#22 Penn State Beats #16 Michigan State in Huge Road Win

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(Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports)

In a thrilling back and forth game, Penn State was able to upset Michigan State in a huge road win. The Nittany Lions were led by Lamar Stevens who had 24 points and Myreon Jones who off for 20.  The Spartans saw a huge performance from Cassius Winston who had 25 points and 9 assists. Xavier Tillman made his presence felt also, with 9 points, 11 boards, and 5 blocks. This was Penn State’s first win over Michigan State since 2017 and its first win at East Lansing since 2009.

First Half

The first half saw both teams go on big scoring runs to either pull ahead or get back into the game. Michigan State sped out to a 12-4 lead before Penn State would go on a run and gain the lead, and then Michigan State would go on a run to close the gap. Penn State saw Myreon Jones hit 5 of 6 from 3 and the Nittany Lions shot 7 of 14 from beyond the arc for the half. Michigan State turned the ball over nine times and gave up 8 offensive rebounds to Penn State. These turnovers and second chances turned into points for the Nittany Lions and Tom Izzo was not happy. Izzo was T’d up after disagreeing with a call, another unforced error. Cassius Winston took over for the Spartans, but only shot 3 of 8 from the field, but the Spartans went 9 of 10 from the line. The score at the half saw a 6 point lead for Pat Chambers crew, 43-37.

Second Half

The second half saw the game get tighter as the teams battled back and forth throughout. Lamar Stevens, Mike Watkins, and Myreon Jones made big plays down the stretch, but Cassius Winston and the Spartans did not go away easily. Anytime Penn State would pull ahead, the Spartans would answer. Turnovers and defensive rebounding were still an issue for the Spartans and Penn State continued to take advantage. With 16 seconds left and down by 3, Winston went the length of the court, scored and was fouled, with a chance to tie the game at the line. Winston would miss the and one and Stevens was fouled and headed to the line. Stevens sunk the free throws, Winston missed a chance to tie the game. Penn State would seal the win with two more free throws, with a final score of 75 -70 Penn State.

Up Next

This is a huge road win and further evidence that this Penn State team is for real. This win marks the first time Penn State has won five straight Big Ten games and they now sit at 17-5 overall and 7-5 in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions will face Minnesota back home on Saturday at 4 pm.

For Michigan State, this is their second straight loss and first Big Ten home loss this season. The Spartans sit at 16-7 overall and 8-4 in the Big Ten. Michigan Stae will go to Ann Arbor for a big-time rivalry game against the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday at noon.

Penn State Win and Highlights

 

 

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