Men’s Basketball Defeats No. 4 Iowa, 79-75
The Bryce Jordan Center was electric Wednesday night as Penn State defeated the nationally ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, 79-75. Senior Donovan Jack was the hero of the night, as he scored 19 points to help lead the Nittany Lions to victory.
Penn State’s win over Iowa was only the fifth time in school history that the team has ever beat a top-5 opponent. The last time this happened was three years ago against No. 4 Michigan in February of 2013.
In the opening minutes of the game, Iowa got off to a quick start and grabbed a 8-0 lead only five minutes in. Penn State fought back against the Hawkeyes, with Shep Garner grabbing two early threes to keep the game close in the first half. After Donovan Jack grabbed nine points in the first half, the team headed into the locker room with a 38-31 advantage.
Going into the second half, the game was a back-and-forth battle between the two sides. While Iowa attempted to rally back against the Nittany Lions multiple times in the final period, Penn State showed true grit as the team continued to fight.
After a few end of game free throws, the Nittany Lions were able to fight off the Hawkeyes and earn their second win over a Top 25 team in a span of 11 days. Penn State men’s basketball student section, Legion of Blue, were on hand and stormed the court to celebrate the team’s memorable win.
“It’s very true—you practice the way you play,” said Head Coach Pat Chambers. “Our practice translated to the game tonight….These guys are getting better and they took a big leap today.”
Penn State’s win over Iowa was only the fifth time in school history that the team has ever beat a top-5 opponent. The last time this happened was three years ago against No. 4 Michigan in February of 2013.
In the opening minutes of the game, Iowa got off to a quick start and grabbed a 8-0 lead only five minutes in. Penn State fought back against the Hawkeyes, with Shep Garner grabbing two early threes to keep the game close in the first half. After Donovan Jack grabbed nine points in the first half, the team headed into the locker room with a 38-31 advantage.
Going into the second half, the game was a back-and-forth battle between the two sides. While Iowa attempted to rally back against the Nittany Lions multiple times in the final period, Penn State showed true grit as the team continued to fight.
After a few end of game free throws, the Nittany Lions were able to fight off the Hawkeyes and earn their second win over a Top 25 team in a span of 11 days. Penn State men’s basketball student section, Legion of Blue, were on hand and stormed the court to celebrate the team’s memorable win.
“It’s very true—you practice the way you play,” said Head Coach Pat Chambers. “Our practice translated to the game tonight….These guys are getting better and they took a big leap today.”
