Takeaways: still positives for Penn State basketball despite the loss to Oregon

Penn State basketball lost a game it should have won. That is where this conversation starts.

The Nittany Lions (12-5, 2-4 Big Ten) were up eight points on No. 15 Oregon with (15-2, 4-2) 5:41 left in the second half, but poor defensive execution allowed the Ducks to steal won on the road and win 82-81. Mike Rhoades didn’t mince words after the game either as he described the final stretch.

“We choked down the stretch,” Rhoades said after the game, “We talked about being solid on defense and we weren’t – we gave up two 3-pointers. We talked about taking care of the basketball; we had two turnovers that led to baskets.

“Credit to Oregon. They did not falter down the stretch, and they’re really, really good. But that was a game we could have won but we didn’t.”

The optics also aren’t good seeing as Penn State has lost three conference games in a row after a promising start to the season.

Frustration is warranted and doubts are understandable. But there are some clear positives Penn State can take from the game against the Ducks and it can hopefully be the start of something better going forward.

No Ace up their sleeve: Nittany Lions make it work without Ace Baldwin

If any team had to go against a top-25 opponent without its best player, the odds would not be favorable, especially when that player is a ball-dominant facilitator like Baldwin, who missed the game while recovering from a back injury.

But after struggling against Oregon’s defense in the first half, Penn State found its offensive rhythm in the second, outscoring the Ducks 47-41 over the final 20 minutes with more players being involved on a possession-by-possession basis. Don’t forget that Baldwin’s a near 14-point scorer in a game where his team lost by one. Even if he didn’t score like he usually does, the gravity would’ve helped immensely.

Also remember that Baldwin isn’t just an offensive hub, he’s also their best perimeter defender. Had he played Sunday afternoon, he likely draws the assignment on the red-hot Jackson Shelstad, who was Oregon’s leading scorer.

For his team to perform well without Baldwin, Rhoades has to feel confident about this group and how they’ll continue to grow with experience until they get Baldwin back.

Penn State’s 3-point shooting made a comeback

If Penn State had shot the ball how it did the previous two games, there was no way the Nittany Lions would’ve managed to come back. But they shot 36% (7-for-19) on 3-pointers Sunday afternoon, the most since they made 11 against Coppin St. and the best percentage since they shot 39% against Rutgers in early December.

The team is best when it gets to the rim, but to continue doing that, they need spacing to open lanes for Nick Kern and Puff Johnson to drive, and for Yanic Konan Niederhauser to operate in the post. And it wasn’t as if Penn State was taking ill-advised shots; the open ones simply weren’t falling. Hopefully this is the game that gets the shooting back on track, because they need it.

Freddie Dilione V’s breakout game

Entering Sunday, Dilione averaged 11 points per game in Big Ten competition, and after he had a quiet six points against Illinois, it stood to reason that he would bounce back.

“He’s getting more mature,” Rhoades said about Dilione. “Freddie’s biggest thing is to just keep growing and maturing, understanding the game and being a student of the game. When you play and have coaches that are investing in you, what happens? You start having success.”

It paid off in a big way as Dilione had a game-high 21 points on 4-for-6 shooting on 3-pointers. The sophomore guard downplayed his career-high because of the team result, but a performance like that has to give him confidence.

Moreover, he could possibly blossom into the secondary shooter Penn State needs opposite Zach Hicks. Does this mean Dilione will suddenly become a consistent 20-point scorer who shoots 66% from deep? Not at all, but another perimeter scoring threat who can realistically get into the mid-30s with his 3-point percentage would open up the offense for everyone.

The Nittany Lions need something positive to carry into their road game against Nationally-ranked Michigan State Wednesday night; they have that as they get deeper into conference play.