Penn State basketball drops another game on the road against Nebraska
It’s no secret Penn State has struggled away from home this season. After their 72-63 loss to Nebraska on Sunday afternoon, they now have one win and five losses on the road in Big Ten play.
That’s been the story for Penn State. A tale of two teams. At home, they can play with anybody. On the road, they struggle no matter who the opponent is.
After losing by 20 points to Purdue in their previous game, the game against Nebraska was very winnable on paper. Oddsmakers actually favored Penn State by 4.5 points.
The oddsmakers were wrong.
Penn State got off to a poor start and went into halftime trailing by nine points. They had moments in the second half where they cut into the deficit and tried to make a run. However, they couldn’t quite get over the hurdle.
This was in large part to Nebraska’s guard Keisei Tominaga. He finished with a game high 30 points and five three pointers.
Feb 5, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Keisei Tominaga (30) celebrates a three point basket against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Seth Lundy was Penn State’s leading scorer with 24 points and a record setting eight three pointers. Jalen Pickett added 15 points with seven assists and seven rebounds.
As has been the case all season, the shooting did not travel with the team when they left home. They shot 14-38 from three point range and that’s with Seth Lundy’s eight three pointers. The bench combined for eight points, including zero from guard Myles Dread.
In Big Ten play, Penn State averages around 15 points per game more at home than when they go on the road. Their defense gives up about two more points on the road than when playing at home.
That is not a recipe for being competitive in this conference.
Head coach Micah Shrewsberry has to figure out a way for his players to perform away from the Bryce Jordan Center. They have 11 wins this season at home, including four in Big Ten play. Their only loss at home was against Michigan State in early December.
Penn State’s next game is Wednesday night at home against a Wisconsin team who struggles on the road.
The Nittany Lions are currently 5-7 in conference play. They need to continue playing well at home and compete on the road if they want to build momentum leading into the Big Ten tournament.
