Tag: Penn State Men’s Basketball

Ace Baldwin sets school record for assists as Penn State dominates Coppin State

Ace Baldwin Jr. broke a 50-year program record in Penn State’s rout of Coppin State.

After suffering a conference loss on the road earlier in the week at Rutgers, Penn State was looking forward to getting back home for a non-conference matchup against Coppin State. [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] had a record day as the Nittany Lions roasted Coppin State 99-51.

Baldwin had 16 assists in the blowout win to set a new Penn State school record for most assists in a single game. The previous record of 15 assists was set in 1975 by Tom Doaty against Syracuse. Among the record-setting assists was Baldwin’s 700th career assist. Baldwin also added 11 points. Five of his teammates also scored in double figures in the home win.

Yanic Konan Niederhauser scored 14 points to lead the Nittany Lions in scoring. Puff Johnson and Nick Kern Jr. each added 12 points, and D’Marco Dunn and Dominick Stewart each added 10 points to the stat sheet.

This one was over pretty early as Penn State went on a 20-0 run to take a commanding lead in the first half, and the Nittany Lions led 52-21 at halftime and continued to pad their lead throughout the second half.

Penn State basketball will get some time off before hitting the court again. Penn State’s next game will be one week from now with a matchup with Drexel in Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center on Dec. 21. The scheduled tipoff time is a bit unfortunate as the basketball game will get started at the exact same time as the football team’s first-round home College Football Playoff game against SMU at noon Eastern.

Penn State basketball receives votes in latest national rankings

Penn State picks up more votes in the weekly men’s basketball polls.

Penn State men’s basketball continues to turn some heads early on this season and was hoping they would catch the attention of enough voters to make an appearance in the national rankings this week. Despite a dominating victory over Purdue last week to improve to 8-1 this season, the Nittany Lions are still sitting on the outside looking in on the latest top 25 polls.

Penn State sits 10th among the others receiving votes in this week’s USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, which was updated on Monday. Purdue only fell four spots after its loss to the Nittany Lions, dropping from no. 7 down to no. 11. The Boilermakers are one spot ahead of new Big Ten member Oregon, who fell two spots this week. Other Big Ten teams in the coaches poll this week include Michigan (14), Michigan State (19), UCLA (21), and Wisconsin (22).

Illinois fell out of the coaches poll and is one of three Big Ten schools among the others receiving votes; Penn State and Maryland are the others.

Penn State fares a little better in the AP Top 25 this week. Still among the others receiving votes in the media poll, Penn State is fifth in the others receiving votes category of this week’s AP poll.

After a statement win over Purdue at home last week, Penn State will be back in Big Ten action on Tuesday night with a road game at Rutgers. Rutgers is looking to snap a three-game losing streak when they host the Nittany Lions on Tuesday evening.

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Best photos of Penn State fans celebrating basketball upset of Purdue

Penn State fans celebrated a major upset of Purdue by storming the court in Happy Valley!

In a year where the national expectations were low for Penn State basketball, the Nittany Lions are off and running and already making some noise in the Big Ten. Penn State scored a massive 80-71 victory over No. 7 Purdue in its Big Ten opener. It ignited a basketball celebration on the court by fans who hope to finally see success like this on a regular basis. It also helped set the tone for the Penn State fanbase heading into a Big Ten championship weekend for the football team.

But on Thursday, basketball was the story of the night as head coach Mike Rhoades hopped on a microphone to address the fans on the court and remind them this is what they are all working for. You had to love it!

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State basketball’s big celebration in Happy Valley following the win over Purdue.

Penn State will be back in action next Tuesday, Dec. 10 with a road game at Rutgers in Big Ten play. Penn State could be playing its first game as a top 25 team under Mike Rhoades by the time that game tips.

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Penn State basketball pulls off statement upset of No. 7 Purdue

Penn State’s defense frustrated Purdue all night long, and the hot scoring of the Nittany Lions continued in a massive program win.

Penn State men’s basketball was off to a good start to the season but knew things were about to get much more difficult once Big Ten started up. Or was it? Penn State made a statement with a dominating victory over No. 7 Purdue on Thursday night in the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State celebrated an 81-70 win over the Boilermakers, who have been the gold standard of Big Ten basketball, with a storming of the court. It was Penn State’s first win over a top-10 team since beating Maryland in 2019.

[autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] led a balanced Penn State scoring attack with 17 points as five Nittany Lions scored in double figures. It was the defense of the Nittany Lions that set the tone and gave Purdue frustration all night long. Purdue turned the basketball over 24 times, and Penn State drew even with the Boilermakers in rebounds with 24 apiece. Penn State also had two blocks (one from [autotag]Yanic Konan Niederhauser[/autotag] and one from [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag]).

Ace Baldwin Jr. was called for a technical foul following a big three-pointer in the second half for a celebratory gesture used to suggest he has ice in his veins, which was defended vehemently by head coach Mike Rhoades. The former VCU player and coach combination have helped transform Penn State basketball into a legitimate basketball team capable of making a run to an NCAA Tournament appearance. Of course, there is a long way to go and Penn State will have to keep up this kind of play throughout conference play.

