Pickett scores 41, Penn St. beats Illini to end 4-game skid

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (AP) — Jalen Pickett scored a season-high 41 points, the first Penn State player with 40-plus points since 1961, and the Nittany Lions beat Illinois 93-81 to end a four-game losing streak. It was the most points scored by a Penn State player in Big Ten play and the sixth 40-point game in program history. Pickett was 10-of-12 shooting with four 3-pointers in the first half, including reaching 2,000 career points on a 3 with 2:54 left.  He finished 15 of 20 overall with five 3-pointers and had eight assists. Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 20 points for Illinois (17-8, 8-6), which lost the season series with Penn State.