Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Penn St. Nittany Lions Match Player Stats On Mar 10, 2021

Jamari Wheeler scored a game-high 19 points as the 11th-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions rallied past the 14th-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers 72-66 in the opening round of the Big Ten tournament on Wednesday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Penn State (11-13), which trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half, will play sixth-seeded Wisconsin on Thursday in the second round.

The Nittany Lions, who have won three straight games, also got five points and a game-high 14 rebounds from John Harrar. Izaiah Brockington added 14 points, Myreon Jones had all 14 of his points in the second half, and Sam Sessoms contributed 11 points and a game-high four steals.

Nebraska (7-20), which has lost 45 games the past two years, was led by Trey McGowens with 13 points. Thorir Thorbjarnarson and Kobe Webster had 12 points each.

Wheeler, who entered the game averaging only 6.1 points per game, added six rebounds, three assists and one steal. He made the Big Ten's All-Defense team for the second straight year, and he led the league in steals this season with 1.8 per game.

Early on, the score was tied 8-8 when Nebraska went on a 12-0 run. The Huskers kept coming, building a 37-23 lead at halftime.

Nebraska shot 46.7 percent in the first half, including 6-for-17 on 3-pointers (35.3 percent). Nebraska's defense made the difference, however, holding Penn State to 28.1-percent shooting, including 2-for-15 on 3 -pointers (13.3 percent).

Penn State found the range in the second, starting with a 10-0 run. Then, with 9:27 left in the second half, Penn State took a 51-50 lead on a pair of Brockington free throws. It was Penn State's first lead since 3-0.

Myles Dread, who had been scoreless and 0-for-6 on 3-pointers, got his first bucket of the game from long distance, giving Penn State a 63-59 lead with 2:48 left in the second half.

Nebraska never got closer than four points the rest of the way.

For the game, neither team shot better than 40 percent from the floor. Penn State won the game at the foul line, making 23-of-29. Nebraska went to the line just 11 times, making nine.

--Field Level Media