UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State delivered one of its most complete performances of the season Saturday afternoon, surprising Iowa 71-69 inside the Bryce Jordan Center behind a career-best effort from senior Josh Reed and a late defensive stand that shut down the Hawkeyes’ high-powered offense.

The Nittany Lions, who entered the day with just three Big Ten wins, outplayed a 20-win Iowa team in the final minutes and snapped a three-game losing streak.

Reed led the way with a career-high 25 points on 9-for-12 shooting, adding four assists and three rebounds for Penn State (12-17, 3-15 Big Ten). Freddie Dilione V scored 15 points, including the two decisive free throws with 1.5 seconds remaining. Freshman forward Ivan Juric added 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds, continuing his steady emergence as one of Penn State’s most reliable interior players.

The Nittany Lions shot 64.1 percent from the field and an impressive 72.2 percent in the second half, while holding Iowa (20-9, 10-8) to 45.6 percent shooting.

The game was tight from the start, featuring 15 lead changes and eight ties. Iowa opened with a 38-34 halftime lead and extended the margin to seven early in the second half, but Penn State responded with one of its sharpest stretches of the season. Juric scored five straight points, Reed followed with consecutive baskets, and Kayden Mingo buried a three-pointer to cap a 12-2 run that put the Nittany Lions ahead 48-45 with just under 14 minutes to play.

Neither team led by more than three points over the next several minutes as the game tightened again. A Jurić tip-in and five straight points from Reed pushed Penn State ahead 60-56 at the under-8 timeout, but Iowa answered with a 9-0 run to reclaim a 67-62 advantage with 4:30 remaining. Those would be the Hawkeyes’ final points for more than four minutes.

Penn State’s defense, inconsistent at times this season, delivered its best sequence of the afternoon. The Nittany Lions forced contested shots, protected the paint and limited Iowa’s touches around the rim. Reed capitalized on the other end, sinking four straight free throws to pull Penn State within one. He then scored a go-ahead basket with 46 seconds left, giving the Nittany Lions a 68-67 lead.

After an Iowa miss, Melih Tunca added a free throw to make it 69-67. Iowa tied the game on a Bennett Stirtz layup with 8.6 seconds remaining — the Hawkeyes’ first points since the 4:30 mark — setting up the final possession. Penn State put the ball in Dilione’s hands, and the redshirt junior guard drove through the lane, drew contact and calmly sank both free throws with 1.5 seconds left. Iowa, forced to go the length of the floor, never got off a shot.

Reed’s performance continued a remarkable late-season surge. The senior has now scored in double figures in 13 straight games and 19 times this year, a dramatic jump for a player who had just seven double-digit scoring games in three seasons at Cincinnati before transferring to Penn State. His 25 points surpassed the career-best 22 he set just 10 days earlier against Rutgers.

Jurić also continued his upward trajectory, posting his 12th double-figure scoring game of the season and leading the Nittany Lions in rebounding for the 12th time. Penn State’s efficiency — 25-for-39 from the field and 9-for-15 from three — marked one of its best offensive outings of the year.

The win improved Penn State to 16-10 all-time against Iowa in Happy Valley and marked the Nittany Lions’ fourth straight home victory over the Hawkeyes.

More importantly, it gave a young roster a tangible payoff for weeks of effort and frustration. For a team that has endured its share of close losses, Saturday’s finish offered a breakthrough — and a reminder that even in a rebuilding year, the Bryce Jordan Center can still produce a little late-season drama.

UP NEXT

Penn State plays its final home game of the regular season Wednesday night when the Nittany Lions host Ohio State on Senior Night. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. on Peacock.