Penn State Men’s Basketball Blows Late Lead at Michigan for Most Recent Quad-1 Loss

The momentum was in Penn State’s favor. The Nittany Lions had jumped to a five-point lead with just minutes remaining at Michigan on Monday night, but the Wolverines went on a 9-0 run, highlighted by a go-ahead 3-pointer by Tre Donaldson to hand Penn State a 76-72 loss — the program’s sixth defeat in its last seven games.

Mike Rhoades had a timeout available after Donaldson’s make and could’ve drawn up an in-bounds play. Instead, Rhoades let the Nittany Lions play it out. Ace Baldwin Jr. ultimately attempted a contested 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining. It missed. Penn State’s past four losses have been dictated by five points or fewer.

Nick Kern Jr. led the Nittany Lions with 16 points and 10 rebounds, Baldwin contributed 15 points and six assists and D’Marco Dunn scored 13 points off the bench. It was 18 turnovers, however, that served as the most eye-opening statistic off Penn State’s latest Quad-1 loss.

Those turnovers translated to 19 points for a Michigan team that was forced to rely on other weapons with leading scorer Vladislav Goldin limited to just 17 minutes with an illness. Donaldson led the Wolverines with 21 points and seven assists while Danny Wolf held down the frontcourt with 11 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.

With Goldin limited, the Nittany Lions took advantage in the paint, winning the rebounding battle, 34-26. That ultimately couldn’t make the difference in a loss that easily could’ve been a win.

Penn State will return to University Park on Thursday for a must-win contest against Ohio State at Rec Hall. The Buckeyes are a week removed from a 73-70 win at No. 10 Purdue. The Boilermakers remain the Nittany Lions’ lone Quad-1 victory this season.