Penn State’s defense harassed Illinois all night, and then the Illini had a chance to win or tie with a field goal in the final seconds. No surprise that it was no dice: the Nittany Lions came up with one final stop for a 54-52 upset over the No. 25 Illini.
No. 25 Illinois Vs. Penn State: Nittany Lions Lock Down To Upset Illini, 54-52
Penn State’s brutal defense got the Nittany Lions an upset win over Illinois on Thursday.
Penn State got 17 points from Cammeron Woodyard and 12 points and nine assists from Tim Frazier, but its defense was the star of the night. The Nittany Lions allowed Illinois to shoot just 34.7 percent from the floor, and held the Illini scoreless for nearly eight minutes during a 9-0 run that spanned the end of the first half and beginning of the second.
Brandon Paul had 20 points for Illinois, and Meyers Leonard added 15 points of his own, but no other Illini player had more than six points.
For more on Penn State, head to Black Shoe Diaries; for more on Illinois, visit Hail to the Orange.
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