Penn State students react to men’s basketball upset victory over Ohio State
Penn State men’s basketball came out on top last week, upsetting Ohio State 71-68 in a close, crucial matchup.
No. 11-seed Penn State defeated No. 6-seed Ohio State in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament, playing at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Thursday night.
Fourth-year student Cole Reinart has been following the team closely since his first year as a Penn State student.
“This year makes me very optimistic about the future of Penn State basketball,” Reinart said. “I’m a senior, I’ve seen four years of ups and downs, and coach Shrewsberry came in here, it’s his first year as a head coach, and he’s already helping Penn State win some games that I don’t think they would have won in previous years.”
Ohio State had built a 13-point lead in the first 10-and-a-half minutes of the game. Eventually, Penn State was able to recover its offensive end. Guard Sam Sessoms scored 18 points for the Nittany Lions, and guard Jalen Pickett had 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists to pick up their score.
“They beat Iowa, who went on to win the Big Ten, they beat Michigan State who was top 20 at the time, and then a nice win right at the end they beat Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament, so that was a little extra bonus for Penn State fans to see them beat Ohio State,” Reinart said. “It was also just a great comeback win and well-coached, and it was nice to see veterans like John Harrar lead them in their comeback.”
In the second half against Ohio State, Penn State shot 61.5 percent while the Buckeyes shot just about 44 percent as the Nittany Lions defense saw improvement. With 4:26 left, Penn State held onto their lead.
“They ended up losing a hard-fought game to Purdue, but I just feel like Coach Shrewsberry is helping them win games, especially in the first year as a head coach,” Reinart said. “On top of that, he’s also recruited the best class that Penn State’s ever seen coming in next year. I’m definitely excited about where the program goes, especially under the leadership of Micah Shrewsberry.”
Lizzie Friel is a fourth-year student majoring in digital/print journalism. To contact her, email esf5107@psu.edu.
