A pair of upperclassmen stole the show on Saturday night as senior F John Shurna (23 pts, 6 ast, 5 blk and 2 stl) and junior G Tim Frazier (23 pts, 8 ast and 1 stl) each gave their team's impressive performances, but the Northwestern Wildcats (17-11, 7-9) ultimately topped the Penn St. Nittany Lions (12-17, 4-12) with a dramatic 67-66 win.
G/F Drew Crawford (13 pts and 9 reb) and G Alex Marcotullio (12 pts) also crossed into double digits, but a single digit determined the game. The Wildcats began the second half with a six-point lead, but the Nittany Lions drew the game back to tied 63-63 in the late minutes. With only 3:13 remaining, Shurna broke the tie with a jump shot, but Frazier added a layup and one to give Penn State a 66-65 lead.
Neither team could find the basket for almost two minutes until, with only three seconds left on the clock, Shurna drew a key foul, landed both his free throws and gave the Wildcats a 67-66 win in front of a silenced Penn State home crowd.
The Wildcats continue their march to the postseason next Wednesday when they take on the No. 9 Ohio St. Buckeyes.
For more score updates and breaking news on the Northwestern Wildcats, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage and analysis on this matchup, check out the Northwestern blog Sippin' On Purple or the Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries.
John Shurna and the Northwestern Wildcats look to join the ranked teams in the top half of the Big Ten standings, taking on the struggling Nittany Lions.
