Penn State powers past Maryland behind 25 from Stevens

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (AP) Lamar Stevens scored 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting with 14 points in the second half to lift Penn State over Maryland 74-70 on Wednesday night.

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Tony Carr added 16 points, Josh Reaves scored 14, and Mike Watkins added 11 for the Nittany Lions (17-9, 7-6 Big Ten Conference), who equaled their previous best mark for conference victories under coach Patrick Chambers.

Anthony Cowan Jr. led Maryland (16-10, 5-8) with 15 points while Kevin Huerter and Bruno Fernando added 13 apiece.

Darryl Morsell had 10 points for the Terrapins, who cut a 10-point deficit with 8:11 to play to just three with 1:13 left.

Reaves put the game out of reach with a free throw in the final minute.

The game was close most of the way.

Maryland led 20-14 midway through the first half, but the Nittany Lions tied it with back-to-back 3-pointers. Stevens drained the first one and Shep Garner the second after Watkins kept the possession alive with a tough rebound over two Maryland defenders.

The teams traded shots and the lead four times in the final 5:41 until Penn State closed the first half with a 9-2 run to take a 41-33 lead at halftime.

BIG PICTURE

Maryland: The Terrapins' disappointing season continues and they have dropped to 7-7 since stalwart forward Justin Jackson's season was ended by a torn shoulder ligament in late December. Although they shot better than their season average, the Terrapins were badly outplayed in the paint, getting outscored 32-22 and outrebounded 27-23.

Penn State: The Nittany Lions are playing an exciting brand of basketball as of late. They have a combined 22 dunks over their last three home games and opponents are finding it hard to play fast against a team that thrives on speed.

UP NEXT

Maryland hosts Northwestern on Saturday.

Penn State visits Illinois on Sunday.