Camren Wynter buried a corner 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left in overtime as visiting Penn State nipped Northwestern 68-65 on Wednesday in Big Ten action at Evanston, Ill.
Wynter’s bucket, which came after a hard-fought offensive rebound by Evan Mahaffey, was the only basket for either team in the final 2 1/2 minutes of overtime. Wynter knocked down a 3-pointer earlier in the extra session and Mahaffey made 1 of 2 free throws with 1:29 to play, tying the game at 65-65.
The Nittany Lions (18-12, 9-10 Big Ten) were led by Wynter’s 24 points and Andrew Funk’s 17 points and eight rebounds. Wynter, Funk and Seth Lundy (14 points) all drilled four 3-pointers to help make up for a quiet scoring night from Penn State star Jalen Pickett (seven points, 11 assists).
Boo Buie logged 20 points and eight assists and Brooks Barnhizer added 19 points and seven boards for the Wildcats (20-10, 11-8), who have lost three games in a row.
Penn State won for the fourth time in five games.
Northwestern made only 4 of 18 shots from inside the arc during the first half, but the hosts still led by four at intermission thanks to 6-of-13 3-point shooting. Penn State, meanwhile, had more turnovers (nine) than field goals (eight) in the opening half, and Pickett was held to two points before the break.
The Wildcats led 23-14 with under five minutes left in the first half before the Nittany Lions rattled off eight points in a row. However, late buckets by Tydus Verhoeven and Robbie Beran helped Northwestern to a 28-24 lead into the locker room.
Penn State went on an 8-0 run early in the second half to turn a four-point deficit into a four-point lead, but Barnhizer scored 11 points (including three 3-pointers) as Northwestern went back in front 51-45 with about seven minutes to go.
The Nittany Lions battled back using the 3-point shot, as Lundy connected from long range, followed by Funk two minutes later and then Wynter to tie the game 58-58 with 2:24 left in regulation.
Northwestern’s Ty Berry scored on a second-chance jumper with 1:18 to go, leveling the score 61-61, and neither team scored again in regulation.
–Field Level Media
