Nittany Lions Roar to Dominant 83-61 Win over Michigan

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: January 29, 2023

Photo by Tim Weight

courtesy of GoPSU Athletics

Pickett, Lundy and Funk lead Penn State to largest-ever win over Wolverines

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men’s basketball team earned its largest win over Michigan in program history Sunday afternoon as the Nittany Lions dominated the Wolverines in an 83-61 victory inside the Bryce Jordan Center.

Penn State put together a 42-11 run over a 14:43stretch that spanned the last four minutes of the first half and first 10 minutes of the second half as the Nittany Lions turned a one-point lead into a 32-point edge. The game-defining stretch started with an 18-0 Penn State streak in the waning minutes of the first half as Michael Henn, Andrew Funk and Seth Lundy combined to go 5-for-5 from deep during the streak.

Jalen Pickett put together another stellar performance, finishing with a game-high 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Seth Lundy added 22 points and seven rebounds. Funk finished with 19 points while Henn added 10 in his first start in a Penn State uniform.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Nittany Lions opened up a 16-8 lead just over six minutes into the game thanks to a 7-for-11 showing from the floor and 11 early points from Pickett.
A quick 7-0 spurt by the Wolverines was cut short by a triple by Pickett as the Nittany Lions embarked on a 13-6 run of their own to increase their lead to 29-21 with 6:48 to play in the opening half.
Michigan got to within one at 31-30 before a Henn 3-pointer sparked Penn State’s game-defining run. Henn’s triple at the 4:09 mark was followed by a Lundy three, another Henn three, back-to-back treys and a conventional three-point play from Funk as the Bryce Jordan Center crowd roared and Penn State surged ahead 49-30. The Wolverines scored the final basket of the opening term, but Penn State carried all the momentum and a 49-32 edge into the locker room.
The Nittany Lions picked up right where they left off in the second half. Seth Lundy scored 10 during a 15-4 Penn State streak over the first 5:21 as the Nittany Lions took a 28-point lead at 64-39 with 14:42 to play.
Penn State would lead by as much as 32 and the Wolverines weren’t able to recover as the Nittany Lions cruised to the 83-61 victory.

GAME NOTES

The Nittany Lions are now 14-7 on the season, matching the season total in wins from the 2021-22 season with at least 11 guaranteed games remaining.
Penn State’s 22-point win is its largest ever over Michigan. The previous largest margin of victory was an 18-point Penn State win (70-52) on Jan. 2, 1999.
The Nittany Lions are now 11-1 inside the Bryce Jordan Center this season.
Penn State’s 49 points in the first half were its most in an opening frame since December 20, 2019, when the Nittany Lions scored 51 in the first half against Central Connecticut State.
Penn State shot 61.3 percent (19-31) from the field in the first half, including a 52.9 percent (9-17) clip from 3-point range.
Penn State held Michigan All-American center Hunter Dickinson to a season-low six points and two rebounds. Dickinson was 3-for-9 from the field.
Penn State finished the game with 20 assists, its fourth 20-assist game of the season and first in Big Ten play.
The Nittany Lions outscored the Wolverines 28-22 in the paint and owned a 36-27 rebound advantage.
Jalen Pickett tallied his ninth 20-point game of the season, finishing with game-high marks in points (25), rebounds (8) and assists (8).
Andrew Funk tallied his 1,500th career point late in the first half.
Seth Lundy recorded his fourth 20-point game of the season while adding seven rebounds.
Michael Henn started his first game in the Blue & White and finished with 10 points, three assists and two rebounds. He was 4-for-4 from the floor and finished the game with a +21 rating.