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Electrifying alley-oop propels Penn State past Iowa in Top 25 B1G basketball showdown

Kevin Cunningham

By Kevin Cunningham

Published:

It’s early January and some of the biggest football games still need to be played. The College Football Playoff National Championship is yet to be decided and the NFL playoffs are here.

But for the Big Ten, many eyes will shift to the hardwood. It’s basketball season now, and the B1G has a handful of quality teams making up every top 25 poll you look at.

RELATED: Six B1G teams still in college basketball ‘s latest AP Poll, four lower than previous week

On Saturday, No. 21 Penn State hosted No. 23 Iowa in Philadelphia at the Palestra. The Nittany Lions don’t typically play there, but maybe they should more often. The crowd was electric all afternoon long and the players fed off it.

The game was a tight one throughout and with 1:47 remaining, Iowa tied the game at 79. Penn State needed to win the final minute and change to pull out a top 25 win and it all started with this electrifying alley-oop to Mike Watkins:

That got the crowd and Nittany Lion players jacked up, undoubtedly. Penn State went on to win the rest of the game 8-7, resulting in an 89-86 final score.

Penn State is now 12-2 overall, 2-1 in B1G play and was No. 21 in the country before this win. It will likely receive a bump up in the rankings after registering a top 25 win.

Not many thought the Nittany Lions would be this good before the season started. However, that’s why the games are played.

And if you were able to attend or watch this Penn State-Iowa game in an unfamiliar place, you were glad this game took place.

Kevin Cunningham

Kevin covers Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.