Penn State snaps 7-game losing skid with rout of Nebraska
February 20 - Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Zach Hicks each scored 19 points as Penn State ended its seven-game losing streak in emphatic fashion Wednesday, thrashing visiting Nebraska 89-72 in University Park, Pa.
D'Marco Dunn chipped in 17 points for the Nittany Lions (14-13, 4-12 Big Ten), who shot 60.7 percent (34 of 56) from the field and missed only one of their 14 free throws. Ace Baldwin Jr. pitched in with 10 points, eight assists and six steals.
Nebraska (17-10, 7-9), which had won five of its previous six games, was led by Connor Essegian with 20 points. Andrew Morgan authored a solid performance as well, shooting 8 of 8 from the field en route to 18 points. Brice Williams added 17.
Penn State wasted little time taking charge of the contest.
After Nebraska scored an early bucket to tie it at 2-2, the hosts scored the next 12 points. Konan Niederhauser scored three straight buckets at stretch of that burst before Hicks' putback made it 14-2.
The Cornhuskers' Williams hit a 3-pointer with about 13 minutes left to draw the visitors within 17-8, but Nick Kern made two free throws on the other end, giving the Nittany Lions a double-digit lead that they maintained for the remainder of the game.
Dunn's layup shortly thereafter pushed the lead to 15 for the first time. Then, with about four minutes left in the first half, Hicks drained a 3-pointer to create a 20-point margin, 39-19.
The Cornhuskers chipped away slightly, but Freddie Dilione V and Baldwin each made a bucket in the final minute to send the Nittany Lions into the locker room with a 50-27 lead.
Konan Niederhauser led Penn State with 15 points in the first half.
Nebraska scored 13 of the first 19 points of the second half, but Dunn responded with five straight points and Baldwin added a bucket as Penn State grew its advantage to 63-40.
The Nittany Lions led by as many as 26 points down the stretch.
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