Penn State Outlasts Northwestern, Advances to Big Ten Tournament Semifinals

No. 10 seed Penn State defeated Northwestern in 67-65 in overtime on Friday night to advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, where the Nittany Lions will play the winner of No. 3 seed Indiana vs. No. 6 seed Maryland.

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

CHICAGO, Ill. – As Chase Audige's 3-point attempt at the buzzer spun off the rim, No. 10 seed Penn State emerged with a 67-65 overtime victory over No. 4 seed Northwestern on Friday in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. 

It was one of the most exciting finishes of this conference tournament, with the two sides going back and forth throughout the game, requiring an extra five minutes to decide the winner. Seth Lundy drained a clutch 3-pointer with 46 seconds left in overtime, and Jalen Pickett knocked down a pair of free throws to give Penn State the advantage in overtime.

Lundy led Penn State with 16 points and a trio of 3-pointers, followed by Pickett with 15 points and 14 from Andrew Funk. Northwestern's Boo Buie scored 16 points and Brooks Barnhizer added 15, but the Wildcats shot 31.8 percent overall.

Penn State Nittany Lions guard Jalen Pickett (22) shoots against Northwestern Wildcats guard Ty Berry (3) during the first half at United Center / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

With this win, Penn State advances to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, where they'll play the winner of No. 3 seed Indiana vs. No. 6 seed Maryland.

In their lone matchup this season, Penn State torched Indiana in an 85-66 win at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa. on Jan. 11. The Nittany Lions drained a school record 18 3-pointers in 31 attempts and maintained the lead for the final 29-plus minutes of the game.

Lundy led the Nittany lions with 25 points, knocking down 7-of-12 3-point attempts. Funk was close behind with 23 points, also connecting on 7-of-12 3-point attempts. First team All-Big Ten point guard Jalen Pickett scored below his season average at 12 points and five rebounds, but he picked apart the Indiana defense with eight assists.

It was a complete defensive meltdown for the Hoosiers, as they couldn't keep up with Penn State's ball movement and perimeter spacing. With 14 points, Trayce Jackson-Davis had second-lowest scoring game in 2023, and the Hoosiers shot 44.1 percent as a team.

Penn State split the season series with Maryland, first losing 74-68 at Maryland on Feb. 11. Hakim Hart led the Terrapins with 23 points, and Pickett scored 15 for Penn State. The Nittany Lions got revenge with a 65-64 win over Maryland at the Bryce Jordan Center on a last-second put-back from Camren Wynter. Jahmir Young led Maryland with 26 points in that game, while Pickett and Funk combined for 30.

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