ending with another top 15 win, though, adds a little shine to a rather lackluster 2024-25 season. Especially when it happens in the fashion it did Saturday.
