The Penn State Nittany Lions men’s basketball team delivered a thrilling late-night performance on the West Coast, emerging with a hard-fought 63-60 victory over the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle on February 11, 2026. For a squad that’s battled adversity all season, this gritty win marked only their second Big Ten triumph, pushing their record to 11-14 overall and 2-12 in conference play. And what a way to do it—by holding off a determined Huskies team in a contest featuring 15 lead changes, nine ties, and a heart-stopping finish that had fans on both coasts glued to their screens well past midnight.
Head coach Mike Rhoades could finally exhale when Huskies guard Wesley Yates III’s last-gasp, game-tying three-point attempt clanged off the rim as the final buzzer sounded. Relief and pride washed over the Nittany Lions’ bench. “We grew up today,” Rhoades told the Penn State Sports Radio Network after the game. “We had to find ways to be tough, to figure it out, and we did that, so I was really proud of them.”
It was a night where Penn State’s resilience was on full display. Guard Kayden Mingo, who has quietly become one of the team’s most reliable contributors, scored what proved to be the decisive basket with just 1:22 left. His left-handed scoop shot looked destined to roll off the rim, but Washington center Franck Kepnang’s goaltending ensured it counted, giving Penn State a 61-59 lead. The Nittany Lions never trailed again, but the closing moments were anything but comfortable.
Freddie Dilione V led the way for Penn State, pouring in 16 points on an efficient 7-of-14 shooting night. Josh Reed added 14 points and six rebounds, while Mingo chipped in 13 points, six boards, three assists, three steals, and a block—a stat-stuffing performance that proved invaluable. Eli Rice, returning from a two-game injury absence, rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points, providing a much-needed spark off the bench.
For Washington, freshman forward Hannes Steinbach was a force inside, notching a game-high 19 points and 14 rebounds. Yates III contributed 11 points, but the Huskies struggled to find consistent offense elsewhere. Sophomore guard Zoom Diallo, who entered the game averaging 14.9 points per contest, was limited to just eight points on 3-of-15 shooting as Penn State’s defense clamped down when it mattered most.
The first half set the tone for a back-and-forth affair. Mingo opened the scoring with a rare three-pointer—he’d entered the night hitting just 21.1% from deep this season—perhaps a good omen for the visitors. Penn State’s early turnovers threatened to derail their momentum, but a quick tempo and aggressive drives from Dilione and Rice fueled an 8-2 run that forced Huskies coach Danny Sprinkle to call an early timeout. The Nittany Lions eventually built a 20-15 lead, but Washington responded with an 8-0 burst of their own, highlighted by Steinbach’s interior play and a clutch three from Quimari Peterson.
Neither team could create much separation, and the game featured 20 combined points in the paint for each side by halftime. Late first-half buckets from Mingo and Melih Tunca pushed Penn State ahead 35-29, but Peterson’s buzzer-beating three trimmed the margin to 35-32 at the break.
Coming out of halftime, Penn State looked poised to pull away. Reed drilled a three-pointer and followed it up with a layup, while Mingo’s slashing drives helped the Nittany Lions match their largest lead at 47-41. But the Huskies would not go quietly. Washington rattled off a 10-2 run—fueled by Steinbach’s three-pointer and relentless work on the glass—to seize a 51-49 advantage. Suddenly, Penn State’s offense sputtered, enduring a stretch of more than six minutes without a field goal, reminiscent of their recent late-game struggles against USC.
But this time, the Nittany Lions responded. Dilione broke the drought with a tough turnaround, and Mingo tied it up at 57 with a determined drive. As the clock ticked under two minutes, the tension was palpable. Mingo’s go-ahead basket via goaltending put Penn State up 61-59, and the defense stepped up, holding Washington without a field goal for the final 2:44.
Even then, the outcome hung in the balance. Mingo missed the front end of a one-and-one with 31 seconds left, but after Steinbach split a pair of free throws, Rice calmly knocked down two from the line to make it 63-60. A late turnover by Reed on the inbounds pass gave Washington one last chance, but the Huskies’ desperation threes missed their mark, and Penn State could finally celebrate a much-needed road win.
Statistically, Penn State shot 48.1% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc, a significant improvement over their season averages. Washington, meanwhile, managed just 37.7% shooting and 33.3% from deep, despite dominating the glass with 37 rebounds (including 14 offensive boards) and 15 second-chance points. The Nittany Lions’ ability to weather Washington’s runs and clamp down defensively down the stretch proved decisive.
Coach Rhoades stuck with a starting five of Mingo, Dilione, Stewart, Reed, and Ivan Jurić for the second consecutive game. Rice and Tunca were the first two off the bench, with Justin Houser and a briefly-returning Saša Ciani (back from an ankle injury) also logging minutes. Forward Tibor Mirtič remained sidelined with a shoulder injury, missing his tenth straight game.
For Penn State, this win not only snapped a losing streak but also injected some much-needed confidence as they continue their Pacific Northwest swing. The Nittany Lions next travel to Eugene, Oregon, to face the Ducks on February 14 at 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT), with the game set to air on BTN. Oregon, struggling with an 8-16 record and a 10-game losing streak, will be eager to reverse their fortunes, but Penn State enters with momentum—and perhaps a new sense of belief.
The Nittany Lions’ late-night heroics in Seattle may not have been pretty, but they were gritty, and sometimes, that’s exactly what it takes to survive the Big Ten grind. With a little more poise and a lot of heart, Penn State proved they can hang tough on the road. Next stop: Eugene, where another test—and another opportunity—awaits.