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The Nittany Lions Are Rolling. Next Up: Purdue

Penn State's 2-0 in the Big Ten Tournament. How far can the team go?
Mark Wogenrich|
The Nittany Lions Are Rolling. Next Up: Purdue
The Nittany Lions Are Rolling. Next Up: Purdue

Sam Sessoms remembers a few stray possessions that might have made a difference when Penn State played Purdue in January. For Friday's rematch in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, Sessoms has a pretty good feeling.

"The main thing is, it was a close game, it came down to the last few possessions," Sessoms said Thursday after the Lions beat Ohio State. "So it's a bright spot. Even though we lost, we know that if one or two possessions go our way, we can win.

"... We were capable of winning that game, so it's a positive, in my opinion."

Penn State, the Big Ten Tournament's 11th seed, meets No. 3 Purdue in Friday's quarterfinal round at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Tipoff is scheduled for about 9 p.m. EST on Big Ten Network.

The Lions bring a 2-0 tournament record to Friday's game, having dispatched No. 6 Ohio State 71-68 on Thursday. Sessoms' second-half tear (he scored nine points in a pivotal six-minute comeback stretch) underscored Penn State's season-long resiliency that has produced four comeback wins from deficits of 10 or more. This time, the Lions celebrated with a "Why not us?" theme in the locker room.

What are Penn State's chances against Purdue? The Boilermakers (25-6) have had a week off since a 69-67 win over Indiana but lost two of their last three regular-season games. Meanwhile, Penn State is playing for the third consecutive night, fueling itself at this point on momentum and its head coach's resourcefulness.

Shrewsberry, now 2-0 as a head coach in the postseason, has spent much of the season pushing the Lions through first-half shooting droughts by emphasizing defense. He has done that twice this tournament as well.

Penn State shot 32 percent in the first halves against Minnesota and Ohio State and trailed at halftime in both games. Each time, however, the Lions found their shot in the second half (59.1 percent against Minnesota, 61.5 percent against Ohio State) to stage comebacks.

As Brad Stevens, for whom Shrewsberry worked at Butler and with the Boston Celtics, would say, "The toughest teams set the rules."

"And I felt like we were the tougher team in the second half [against Ohio State]," Shrewsberry added.

Penn State doesn't have a particularly strong record against Purdue, however. The Lions are 0-3 vs. the Boilermakers in the Big Ten tournament, last losing to them in 2018. Purdue leads the all-time series 42-13, has won 12 of the last 13 meetings and is 3-0 in neutral-site games.

But, as Sessoms said, the last game went to the wire. As has happened often this season, the Lions fell behind by 13 points before rallying against the Boilermakers in January. They made eight consecutive baskets, taking a one-point lead with 3:42 remaining before Purdue closed the game with a 10-2 run to win 74-67.

Yet once again, Penn State has some institutional knowledge. Shrewsberry spent two seasons coordinating Purdue's offense before becoming Penn State's head coach. Shrewsberry said earlier this season that he still has the dry-erase board he used at Purdue.

Now, Shrewsberry will meet Purdue coach Matt Painter for a berth in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. As BTN's Tre Demps said on Thursday's broadcast, "Purdue had better be ready to play tomorrow."

Penn State (14-16) vs. Purdue (25-6)

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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