Penn State needed a victory at the conference and did it on Friday night against a Maryland team that had trouble getting the ball in the ring. Both sides struggled hard to bring home the victory, but in the end Penn State veterans made the difference. What could be described as an ugly victory can also be seen as a crucial conference turning point for Jim Ferry and his team.
If the Lions had lost, the climb would have been much steeper, but with a 4-7 conference record, the team remains within reach of obtaining an overall offer for the NCAA Tournament.
Lions will travel to the state of Michigan and then face Nebraska at home before getting a rematch against the Buckeyes. Anything can happen in a conference game, but it would not be out of the question for the team to win two of the next three games and reach an overall record of 0.500. If they were able to do that, they would probably be on the happy side of the NCAA tournament bubble.
John Harrar makes parts
What had been a 7 point lead with 9:40 on the clock evaporated in a single point two minutes later and then Izaiah Brockington missed a shot. If Maryland had hit, which normally happens, since the defensive team has a natural advantage, the lead could have gone back to the Terrapins.
Instead, John Harrar had an offensive rebound, his third of four in the night, to give his team another offensive possession. Harrar then fouled and reached the free throw line, hitting both kicks.
Maryland hit two free throws on the next drop on the court, reducing the lead to one for the last time, but never regaining the lead. Harrar finished with 12 rebounds and 9 points and everyone seemed to have arrived at critical moments of the game. If he had allowed Maryland to rebound, the game could have been different for his team.
Harrar ended the game with more rebounds than the Terrapins’ entire attacking court. He chose a great night to dominate the glass, since the ball was not going in the basket to either side.
Points Box
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22285491/Screenshot_2021_02_05_Screenshot_2021_02_05_UMD_50_PSU_55_Final_png__PNG_Image__1362___552_pixels_.png){kind=tracking}
It is difficult not to lose the first two players on the scoresheet, Myreon Jones and Seth Lundy. The 2 x 17 pitch on the pitch was not the best, but Lundy made a solid save on the post. Each player was productive enough to stay on the ground, but not at his normal level of play.
Jamari Wheeler made 3 point shots early and often. Myles Dread ended a 12-point race in Maryland with a deep ball. The pair finished 5 of 11 behind the hoop. The rest of the Penn State team hit 0 out of 12, and although the shots were disputed, on a typical night, some of the 12 shots would have gone into the basket.
It was a particularly cold shooting night and Maryland has no other way to win games than to play a shutdown defense. The numbers were ugly, but the team was looking for a victory, not a trophy for a beauty contest.
With the strength of the schedule for Lions to be in the top 10 nationally, it doesn’t matter where the victories come from. If the team manages to finish 0.500 or better, they will have a chance to do the Big Dance.
Looking at the schedule going forward, there are chances that the team will win. There is a possibility that Lions will invent games against Michigan and Nebraska, but until disputes are rescheduled, we are not sure if they will happen. If both games were invented, a division would keep Penn State on pace.
Considering that Michigan is among the top 5 in the Net Rankings and has lost the last few weeks to an ambitious stoppage, it may not be possible or preferable for the game to be compensated by the Lions. I’m sure Jim Ferry’s team will accept any challenge, but fans can expect the easy way, especially for a team that has had such a difficult schedule so far.