Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry, a former assistant coach with the NBA’s Boston Celtics, joked after Iowa’s win over the Nittany Lions on Jan. 22 that he wouldn’t mind not coaching against Hawkeye forward Keegan Murray again.

“He’s gonna have a long career playing this game as long as he wants to,” Micah Shrewsberry said of Murray after he dropped 15 points and eight rebounds in the first Iowa-Penn State meeting of the 2021-22 season. “Now that I’m coaching in this league, I hope his long career starts next year. In fact, I hope his long career starts before they come back [to Pennsylvania].

Shrewsberry wasn’t that lucky.

5️⃣ MORE MINUTES!

Keegan Murray puts it back just before the buzzer to send @IowaHoops to OT at Penn State. pic.twitter.com/6zlWwUhhMC

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 1, 2022

Murray, who was named to the John R. Wooden Award Late-Season Top 20 list prior to tip off on Monday, tipped in an air-balled 3-pointer by Iowa guard Jordan Bohannon as the final buzzer of regulation sounded on Monday to tie the game and send it to overtime. Bohannon sprinted to Murray and hugged him seconds after the shot went through the net, and Iowa’s bench erupted. But the play of the night didn’t lead the Hawkeyes to their second win over the Nittany Lions in 10 days.

Iowa shot 27-of-77 from the field in its 90-86 double-overtime loss to Penn State at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Hawkeyes and the Nittany Lions split their two-game regular season series.

Penn State guard Myles Dread hit a 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining in overtime that tied the game and sent it to another bonus period. Dread, one of five Nittany Lion players to score in double figures against the Hawkeyes, came in clutch again by hitting two free throws with one second left in double overtime that pushed the Penn State lead to four points.

Murray, the Big Ten’s leading scorer, posted 21 points and six rebounds, all while providing stations across the country with a highlight-reel play.

But Monday’s game in University Park was frustrating in parts for the second-year Hawkeye.

The 6-foot-8, 225-pound sophomore went to the bench with his second foul of the game at the 11:20 mark of the first half and did not return until the second half — marking the second straight game Murray spent large portions of the first 20 minutes on the bench with foul trouble. Murray was scoreless in the first half and finished the game 6-of-18 from the field

Murray’s first points did not come until the 8:03 mark of the second half.

Big Picture

Iowa falls to 14-7 overall this season and 4-6 in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes are 1-4 this season in road games against Big Ten opponents.

Penn State improved to 9-9 overall this season with a 4-6 conference record.

Connor, Patrick McCaffery hot from deep

Iowa guard/forward Connor McCaffery had hit four 3-pointers all season heading into Monday’s contest. The fifth-year senior hit four shots from beyond the arc in the first half against Penn State on his way to a season-high 12 points — his most since Feb. 13, 2021. Connor McCaffery, who left with a separated shoulder with just under four minutes remaining in regulation, shot four-of-seven from deep. The two-sport athlete (who also plays baseball) had shot just four-of-25 from 3-point range this season before Monday’s game.

Patrick McCaffery was also sharp from deep, hitting half of his six shots from three and recording 16 points. Both Connor and Patrick equaled career-highs in 3-pointers made.

As a team, Iowa could not replicate the success of both McCafferys. The Hawkeyes shot 11-of-31 from beyond the arc against the Nittany Lions.

Bohannon will have to wait

Bohannon entered Monday 13 points away from tying Aaron White (1,859 career points) for third place on the Iowa men’s basketball team’s all-time scoring list.

Well, that didn’t happen.

The sixth-year senior shot 0-of-7 from the field and 0-of-4 from 3-point range. Bohannon finished with two points from the free-throw line, and also contributed five assists.

Up Next

The Hawkeyes return to the floor on Thursday for another road conference game. Iowa will face No. 16 Ohio State (13-5, 6-3) in Columbus at 7 p.m. The game will air on FS1.