Wildcats drop 7th straight
NU makes late push, but Nittany Lions manage to hang on
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Izaiah Brockington scored 21 points and hit a pair of late free throws to help Penn State hold off Northwestern for an 81-78 victory Saturday night.
Penn State (5-6, 2-5 Big Ten) has won consecutive games since ending a five-game losing streak. Northwestern (6-8, 3-7) has lost seven straight, six against ranked teams.
Penn State’s Seth Lundy made a 3-pointer to spark a 10-0 run for a 79-73 lead with 1 minute, 10 seconds remaining. Pete Nance hit a 3 and Miller Kopp made a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left to pull the Wildcats within 79-78. Brockington added two free throws with seven seconds to play before Chase Audige missed a potential tying 3 at the buzzer.
Lundy finished with 16 points for the Nittany Lions. Myreon Jones added 15 points and Sam Sessoms had 12.
Lundy and Jones combined for five of the Nittany Lions’ nine 3-pointers. Jones surpassed 100 career 3s (101).
Kopp scored 19 points to lead Northwestern. Boo Buie added 18 points, Nance 17 and Ryan Young 10.
Northwestern has lost three straight at the Bryce Jordan Center. Its last win at Penn State was a 87-77 victory on Dec. 27, 2016. The Wildcats upset the 20th-ranked Nittany Lions in their last matchup, 80-69 last season.
Northwestern hosts Rutgers on Jan. 31. Penn State hosts seventh-ranked Michigan on Wednesday.