Illini have no answer for Pickett in loss
Terrence Shannon Jr. had a team-high 20 points and three steals to lead five in double figures, but Illinois lost the season series to host Penn State with a 93-81 defeat Tuesday.
The Nittany Lions (15-11, 6-9 Big Ten) shot 62.5% from the floor and were 10-for-18 from long range in the first half for a 53-40 lead. The Illini (17-8, 8-6) cut the deficit to 54-47 with 18:01 left but didn’t get closer.
Jalen Pickett scored 41 points, becoming the first Penn State player with 40-plus points since 1961. It was the most points scored by a Penn State player in Big Ten play and the sixth 40-point game in program history.
Pickett was 10-for-12 shooting with four three-pointers in the first half, including reaching 2,000 career points on a three with 2:54 left. He finished 15-for-20 overall with five three-pointers and had eight assists as Penn State ended a four-game losing streak.
Jayden Epps and Coleman Hawkins each had 12 points for Illinois.
St. John’s 92, DePaul 83 (2 OT)
Javan Johnson had a game-high 26 points with six rebounds and five assists in the Blue Demons’ double-overtime loss against the Red Storm at Wintrust Arena. DePaul was outscored 9-0 in the second overtime.
Jalen Terry hit a three-pointer with four seconds left in regulation to give DePaul the lead at 79-76. But Dylan Addae-Wusu responded with a three-pointer with 0.5 left.
The Demons (9-17, 3-12 Big East) threw the ensuing inbounds pass out of bounds, allowing the Red Storm (16-11, 6-10) to inbound the ball under the DePaul basket. But Jones missed from the baseline to send the game to overtime.
The teams went a combined 1-for-13 from the floor in the first overtime, which ended tied at 83.
Loyola 64, UMass 62
Braden Norris had 17 points, five rebounds and five assists as the Ramblers held off the host Minutemen.
T.J. Weeks Jr. hit a three-pointer and Keon Thompson added a jumper during a 5-0 spurt that pulled the Minutemen (13-13, 4-10 Atlantic 10) to 63-62 with 36 seconds left. Philip Alston split a pair of free throws for the Ramblers (9-16, 3-10) to cap the scoring with nine seconds to play and then blocked Weeks’ layup to end it.
Duke 68, Notre Dame 64
Kyle Filipowski scored 22 points and the host Blue Devils beat the Irish as Jon Scheyer become the first men’s ACC coach to win his first 13 career home games, passing North Carolina’s Hubert Davis, who had 12 to start the 2021-22 season.
The Irish (10-16, 2-13) cut the lead to two and JJ Starling’s drive made it a one-point game with 36 seconds left. But Mark Mitchell followed with a baseline three-pointer with 10.8 remaining before Ven-Allen Lubin’s tip-in cut the lead to two.
New Mexico State fires coach
New Mexico State fired coach Greg Heiar in the wake of hazing allegations within the team that shut down the program for the rest of the season. Chancellor Dan Arvizu said “hazing has no place on our campus, and those found responsible will be held accountable for their actions.”