Big Ten Tournament: Penn State Tops Michigan, Gets Indiana Next
Penn State's Zach Hicks stepped back in his defender’s face and drilled a tough 3-pointe, his sixth of the night, to give the Nittany Lions an 11-point lead over Michigan late in the second half. Penn State didn’t look back from there, defeating the Wolverines 66-57 in coach Mike Rhoades’ Big Ten Tournament debut and advancing to the second round to play Indiana at approximately 9 p.m Thursday.
Hicks led all scorers with a season-high 20 points, while Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Ace Baldwin Jr. added 15 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals. Qudus Wahab had 13 points.
After a dismal shooting performance in the first half, Michigan opened the second with some fire. The Wolverines scored seven straight points to cut an 11-point halftime deficit to four. But Baldwin turned on the jets, converting a tough layup and a 3-pointer to hold off the rally. Penn State kept Michigan at arm's length the rest of the night.
“This time of the year, it doesn't always have to be pretty, but you gotta stick together. I just liked how we handled some adversity,” Rhoades said after the win. “Win the game and get to the next one. And that's what they did today. I thought it was a great team effort.”
Penn State (15-16) forced Michigan out of rhythm early, getting 11 first-half turnovers and 15 for the game, leading to 17 points. The Lions kept Wolverine point guard Dug McDaniel out of the fold, as he scored just seven points after averaging more than 16 entering the game. Terrance Williams II led Michigan with 15 points.
“Our game plan was to cut off the head of the snake, which is Dug, and I think we did a pretty good job of it,” Baldwin said. “A lot of teams, they don't want to dribble against our press. So I think that will keep working for us.”
Michigan’s poor play extended beyond turnovers, as the Wolverines scored just six points on 16 offensive rebounds, an area Penn State had struggled in all year. The Lions gained a significant advantage in foul discrepancy as well, entering the second-half bonus with more than nine minutes left in the game. Two Wolverine starters fouled out, while Penn State shot 29 free throws to Michigan’s 18.
Hicks made five of his six 3-pointers in a blistering first half, almost single-handedly willing Penn State to a respectable scoring output despite shooting just 37 percent from the floor. He scored off the bounce as well and added six rebounds in a confident performance. In clutch moments this season, Hicks has played at his best.
“As a shooter, once you see that first one to drop, the basket just gets super big,” Hicks said. “I felt like that was the main thing today.”
“If you want the neon-green light like Zach, you'd better be in the gym all summer long. You better come back late at night and shoot,” said Rhoades, who gave Hicks a proud pat on the back as he walked away from the podium. “We've got like 15 managers and five [graduate assistants], and their No. 1 job is to rebound for these guys. So there's no excuse to get in the gym and work on your game, and when the head coach tells you got the green light, it all works together.”
Injury report
After being labeled as “day-to-day” for some time, backup big man Demetrius Lilley returned Wednesday. He played five minutes, scoring three points with three rebounds after missing seven of the final eight regular-season contests.
Lilley did not play in the second half, though, as Rhoades confirmed he tweaked the back injury that has been ailing him. Rhoades confirmed earlier this season that Lilley had a minor procedure done for the injury.
How to watch Penn State vs. Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament
Penn State gets a third date with Indiana in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. The 11th-seeded Nittany Lions play the No. 6 Hoosiers in Thursday's late game. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 9 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network. Streamers can check out FuboTV (start your free trial).
Penn State swept the regular-season series against Indiana, with Baldwin scoring a combined 45 points in the two victories. Indiana (18-13) has won four straight since its 83-74 loss at Penn State on Feb. 24. The Hoosiers also have returned point guard Xavier Johnson from injury. Johnson did not play in the last game against the Lions.
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Max Ralph is a Penn State senior studying Broadcast Journalism with minors in sports studies and Japanese. He previously covered Penn State football for two years with The Daily Collegian and has reported with the Associated Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Follow him on Twitter (X) @maxralph_ and Instagram @mralph_59.
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