Our Clients:

Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Jan 5, 2025 2:39 pm

Early second-half spurt helps Indiana top Penn State

Oumar Ballo

Oumar Ballo collected a game-high 25 points and 13 rebounds as Indiana topped Penn State 77-71 on Sunday in Philadelphia.

Mackenzie Mgbako scored 20 points for the Hoosiers (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten), who won their fourth straight game. Luke Goode chipped in 12 points, while Trey Galloway had eight points and six assists.

Penn State (12-3, 2-2), which had won four straight, was led by reserve Nick Kern’s 21 points. Ace Baldwin Jr. pitched in 12 points and seven assists and Fred Dilione V added 11 points.

Neither team led by more than four during a first half that ended in a 29-29 tie. Ballo led the Hoosiers with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, while his teammates were 6-of-18 collectively in the opening 20 minutes.

Indiana began the second half emphatically by scoring the first 12 points.

Mgbako did the heavy lifting at first, knocking down two 3-pointers and a layup to put the Hoosiers ahead 37-29. Myles Rice and Ballo each followed with a bucket to put the visitors up by a dozen.

Konan Niederhauser and Baldwin helped Penn State chip away, as the Nittany Lions snuck within 47-39 with under 15 minutes left. However, Rice and Goode connected on 3-pointers to push the margin back to 14.

Ballo’s bucket with 11 1/2 minutes left increased the lead to 15 for the first time, and then Galloway’s 3-pointer a minute later made it 61-45.

Kern and Dilione accounted for all the scoring during a 9-1 run as the Nittany Lions closed to within 62-54, but Mgbako’s 3-pointer restored an 11-point cushion.

However, Penn State kept fighting. The team scored seven straight — including 3-pointers by Dilione and Kern — to trim the deficit to 65-61 with under six minutes remaining.

Ballo helped keep the Hoosiers ahead over the next several minutes, but the Nittany Lions went on a 6-0 run, capped by Zach Hicks’ 3-pointer, to get within 73-71 with 1:43 left.

Penn State missed its final six shots — all 3-pointers — as Indiana held on. Mgbako and Rice each went 2-of-2 from the foul line in the final minute to secure the victory.

–Field Level Media

You may also like

shaedon sharpe
Apr 3, 2025 10:06 pm

Shaedon Sharpe has big night in native Canada as Blazers top Raptors

Shaedon Sharpe, a native of London, Ontario, matched his career best with 36 points and the visiting Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Toronto Raptors 112-103 on Thursday night. The Trail…

magic
Apr 3, 2025 9:55 pm

Paolo Banchero’s big performance sends Magic past Wizards

Paolo Banchero scored 33 points and grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds while leading the Orlando Magic to a 109-97 win over the host Washington Wizards on Thursday. Banchero made 11…

bucks
Apr 3, 2025 9:41 pm

Giannis Antetokoumpo’s 35-20-17 night powers Bucks past 76ers

Giannis Antetokounmpo put forth a monster triple-double with 35 points, a career-high 20 assists and 17 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 126-113 victory over the host Philadelphia…

More Basketball News

shaedon sharpe
Apr 3, 2025 10:06 pm

Shaedon Sharpe has big night in native Canada as Blazers top Raptors

Shaedon Sharpe, a native of London, Ontario, matched his career best with 36 points and the visiting Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Toronto Raptors 112-103 on Thursday night. The Trail…

magic
Apr 3, 2025 9:55 pm

Paolo Banchero’s big performance sends Magic past Wizards

bucks
Apr 3, 2025 9:41 pm

Giannis Antetokoumpo’s 35-20-17 night powers Bucks past 76ers

cincinnati wes miller
Apr 3, 2025 9:39 pm

Darius Johnson’s 31 power UCF past Cincinnati in Las Vegas

anthony edwards
Apr 3, 2025 9:11 pm

Timberwolves G Anthony Edwards (ankle) helped to locker room

Read all
fb-post
advertisment
title-icon

Upcoming events

See all odds