Sunday’s loss for Penn State came down to the smallest of margins yet again, as the final seconds ultimately defined the outcome.
Penn State fell in heartbreaking fashion to USC, with a late defensive breakdown allowing the Trojans to score a bucket in the closing seconds. For head coach Mike Rhoades, the defeat was less about effort and more about execution, again, particularly when the game tightened late. Penn State had a lead and just completely blew another game against one of the Big Ten’s worst teams.
Despite the result, Rhoades saw moments in the game that reflected that he was seemingly happy with, but I know most fans won’t feel the same way.
"We had stretches of playing winning basketball today," Rhoades said, per 247. "We didn't have enough of it. Our margin of error is thin. You've got to make your free throws, especially the guys that are getting fouled the most, and we got to take care of the basketball. Our guards had too many turnovers today, and they haven't most of the year. That really hurts."
The good stretches, however, weren’t enough to overcome the struggles that surfaced when the game got tough. Penn State played hard again, but self-inflicted mistakes were the difference.
“I feel like we kind of beat ourselves,” Josh Reed said.
“We didn't execute the defensive switch at the end,” Rhoades said. “That's just disappointing. That's on me, going to continue to keep helping these guys have late-game mental toughness and approach. You pride yourself as a coach to win close games, and I haven't done that.”
Rhoades hasn’t shied away from the fact that these moments are often something teams have to learn, but with all the losses Penn State has late in games or by blowing leads, it’s a fair worry for the future of the program.
“You want to be as mistake-free as you can late in the game,” Rhoades said. “It happens, right? Sometimes a play messes something up, and a guy thinks differently or does differently. I mean, that's why you play the game.”
The loss adds another small loss to Penn State’s results, a frustrating reality for a group that’s been competitive but inconsistent in finishing games.