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.