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But this offense continues to shine and the defensive skill of the Nittany Lions is going to cause some problems for opposing Big Ten teams.

Penn State will be back in Big Ten action in its next game when it visits Rutgers on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The Nittany Lions will then resume non-conference matchups before Big Ten play resumes in the new year.

Here’s hoping the good vibes from the basketball court find their way to the football field in Indianapolis this weekend. Penn State faces No. 1 Orgeon in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday night, with the College Football Playoff on the horizon.

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Penn State basketball improves to 7-1 with blowout of Buffalo

Yanic Konan Niederhauser’s big day helped lift Penn State basketball to its best start since 2019.

Penn State men’s basketball enjoyed getting back to its home court on Sunday afternoon after taking its first loss of the season last week. Behind a career day from [autotag]Yanic Konan Niederhauser[/autotag] and a double-digit assist performance from [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag], Penn Sta easily took care of Buffalo in the Bryce Jordan Center for an 87-64 win. The victory improves Penn State to 7-1, which is the best start for the program since the 2019-20 season.

The Switzerland native and Northern Illinois transfer Niederhauser scored a career-best 27 points while shooting 12-for-16. Niederhauser took control underneath the basket with seven dunks.

Penn State’s defense applied pressure on the visiting Bulls early on. That led to five Buffalo turnovers in the first eight minutes as Penn State took an early lead and built onto the lead off those Buffalo miscues. Penn State led by as many as 12 points in the first half with a Baldwin three-pointer late in the first half.

Penn State continued to extend its lead in the second half before Buffalo got as close as 10 points at 64-54. But Penn State went on a 12-1 run to help put the game on ice. [autotag]Freddie Dilione V[/autotag] scored eight of his career-high 16 points in that run.

Next up for Penn State is the start of Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions host Purdue on Thursday night in the Bryce Jordan Center.

Penn State basketball suffers first loss of the season against Clemson

Penn State men’s basketball took its first loss of the season.

While the majority of attention surrounding Penn State athletics is placed on the football program with them seemingly locking up their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, it’s been an exciting start to the year for the Nittany Lions on the hardcourt.

In the second year under head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag], Penn State men’s basketball got off to their best start in the last 25 years when they beat Fordham on Monday to push their record to 6-0.

It’s been an exciting brand of basketball for the Nittany Lions this season with them pushing the pace and scoring the ball at a high rate to average 96.0 points per game with them scoring over 100 points in three of there first six contests.

Penn State was able to use that momentum to reach the championship game of the Sunshine Slam where they faced off against Clemson.

Unfortunately, that came to an end on Tuesday with a 75-67 loss.

The Nittany Lions were fighting an uphill battle for the majority of the first half after the Tigers broke the gridlock early to take a lead just under three minutes into the ballgame. But, they were able to claw their way back and eventually look the lead, 28-21, after going on an 18-4 run.

Penn State wasn’t able to maintain that and went into the locker room down 38-36 at halftime after Clemson recovered from that poor stretch.

The second half was a battle.

Both teams tried to create separation by going on runs, but neither was able to put things away until Clemson took control of the final six minutes by outscoring Penn State 13-6 to close out the game.

It was a tough loss for the Nittany Lions with a championship trophy on the line, especially when they had played so good on offense to date before putting up this clunker where they shot 46.4% (26-56) from the field and just 22.2% (4-18) from three.

Turnovers and fouls were also a major issue for Penn State.

They turned it over 17 times and committed 19 fouls that gave Clemson 20 tries from the free throw line.

Still, there were positives to take away from this loss with [autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] leading all scorers with 20 points while adding 11 assists for yet another double double.

[autotag]Nick Kern[/autotag] also performed well again with 11 points off the bench. [autotag]Yanic Hiederhauser[/autotag] was the only other player in double figures with 14 points and six rebounds.

Despite the loss, Penn State will certainly take the start to their season.

They’ll head back home for a matchup against Buffalo on Dec. 1 before welcoming the current No. 14 team Purdue to the Bryce Jordan Center on Dec. 5.

Penn State basketball rallies against Purdue Fort Wayne to remain undefeated

Penn State’s men’s basketball scored 100 points for the third time this season.

Penn State’s men’s basketball team has been showing off a hot offensive flair this season, and it needed it in a big way Wednesday evening. Penn State trailed Purdue Fort Wayne at halftime but put together a big second-half to pull out a 102-89 victory to improve to 5-0.

[autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] led the way with 25 points and 11 assists with seven rebounds and two steals. He played a huge factor in the second half with 15 of his point coming after halftime as Penn State worked its way back from what was a double-digit deficit late in the first half. [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] hit five 3-pointers in the game as he continues to give the Nittany Lions a threat beyond the arc. Hicks had 17 points in the win.

