Penn State Basketball Season Ends
Penn State basketball suffered a final regular-season loss to Rutgers 74-62 on March 8, ending 12-19 overall and 3-17 in Big Ten play. Ivan Jurić and Freddie Dilione V each scored 16 points, but a sluggish first half doomed any comeback attempt. The Nittany Lions also saw their hockey team fall 5-2 to Wisconsin in their finale, unable to overcome a 4-0 deficit.
The basketball team's 3-17 conference record places them 18th in the Big Ten. Second-year head coach Mike Rhoades saw the team finish the season on a two-game losing streak. The loss to Rutgers was the second this season, resulting in a season sweep for the Scarlet Knights. Against Rutgers, the Nittany Lions struggled significantly from three-point range, shooting only 13.6%. They also had difficulty at the free-throw line, making just 13 of their 22 attempts. A massive 16-0 run by Rutgers in the first half created a deficit that Penn State could not overcome, trailing 43-21 at the half. Freshman Kayden Mingo, who returned after missing the previous game with an injury, contributed 13 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in the losing effort. Senior Josh Reed added 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds. The No. 6 ranked Penn State hockey team's loss was the second of the weekend against No. 11 Wisconsin, who swept the series at Pegula Ice Arena to close the regular season. The Nittany Lions finished the season with a 20-12-2 overall record. Wisconsin's victory secured them the fourth seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.
