Penn State entered the Breslin Center looking to snap its three-game losing streak. While Ace Baldwin returned to the lineup after missing Sunday’s loss to Oregon with an injury, Penn State struggled to find an offensive rhythm for most of the first half.
Foul trouble quickly became the theme of the first half for the Lions, as the team committed seven fouls in the first seven minutes of the game, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Nick Kern were both on the bench with two fouls before the under-8 timeout. Michigan State is one of the best free throw shooting teams in the country, and the Spartans made Penn State pay, making their first ten free throws en route to an early 31-20 lead.