Penn State Grinds Out Gritty Win Over Washington in Seattle
Don’t look now, but Penn State just doubled its Big Ten win total-and did it in dramatic fashion.
The Nittany Lions pulled out a hard-fought 63-60 road win over Washington on Wednesday night at Alaska Airlines Arena, improving to 11-14 overall and 2-12 in conference play. This one was a back-and-forth battle from the opening tip, featuring 15 lead changes and nine ties. Neither team led by more than six at any point, and it came down to the final possession.
Penn State came out swinging with a 10-0 run early in the first half, setting the tone with aggressive play in the paint. Both teams matched each other inside with 20 first-half points in the paint apiece, but it was the Nittany Lions who held a 35-32 edge at the break-just the fourth time all season they’ve led at halftime in a Big Ten game.
Freddie Dilione V helped Penn State build its early rhythm, hitting back-to-back shots before Melih Tunca added a smooth turnaround jumper. That gave the Lions a six-point cushion, but Washington’s Quimari Peterson knocked down a clutch three to keep the Huskies within striking distance at halftime.
Coming out of the locker room, Penn State got a spark from forward Josh Reed, who buried a pair of threes to help push the lead to 47-41. Eli Rice, returning from a two-game injury absence, added a mid-range jumper to keep the momentum going.
But as has been the case too often this season, Penn State hit a cold spell-and this one nearly cost them. The Nittany Lions went more than six minutes without a field goal, and Washington took advantage. Hannes Steinbach drilled a three to cap a 13-4 Huskies run and give them a 54-51 lead.
Enter Freddie Dilione again. The freshman guard snapped the drought with two much-needed buckets, and Kayden Mingo followed with a driving layup to knot the game at 57 with just over three minutes left. It was anyone’s game from there.
With 1:21 remaining, Mingo drove into the paint and got a goaltending call to give Penn State a 61-59 lead. The defense followed it up with a crucial stop, but the Lions couldn’t capitalize on the other end. Steinbach had a chance to tie it at the line but went 1-for-2, keeping Washington down by one.
Rice was fouled on the inbounds play and calmly sank both free throws to make it a three-point game. Penn State’s defense locked in one final time, forcing missed threes from both Peterson and Wesley Yates III in the closing seconds to seal the win.
Dilione led the way with 16 points on an efficient 7-of-14 shooting night. Reed added 14, Mingo chipped in 13, and Rice finished with 12-giving the Lions four players in double figures. As a team, they shot a solid 48.1% from the field and 38.5% from deep, a welcome sign for a squad that’s struggled with offensive consistency this season.
Washington, meanwhile, shot just 37.7% from the floor and 33.3% from three, but nearly made up for it with hustle-pulling down 14 offensive boards and scoring 15 second-chance points. Steinbach was a force inside, finishing with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Yates added 11 points on a volume-heavy 5-of-15 night.
Injury Watch
Forward Saša Ciani made his return after missing four games with an ankle injury. He checked in at the 13:44 mark of the second half and gave Penn State some frontcourt depth down the stretch.
Tibor Mirtič remained sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered during his recovery from a previous knee issue. He hasn’t played since Jan. 29 against Northwestern.
What’s Next
Penn State stays out west for one more, heading to Eugene to take on Oregon this Saturday at Matthew Knight Arena. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
ET on Big Ten Network. The Ducks are reeling, sitting at 8-16 on the year and 1-12 in Big Ten play, riding a 10-game losing streak.
It’s a golden opportunity for the Nittany Lions to build some momentum-and maybe, just maybe, turn a corner in conference play.