Written by Francis Mizner
#10 Penn State earns a season sweep over the #3 Indiana Hoosiers with a 77-73 victory in the Big Ten Semifinal match. Jalen Pickett led all scorers with 28 points.
Penn State started the game shaky going 1-6 from the field and giving up 12 early points. Seth Lundy scored the first six points for the Nittany Lions.
Coming out of the first media timeout, Penn State went on a 13-0 run and held Indiana scoreless for five minutes. Jalen Pickett, Myles Dread, and Andrew Funk all found success from behind the arc.
Penn State continued to score from the field, and their defense proved to be lasting as they would hold onto a ten-point lead for much of the second half.
Penn State closed the half, keeping Indiana scoreless from three and up 34-26.
To kick the second half off, Penn State scored the first four, then Indiana responded with a 7-0 run making it a three-point difference.
Much of the second half was a back-and-forth between both teams, scoring on each end of the floor and an array of thrilling plays.
With five minutes to go, Jalen Pickett scored five straight for the Nittany Lions, and a Camren Wynter three extended the Penn State lead back to ten.
With under two minutes to go, Indiana went on a 10-0 run and brought it within four.
Despite some late-game heroics by the Hoosiers, the Nittany Lions were able to make their free throws and come out on top.
#10 Penn State will face #1 Purdue tomorrow with a chance to lift the Big Ten Championship trophy.
Francis Mizner covers Penn State Basketball for Insider Institute, Follow him @MiznerFrancis1
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