Michigan Rallies From 14 Down, Beats Penn State 72-69
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Derrick Walton scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half, and Michigan stormed back from a 14-point deficit to beat Penn State 72-69 on Wednesday night.
The Wolverines (11-4, 1-1 Big Ten) trailed 54-40 with 12:41 remaining, but Walton helped Michigan snap out of its funk, and there was enough time left to overtake the Nittany Lions (9-7, 1-2). The Wolverines were down 55-42 before a 10-0 run cut into Penn State's lead.
Michigan trailed 61-60 after a 3-pointer by Walton, and moments later, the senior point guard found D.J. Wilson for an alley-oop dunk in transition, giving the Wolverines the lead with 3:28 to go.
Michigan led 68-66 in the final minute, but a turnover gave Penn State the ball with 24.2 seconds left. Tony Carr missed a 3-pointer, and Walton made two free throws at the other end to help the Wolverines hold on.
Lamar Stevens had 16 points and nine rebounds for Penn State, but he fouled out late in the second half.
BIG PICTURE
Penn State: The Nittany Lions seemed to have more intensity than Michigan throughout the first half, and they eventually turned a 36-29 halftime lead into a double-digit advantage. Penn State's young team couldn't hold on, however. The Nittany Lions had 14 turnovers to Michigan's five.
Michigan: Walton and fellow senior Zak Irvin had a rough game until the final eight minutes or so. The Wolverines were in danger of falling to 0-2 in conference play, but they showed good resolve in the second half and ended up with a win they can try to build on.
UP NEXT
Penn State: The Nittany Lions play their next game Saturday against Michigan State. It will count as a Penn State home game, but it will be played at the Palestra in Philadelphia.
Michigan: The Wolverines host Maryland on Saturday.
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