Most Michigan basketball games have been decided by halftime lately. This one on Tuesday night was trending that way in the second half when Michigan went ahead by 15. Penn State suddenly closed the gap to three, and the race to the finish was on. Despite scoring only one point in the final three minutes, Michigan leaves Happy Valley 14-0. Here are some of the takeaways from 40 minutes of suspense.
L.J. Cason lead the team in scoring for the first time in his career
Tonight is why you never take Big Ten road wins for granted. Ever. pic.twitter.com/no9TowEV5s
— Robin Washut (@RobinWashut) January 7, 2026
When your leading scorer comes off the bench with 14 points, it usually means that the starters are not doing their jobs. Penn State's defense had something to do with that however. They stopped the heater that Morez Johnson Jr. was on and hounded four other Wolverines to below their season averages.
Penn State probably would have won with a healthy Kayden Mingo in the lineup
A practice injury kept Mingo out on Tuesday night and could sideline him for a while. He poured in 35 points in the last two games, and it's debatable whether he was on the court for the Nittany Lions; they would be the owners of the most impressive upset of the college basketball season. Instead, it was Freddie Dilione who took the last shot that clanked off the iron. Fellow freshman Ivan Juric paved the way for Mike Rhoades with a career-high 20 points.
Honestly I think Michigan needed a game like that to humble them
— Alex Drain (@Alex_Drain) January 7, 2026
The Bryce Jordan Center is nowhere near the homefield advantage that Beaver stadium is
Approximately 15,000 seats is the capacity for Penn State's basketball arena. Only 5,000 or so were in attendance for Tuesday's biggest conference encounter of the year in Happy Valley. Michigan State filled up about half of the arena not so long ago. Even the shocking upset win over Michigan basketball from 13 years ago didn't sell out either. It must be disheartening for those who never miss a tip, but that's the reality for a school that has only recently appeared in the tournament and doesn't generate millions of dollars on game days as football does.