Hicks has 6 3s, 20 points to lead Penn State over Michigan in first round of Big Ten Tournament

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Puff Johnson gets the hoop and harm

Puff Johnson draws contact and scores inside for Penn State.

Mar 14, 2024, 03:31 am

MINNEAPOLIS -- — Zach Hicks posted season highs with six 3-pointers and 20 points and 11th-seeded Penn State defeated 14-seed Michigan 66-57 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday.

The Nittany Lions (16-16) will play sixth-seeded Indiana in Thursday's second round.

Ace Baldwin Jr. added 17 points and six assists with Qudus Wahab scoring 13 points and grabbing eight rebounds for Penn State.

Terrance Williams II scored 15 points, Tarris Reed Jr. added 12 points with eight rebounds and Nimari Burnett scored 11 points for Michigan (8-24), which lost for the ninth straight game. Leading scorer Dug McDaniel had seven points on 3-of-12 shooting with six assists.

Hicks' final 3-pointer, the Lions' final field goal, extended Penn State's lead to 11 with just under six minutes left and the Lions were up by 15 with a minute to go. Michigan went nearly eight minutes without a field goal except for a bucket as time ran out.

Michigan opened the second half scoring the first seven points to cut Penn State's lead to four but the Nittany Lions rebuilt a 12-point lead after Hicks hit a 3-pointer and added another bucket to finish a Penn State run of seven points.

Neither team reached 40% shooting, but Penn State outscored Michigan 17-6 off turnovers and made 23 of 29 free throws including 14 of 19 in the second half. The Wolverines were 13 of 18 at the line and just 4 of 18 from the arc.

Penn State scored 10 straight points, including a pair of 3-pointers by Hicks, to snap a tie in the final four minutes of the first half. Another 3 by Hicks in the final minute gave him 11 points and the Lions a 33-22 lead at the half.

Penn State beat Michigan 79-73 in its regular-season meeting on Jan. 7.

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