STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (Interstat) — On a night when their typically potent offense sputtered and a once-formidable lead evaporated, the Michigan Wolverines found a way to survive. The undefeated and heavily favored visitors escaped a raucous Bryce Jordan Center with a 74-72 victory over Penn State on Tuesday in a Big Ten Conference men’s basketball game that was not secured until the final second.

Michigan, which entered as a 24.5-point favorite according to sportsbooks, improved to 14-0 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten. Penn State fell to 9-6 and 0-2 in conference play. The game drew an announced crowd of 5,491.

The contest unfolded in starkly different halves. Michigan, utilizing its significant size advantage early, built a 40-31 halftime lead behind a balanced attack and stifling interior defense. The Wolverines’ 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara of Zaragoza, Spain, was a particular force in the opening period, recording four blocks and altering countless other shots.

Penn State, however, refused to capitulate. Fueled by the scoring of Ivan Juric and a relentless full-court effort, the Nittany Lions chipped away at the deficit throughout the second half. Juric, a 7-foot sophomore from Zagreb, Croatia, led all scorers with 20 points, while Freddie Dilione V added 17 points and four assists.

The Nittany Lions finally drew even at 65-65 on a Josh Reed jump shot with 3:34 remaining, capping a 34-25 second-half surge to that point. Reed, from Atlanta, finished with 13 points. The Bryce Jordan Center reached a fever pitch as the game transformed into a possession-by-possession fight.

The most critical sequence came in the final 15 seconds. With Michigan clinging to a 72-71 lead, Penn State’ Josh Reed was called for a foul on Michigan’s Aday Mara, sending the center to the line for two shots with 15 seconds on the clock. Mara missed the first free throw but calmly sank the second to push the Wolverines’ lead to 73-71.

On the ensuing possession, Penn State’s Freddie Dilione V drove and missed a contested jump shot. Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg of Pennsauken, New Jersey, secured the defensive rebound and was immediately fouled. Lendeborg made the first free throw to extend the lead to 74-71 but missed the second.

Penn State called a timeout with 4.4 seconds left to advance the ball. Out of the timeout, Dilione V was fouled on a 3-point attempt by Michigan’s Roddy Gayle with 1.4 seconds remaining. Dilione V made the first free throw to cut the lead to 74-72 but intentionally missed the second. The carom was tapped out to Penn State’s Eli Rice, whose desperation heave from near half-court missed as the buzzer sounded, preserving Michigan’s perfect record.

Michigan’s victory was a product of depth and key contributions beyond the final drama. LJ Cason of Lakeland, Florida, provided a critical spark off the bench with 14 points in just 16 minutes. Starters Nimari Burnett of Chicago and Trey McKenney of Flint, Michigan, each added 12 points, while Yaxel Lendeborg finished with 10 points, four assists and a key late block. Mara tallied seven points, four assists and four blocks, anchoring the defense.

The Wolverines, who had won their previous five games by an average of 33 points, were held to a season-low in scoring, well below their season average of over 95 points per game. Penn State’s defensive intensity, particularly in the second half, forced 14 Michigan turnovers and disrupted their offensive rhythm.

Despite the narrow margin, Michigan never trailed in the game after the opening minutes. The Wolverines shot from the floor, while Penn State shot. From 3-point range, Michigan shot and Penn State shot. At the free-throw line, Michigan shot and Penn State shot.

Interstat’s ELO system had given Michigan an 86.7% probability to win pregame. The total score of 146 fell under the sportsbook over/under line of 164.

Michigan next hosts Wisconsin on Saturday. Penn State travels to face Purdue, also on Saturday.