Penn State is 5-0 for the first time since the start of the 2019-20 season, a season in which Penn State appeared to be on track to reach the NCAA Basketball Tournament before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the tournament down. This was Penn State’s third game scoring at least 100 points, a feat that has occurred just one other time in program history (1954-55).

Penn State was picked to finish 17th in the 18-team Big Ten according to an unofficial Big Ten preseason media poll, but Penn State’s good start to the season has led to some questions about whether or not this team is legitimately better than anticipated. It’s true Penn State’s strength of schedule hasn’t been the most intimidating so far, and the bigger challenges still await the team moving forward. But the way this season has started has been encouraging to see.

Penn State will now head to Daytona Beach, Florida for next week’s Sunshine Slam tournament. Penn State is scheduled to face Fordham on Monday afternoon and will play either Clemson or San Francisco on Tuesday afternoon.

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Ace Baldwin Jr. records double-double as Penn State blows out Virginia Tech

Ace Baldwin Jr. and Zach Hicks each scored 19 points in Penn State’s latest victory.

After starting off the season with a few wins at home, the Penn State men’s basketball team took a trip down to Baltimore on Friday evening to face Virginia Tech, another 3-0 team. It was all Penn State from the opening tip as the Nittany Lions took care of the Hokies in an 86-64 victory in the Hall of Fame Series.

[autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] led Penn State with 19 points and 10 assists as he played in his hometown of Baltimore. Last season’s Big Ten defensive player of the year added three steals and a couple of rebounds. [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] also had 19 points in the win and showed off a hot hand from three-point range with five 3-pointers.

Penn State also got double-digit point efforts from Nick Kern (16 points) and Freddie Dilione V (11 points). As a team, Penn State recorded 16 steals. Puff Johnson helped give Penn State some breathing room after Virginia Tech cut the lead to nine points early in the second half. Johnson scored seven straight points.

This is the third straight season Penn State has started the year off with a 4-0 record, and this was the fourth win over Virginia Tech in the last five meetings with the ACC school. This is also the first time Penn State has scored 80 or more points in four consecutive games since the 2019-2020 season.

Penn State will return home next week for its next game. Penn State will host Purdue Fort Wayne in the opening round of the Sunshine Slam.

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Penn State basketball throttles UMBC in historic fashion

Penn State basketball rolls past UMBC in historic offensive fashion

The Penn State men’s basketball team continued its strong start to the season with a victory over the UMBC Retrievers. The Nittany Lions scored 100-plus points for the second straight game, beating UMBC 103-54 Friday night at the Bryce Jordan Center.

In the season opener, Penn State scored 108 points against Binghamton and followed that performance by scoring 103 points against the Retrievers. This marked the first time in program history that Penn State scored 100-plus points in back-to-back games.

Eleven Nittany Lions scored, including five players in double figures. It was a balanced team effort with six bench players scoring. Penn State shot 55.2 percent from the field and an impressive 43.5 percent from 3-point range. The Penn State offense also assisted on 21 of their 37 field goals.

Northern Illinois transfer [autotag]Yanic Konan Niederhauser[/autotag] scored 18 points, nine rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] added 16 points, while [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] scored 12.

Penn State dominated the paint during the first half, scoring 28 of its 43 points inside. In the second half, PSU separated from UMBC by shooting a sizzling 60 percent from 3-point range, knocking down 9 of 15 from 3-point range. Freshman guard [autotag]Jahvin Carter [/autotag]was part of the 3-point barrage, hitting all three of his 3-pointers while tallying a season-best 12 points.

The Nittany Lions will host Saint Francis (Pa.) on Tuesday night before they head on the road. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. on Peacock.

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Penn State basketball hits the century mark in 2024-25 season opener against Binghamton

Penn State basketball rolls past Binghamton in 2024-25 season opener.

Penn State men’s basketball used a dominant first half to roll past Binghamton in the 2024-25 season opener. The Nittany Lions hit the century mark against the Bearcats, winning 108-66.

PSU’s 108 points are tied for the fourth most in program history. It was Penn State’s first 100-point game since 2017 and the first 100-plus point effort in a regulation game since 2009. The win also clinched the program’s eighth straight season-opening win.

Penn State shot 50.7 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from 3-point range while adding 25 points from the charity stripe.

The Nittany Lions were led offensively by sharpshooting forward [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag], who scored 22 points on 9 of 12 shooting, including knocking down four of his six 3-pointers. Hicks was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection last year and led the Nittany Lions with 67 made 3-pointers while shooting 41.3 percent from 3-point range. Hicks was on fire throughout the second half knocking, scoring 13 of his 22 points.

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Reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] was his usual self, recording three steals to go along with his 15 points, including hitting four of his five 3-pointers. His defense was a factor in the team, generating 31 points off the 21 Binghamton turnovers.

Penn State came out of halftime, lighting it up and hitting six of its first seven shots, including three behind the arc. That run gave the Nittany Lions the separation they needed to run away with the victory.

The Nittany Lions continue their homestand Friday evening when Penn State takes on UMBC. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.

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