Penn State returns to Rec Hall with a bang, taking down No. 12 Illinois

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – In spite of a career night from Terrance Shannon Jr. and the absence of their leading scorer, the Nittany Lions returned to Rec Hall with a bang, upsetting No.12 Illinois 90-89.

Penn State came out strong to start, grabbing an early lead and holding it for 14:24.

The blue and white even held a nine-point advantage at the 10:56 mark.

Efficiency was the name of the game in the first half, as the Nittany Lions shot 53% from the field and 43% from three compared to just 36% from long range for the Fighting Illini.

Penn State also managed to limit turnovers, only tallying three before heading into the locker room.

This was in large part due to the playmaking of Ace Baldwin Jr., which translated to the box score with eight assists in the opening 20.

However, even with all of this success, Illinois still managed to grab a lead in the final minutes and headed into halftime with a 48-41 lead

In the midst of a 7-0 run with 4:15 to go, Terrance Shannon Jr. gave the Fighting Illini their first lead since the opening basket on a transition layup.

Coming out of the break, both teams were firing on all cylinders offensively, trading buckets all the way until the under 12-minute media timeout.

Nick Kern Jr. was the catalyst in the early portion of the half for Penn State, scoring 16 points in the first 8:29.

However, this was not enough to combat the masterful play of Terrance Shannon Jr., who put up a career-high 35 points and was the biggest reason Illinois was in full control for just about the entirety of half number two.

With time winding down and the Return to Rec game seemingly spoiled, the Nittany Lions held Illinois scoreless in the final 2:30 as they began to claw their way back.

Jameel Brown, who had already made multiple clutch shots throughout the night, drilled a three late to ignite the crowd.

Combine that with a Puff Johnson steal and lay in off the inbound to make it a two-point game and Penn State all of a sudden had the momentum to pull off the comeback.

In the blink of an eye, the blue and white had the ball with a chance to tie or even win.

Zach Hicks, who has had his fair share of struggles from beyond the arc this season, ended up with the ball in his hands and hoisted up a three with just over four seconds to go in regulation.

The shot rimmed in and out, much to the crowd's dismay, but a foul sent him to the line with three shots on the horizon and, in clutch fashion, the Temple transfer sank all three to give his team a one-point lead.

With a chance to win on the other end, Justin Harmon took the ball coast to coast, getting to the rim, but missing the layup as time expired.

Coach Rhoades discussed his pride in Hicks's ability to close out the game.

“I’m just really proud of him. He got his moment and he took advantage of it.”

This marks the second ranked win for Penn State this season and the second time the crowd stormed the court to celebrate with the team.

Following this defining victory, the Nittany Lions will head back to the BJC to face off against Indiana at noon on Saturday.

Jakob Schnur is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jks6463@psu.edu