STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — No. 2 Michigan stayed unbeaten by holding off Penn State 74-72 in a Big Ten game Tuesday night. The Wolverines watched a 15-point cushion evaporate before Freddie Dilione V’s 25-foot attempt spun off the rim at the buzzer, Jan. 6, 2026.
Guard L.J. Cason scored 14 points — all in the first half — as Michigan (14-0, 4-0 Big Ten) survived the Michigan vs Penn State upset bid and remained tied atop the league with Nebraska, Reuters reported. Nimari Burnett and Trey McKenney added 12 points apiece, and Yaxel Lendeborg finished with 10 as the Wolverines posted their best start since opening 2018-19 at 17-0, according to an Associated Press game story.
Penn State (9-6, 0-4) got a career-high 20 points from freshman Ivan Juric and 17 from Dilione, while Josh Reed posted 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Nittany Lions outrebounded Michigan 43-38 and outscored the Wolverines 41-34 after halftime, as shown in the ESPN box score.
Michigan vs Penn State: how the rally unfolded
Michigan looked in control after pushing its lead to 63-48 with 10:41 left, then went quiet as Penn State ripped off 12 straight points to get within three. Juric scored seven during the spurt, and Dilione’s 3-pointer with 7:13 remaining turned the Bryce Jordan Center into a late-game pressure cooker.
Penn State trailed 73-72 with 1:04 remaining after Eli Rice sank two free throws, but Dilione missed a jumper with 16 seconds left. Michigan’s Aday Mara was fouled on the rebound and split two free throws with 15.1 seconds to go, setting up the final possession that ended with Dilione’s off-balance 3-point try caroming off the back iron.
The late push came with Penn State missing leading scorer Kayden Mingo; coach Mike Rhoades said the freshman would be “out for a while.” Michigan also had questions entering the night, with Lendeborg listed as questionable after leaving the Wolverines’ previous game with a calf injury — but he played and helped Michigan survive the Michigan vs Penn State scare, according to Michigan’s postgame recap.
Michigan vs Penn State in context: close finishes keep coming
The Michigan vs Penn State matchup has produced tight endings before. Michigan needed a game-closing 9-0 run to beat Penn State 76-72 in Ann Arbor last January, as recapped by ESPN. Penn State rallied past Michigan 79-73 at the Palestra in early 2024, according to another ESPN recap. And at the Bryce Jordan Center in 2022, Michigan escaped 58-57 behind Hunter Dickinson, the AP reported at the time.
For Michigan, the Michigan vs Penn State nail-biter was a reminder that the Big Ten grind can tighten quickly, even for a team that has spent much of the season piling up comfortable wins. Michigan hosts Wisconsin on Saturday, while Penn State visits No. 5 Purdue.
