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12/7 Big Ten Recap: PSU Falls In Thriller

Recap all the Big Ten action from Sunday.

NCAA Basketball: Seton Hall at Penn State Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

The Big Ten had three games on Sunday, including two games against pretty solid opponents. Michigan and Michigan State were able to score wins, while Penn State fell short in an overtime thriller.

Let’s take a look at what happened.

Game of the Night:

-Seton Hall Pirates 98, Penn State Nittany Lions 92 (OT)

If you followed this game at any point in the first half and in most of the second half, you would have thought Penn State came out on top. Unfortunately for Nittany Lion fans, that’s not what ended up happening. Penn State got up early and were in firm control in the final minutes before an epic collapse. Seton Hall hit a few big buckets to end regulation, force overtime, and scored the shocking win in the extra session.

This is one where it’s hard to blame any single player or area for this loss. It took a variety of mistakes for Penn State to blow this game. This should have been a win. Unfortunately, the team’s defense wasn’t good enough to put things away before the collapse. Every team gets one or two of these a year. Unfortunately, it was Penn State’s turn on Sunday.

The good news for Penn State is that the team gets a chance to change the narrative this week. The Nittany Lions face a really good Virginia Tech team on the road on Tuesday and Michigan on the road on Sunday. Win those two (or even one) and most fans will forget about the missed opportunity against the Pirates.

The Rest:

-Michigan Wolverines 80, Central Florida Knights 58

This looked like it could be a tricky one for the Wolverines heading into tip. Instead, it ended up being a dominant win for Michigan. The game turned about halfway through the first, when Michigan inserted freshmen Hunter Dickinson and Terrance Williams into the lineup. It really got things going and UCF never had a chance after that.

With the win, Michigan improved to 4-0 and will now focus on a matchup against North Carolina State at home on Wednesday. There are rumors the Wolfpack won’t play.

-No. 8 Michigan State Spartans 79, Western Michigan Broncos 61

After an underwhelming outing against Detroit Mercy on Friday night, Spartan fans were hoping Michigan State would come out firing in this one. Fortunately for fans, that’s basically what happened. Western Michigan kept things close in the first half, but Michigan State was able to score an 18-point win when all was said and done. Joey Hauser led things with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.

Michigan State will now prepare for another loaded week with Virginia on the road on Wednesday and Oakland at home on Sunday. Two wins and the Spartans will unquestionably have one of the best resumes in the country.