Thursday, March 29th, the Penn State Nittany Lions will lineup opposite the Utah Utes for a 7:00 PM ET time tip in the NCAA NIT Championship game Madison Square Garden.
The Penn State Nittany Lions had a 24-13 win-loss record during the 2017-2018 season, while averaging 74.5 points per game while giving up an average of 66.9 points per game. The Utah Utes had a 22-11 win-loss record during the 2017-2018 season, while averaging 73.8 points per game while giving up an average of 68.2 points per game.
Big Ten’s Lions Looking for Title
After knocking off two good teams, Notre Dame and Marquette, the Nittany Lions advanced to the Final Four of the NIT to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Penn State routed Mississippi by building an early lead on a 24-0 run that included three treys from Nittany Lions guard Shep Garner. This tied him for the all-time Penn State record of three pointers made at 332.
Penn State held the Bulldogs scoreless for seven minutes during their offensive explosion and never looked back. The Nittany Lions biggest lead was 27 points and went on to win 75-60. Madison Square Garden has recently been a home away from home for the Nittany Lions after winning two big games in the Big Ten Conference championship inside the Garden. A big part of that success has been Penn State senior Shep Garner’s affinity for playing at MSG, where he has had some of his biggest games.
Maybe it helps that his New York native cousin, Flavor Flav, frequently comes to cheer him on in big games at the Garden!
Pac 12’s Utes Riding High
The Utah Utes knocked off the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 69-64, in a back and forth game that was not decided until the final minute of play. Despite being slight underdogs, Utah looked like the stronger team all night. The Utes shot 47.9 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Hilltoppers 38-32.
Utah guard Justin Bibbens led the Utes with 17 points and hit a three pointer with 38 seconds to give Utah a lead they never relinquished. The final, 69-64, was well under the Vegas over-under of 139 ½.
With almost identical offensive and defensive scoring averages, there is not much of a statistical edge to be had either way between Penn State and Utah. However, Penn State’s offensive explosion and the Nittany Lion’s Shep Garner’s hot hand do bode well for Penn State.
Lions Top Utes
This, coupled with a potentially draining and emotional comeback for Utah, could lead to a perceived edge for the Nittany Lions. Penn State also faced slightly stiffer competition throughout the 2017-2018 NCAA season.
However, the Utah Utes are a team with a lot of chemistry right now and have been able to transform the negative energy of last year’s lost season, marked by conduct issues and a first round NIT exit, into motivation.
The NIT championship is a March Madness treat before the big dance of the Final Four and has the potential for an exciting finish due to the evenly matched teams. I give Penn State the slight edge because of their familiarity with Madison Square Garden and their offensive play over Mississippi State. We are taking Penn State 72-68 over Utah!
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