Dunn scores 25, Penn State beats No. 12 Wisconsin 86-75

By Canadian Press on March 8, 2025.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — D’Marco Dunn had 25 points and Yanic Konan Niederhauser added 15 points and 11 rebounds as Penn State rallied in the second half for an 86-75 victory over No. 12 Wisconsin on Saturday, preventing the Badgers from clinching a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament.

Wisconsin (23-8, 13-7) went into the weekend in a three-way tie for third with No. 13 Maryland and No. 18 Purdue, but could have secured the double bye with a victory following Illinois’ victory over the Boilermakers on Friday.

John Blackwell and Steven Crowl had 19 points apiece for Wisconsin, which had won 22 consecutive home games against Penn State, including 19-0 all-time at the Kohl Center.

Penn State (16-15, 6-14), which trailed by 13 late in the first half, went in front 69-62 on Dunn’s turnaround from the lane.

Wisconsin cut the lead to 72-70 on Blackwell’s 3-pointer from the right corner with 3:43 left. The Badgers then went without a field goal over the final 3:43, missing its last six shots.

Takeaways

Penn State: The Nittany Lions road win at Wisconsin was the first in 30 years, since a 78-67 win on Jan. 26, 1995 at the UW Field House.

Wisconsin: Starting guard Klesmit missed his third straight game with a lower leg injury, but should benefit from the extra rest before the Big Ten tournament

Key moment

The Nittany Lions closed the first half with an 8-0 run, cutting the deficit to 40-35.

Key stat

The Nittany Lions shot 60% in the second half, making 18 of 30 shots, including 6 of 11 beyond the arc.

Up next

Penn State did not qualify for the Big Ten Conference tournament, and would have to receive an offer to play in the NIT and the College Basketball Crown. Wisconsin waits for Big Ten tournament seeding.

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Jim Hoehn, The Associated Press

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