{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Indiana 77, Penn St. 71
When: 12:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 5, 2025
Where: The Palestra, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Officials: # D.J. Carstensen, # Randy Richardson, # Owen Shortt
Attendance: 6126

Oumar Ballo collected game highs of 25 points and 13 rebounds as Indiana topped Penn State 77-71 on Sunday in Philadelphia.

Mackenzie Mgbako scored 20 points for the Hoosiers (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten), who won their fourth straight game. Luke Goode chipped in 12 points, while Trey Galloway had eight points and six assists.

Penn State (12-3, 2-2), which had won four straight, was led by reserve Nick Kern's 21 points. Ace Baldwin Jr. pitched in 12 points and seven assists, and Freddie Dilione V added 11 points.

Neither team led by more than four during a first half that ended in a 29-29 tie. Ballo led the Hoosiers with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, while his teammates were 6-of-18 collectively in the opening 20 minutes.

Indiana began the second half emphatically by scoring the first 12 points.

Mgbako did the heavy lifting at first, knocking down two 3-pointers and a layup to put the Hoosiers ahead 37-29. Myles Rice and Ballo each followed with a bucket to put the visitors up by a dozen.

Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Baldwin helped Penn State chip away, as the Nittany Lions snuck within 47-39 with under 15 minutes left. However, Rice and Goode connected on 3-pointers to push the margin back to 14.

Ballo's bucket with 11 1/2 minutes left increased the lead to 15 for the first time, and then Galloway's 3-pointer a minute later made it 61-45.

Kern and Dilione accounted for all the scoring during a 9-1 run as the Nittany Lions closed to within 62-54, but Mgbako's 3-pointer restored an 11-point cushion.

However, Penn State kept fighting. The team scored seven straight -- including 3-pointers by Dilione and Kern -- to trim the deficit to 65-61 with under six minutes remaining.

Ballo helped keep the Hoosiers ahead over the next several minutes, but the Nittany Lions went on a 6-0 run, capped by Zach Hicks' 3-pointer, to get within 73-71 with 1:43 left.

Penn State missed its final six shots -- all 3-pointers -- as Indiana held on. Mgbako and Rice each went 2-of-2 from the foul line in the final minute to secure the victory.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Indiana   Penn St.
Oumar Ballo 25 Scoring Nick Kern Jr. 21
Trey Galloway 6 Assists Adrian Baldwin Jr. 7
Oumar Ballo 13 Rebounds Yanic Konan Niederhauser 8
Oumar Ballo 7 Free Throws Made Nick Kern Jr. 4
Luke Goode 2 Steals Nick Kern Jr. 2
Oumar Ballo 2 Blocks Freddie Dilione V 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Indiana 77 44.8 9-23 16-22 17 35 2 6 14
Penn St. 71 46.0 3-21 10-17 13 26 5 6 10