PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Senior Ron Harper Jr. scored 15 points and hit a go-ahead free throw with 1:41 to play as Rutgers edged Penn State 59-58 after blowing a 15-point second-half lead on Sunday.
Caleb McConnell added two more free throws with 31.4 seconds left and Geo Baker made one to give the Scarlet Knights (18-12, 12-8 Big Ten) a 59-55 lead with 17 seconds to play.
Sam Sessoms closed the lead to 59-58 with a 3-pointer with 11 seconds to play. He had a chance to win the game after Paul Mulcahy threw away an inbounds pass next to the Penn State bench with four seconds left.
Sessoms took a cross-court pass and his very contested 3-pointer at the buzzer came up short.
The Nittany Lions had a chance to tie the game at 58 with 20 seconds to go but Greg Lee also missed a 3-pointer.
Cliff Omoruyi and Dean Reiber added nine points apiece for Rutgers, which did not score a basket in the final 5:35.
John Harrar had 15 points and 17 rebounds for Penn State (12-16, 7-13), which lost its third straight game. It was his 11th double-double of the season. Seth Lundy added 17 points and Sessoms finished with 13. The Nittany Lions were 6 of 24 from long range.
Rutgers twice led by 15 points in the second half, the last time at 46-31 with 12:39 left in regulation.
At that point, it seemed the Scarlet Knights were taking another step closer to a second straight NCAA Tournament berth. They almost blew it and the way the game ended didn't help their chances of getting an at large berth. Rutgers was 9 of 17 from the free throw line.
Omoruyi picked up two fouls in the opening 61 seconds and it didn't hurt the Scarlet Knights. Reiber came off the bench and quickly hit a 3-pointer and converted an ally-oop dunk that sparked an 18-7 run. Reiber finished with all nine of his points in the half as the Scarlet Knights built a 29-21 lead.
The Scarlet Knights used an 11-0 run bridging the end of the first half and the start of the second to build a 36-21 lead.
UP NEXT:
Penn State: Will be the No. 11 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and play an opening-round game.
Rutgers: The 12 conference wins were its most in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights will be seeded anywhere from No. 4-6 depending on Sunday's other results.
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