STATE COLLEGE – The first half looked so much like so many Wisconsin-Penn State games of recent vintage. The Badgers running their relentless swing offense and making easy shots. The Nittany Lions looking tentative and scared, stricken by the moment and trailing by as many as 13 points.
But it turned out this was a different moment than all the others.
The Lions’ backcourt took over during a crucial stretch early in the second half where PSU got back in the game quickly, a vital factor against a team that’s so hard to play from behind. And the Nits’ selective use of their 1-3-1 zone induced almost nothing but perimeter bricks from Wisconsin after the break.
It all summed to a critical 56-52 PSU win over the No. 17-ranked Badgers before a rollicking, near-capacity crowd of 14,292 at the Jordan Center.
Halfway through the Big Ten season, Penn State (12-8, 5-4 Big Ten) is very alive for its first NCAA bid in 10 years.
“At this point, we need every game,” said team-leading senior guard Talor Battle. “That’s what we tell ourselves. We couldn’t afford a loss and that’s what we played like.”
via Nittany Lions return from oblivion, top Badgers 56-52 | PennLive.com.