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UMBC Retrievers men's basketball, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, The Pennsylvania State University, Penn State Nittany Lions men's basketball, Basketball, Nittany Lion

UMBC's Men's Basketball Triumphs in Historic Upset Over Penn State

Retrievers Stun Nittany Lions to Advance to NCAA Tournament

Baltimore County's UMBC Retrievers made history on Friday night, pulling off a monumental 74-54 upset against the Big Ten's Penn State Nittany Lions in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

The Retrievers, a 16th seed, stunned the 8th-seeded Nittany Lions at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, becoming just the second 16th seed to ever defeat an 8th seed in the tournament.

UMBC's victory marks a significant achievement for the program and the NCAA. It's the first time a 16th seed has defeated an 8th seed since 2018 and only the 10th such upset in tournament history.

The Retrievers were led by Jairus Lyles, who scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Arkel Lamar added 19 points, while R.J. Eytle-Rock chipped in 14 points for UMBC.

Penn State, which was making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011, struggled to find its shooting touch, hitting just 18 of 51 (35.3%) from the field and 4 of 23 (17.4%) from three-point range.

The Nittany Lions were paced by Seth Lundy, who scored 18 points. Jalen Pickett added 14 points and 9 rebounds, while Camren Wynter contributed 10 points.

UMBC will face top-seeded Kansas in the second round of the tournament on Sunday.