Penn State went toe-to-toe against undefeated LSU Friday evening in the Emerald Coast Classic, but the Nittany Lions couldn’t keep up the pace in overtime in Niceville, Florida. Penn State lost to LSU, 68-63.
Penn State gave LSU their first real test of the season, although Penn State only became the first team to crack 60 points on the Tigers because they forced the game into overtime. And the sequence in which Penn State tied the game in the final second was worth watching once again, as Seth Lundy got the tip-in with just under a second remaining in regulation.
PENN STATE TIES IT UP
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pic.twitter.com/xgLZB3zRNK— Barstool Bench Mob (@stoolbenchmob) November 27, 2021
Jalen Pickett was Penn State’s leading scorer with 14 points. Senior Sam Sessoms had 13 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, but LSU was able to contain Sessoms in overtime with just one bucket in the extra five minutes. Myles Dread added 11 points in a tough defensive battle between the Nittany Lions and Tigers.
Penn State had their chances in the overtime, but just could not finish. Lundy missed on a dunk and was later called for a charge as he worked his way to the basket on the same prolonged possession. Two points would have cut the LSU lead to one point in the overtime, but the Tigers used the missed opportunity to salt the game away.
LSU head coach Will Wade complimented Penn State in his postgame media session, saying it was the kind of opponent that will ultimately help his team compete in the SEC down the road.
“It was a great game with two good teams,” Wade said, according to The Advocate. “We played a physical Big Ten-style team. With their physicality, they did some things other teams haven’t been able to do against us.”
Penn State will now play in the consolation game of the Emerald Coast Classic on Saturday afternoon. The Nittany Lions will face the loser of the Oregon State-Wake Forest game at 4 p.m. ET. This will, of course, overlap with the Penn State-Michigan State football game, which starts at 3:30 p.m., so plan accordingly for two-screen viewing of your Nittany Lions on Saturday afternoon.
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