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Penn State 74, Illinois 59: Lions Score Massive Road Upset

Related Topics: Jalen Pickett, Myles Dread

Coming off a tough loss in their Big Ten opener against a vulnerable Michigan State team, Penn State faced an even more daunting task in trying to get a big upset on the road against 17th-ranked Illinois. The same Illinois team that beat No. 2 Texas earlier in the week in the Jimmy V Classic.

It was a back-and-forth affair in the first half, with both teams lighting it up from the floor and exchanging leads countless times. After struggling mightily from three-point range against Michigan State, PSU opened up nailing five of their first seven from downtown (courtesy of Myles Dread, Andrew Funk, and even Evan Mahaffey) to keep the pressure on the Illini.