Tag: Zach Hicks

Best Penn State basketball photos from the Michigan game

Here are the best photos from Penn State’s basketball game at Michigan on Monday.

Penn State has been going through a bit of a rough stretch in Big Ten basketball action. That continued Monday evening with a road loss at Michigan when the Nittany Lions saw the offense go cold at the worst possible time, and Michigan surged across the finish line with a run to send Penn State home with a 76-72 loss.

Penn State has had close calls on the road in recent games against Michigan, Michigan State, and Iowa. Penn State also lost a tough one against Oregon at home. At 13-8 and 3-7 in Big Ten play, the postseason hopes for Penn State have taken a bit of a bruising in the past couple of weeks. But there is still plenty of time to turn things around enough to make a possible push for a spot in the big dance at the end of the season.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn Stae’s road trip to Michigan.

Penn State will look to get back to some home cooking in its next game when they host Ohio State on Thursday. The Nittany Lions will host the Buckeyes in Rec Hall.

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Penn State basketball let a win slip away at Michigan

Penn State was unable to hold off Michigan and took another tough loss in Big Ten play.

Despite another strong effort against a quality opponent, Penn State men’s basketball suffered another tough loss on the road against Michigan on Monday evening in Ann Arbor. Penn State led Michigan 72-67 with just over two minutes remaining in the game before the Wolverines went on a clutch run to close out a 76-72 win in Big Ten play at the expense of the Nittany Lions.

Penn State was even with Michigan at halftime and took an early lead with a [autotag]Freddie Dillone V[/autotag] three-pointer early in the second half. But Michigan went on a run to take a 47-40 lead. The Wolverines stayed ahead of the Nittany Lions until [autotag]Nick Kern Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] led a rally to bring Penn State close.

The teams swung momentum back and forth with Michigan pulling back ahead, Penn State answering with a rally, and so on. Penn State grabbed a lead on back-to-back three-pointers from [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] and [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag]. Penn State built on its lead before going cold on offense at the worst possible time. Michigan got one more run together to send Penn State home with a tough loss.

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Penn State will look to get back to some home cooking in its next game when they host Ohio State on Thursday. The Nittany Lions will host the Buckeyes in Rec Hall.

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Penn State basketball comes up just short of big road win at Iowa

Penn State’s late rally came up short against Iowa on the basketball court on Friday night. Here are the best photos.

Penn State couldn’t quite come away with a key road win at Iowa on Friday night and instead left town with a tough 76-75 loss to the Hawkeyes. Despite a valiant effort from the defense to keep Iowa scoreless for the final 3:27 and multiple opportunities for a game-winning shot at the end, Penn State dropped another game in what has been a rough stretch of Big Ten play for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State was unable to get hot from the three-point line, connecting on just 5 of 22 attempts from beyond the arc, and six missed free throws ended up costing Penn State as well. [autotag]Nick Kern Jr.[/autotag] led the team with 18 points and [autotag]Yanic Konan Niederhauser[/autotag] and [autotag]Freddie Dilione V[/autotag] each hit double figures in scoring. [autotag]Ace Badlwin Jr.[/autotag] was limited to just seven points but did have seven assists and two steals in the game.

Iowa had four players score in double figures with Drew Thelwell and Owen Freeman each leading the way with 16 points for the Hawkeyes. Iowa hit 11 of 23 three-pointers in the game and had 11 fast-break points to Penn State’s five.

Here are some of the best photos from the game on Friday night.

Penn State will be on the road again for its next game on Monday night. The Nittany Lions visit Michigan in Ann Arbor. Michigan is 14-5 and 6-2 in Big Ten play. The Wolverines are third in the Big Ten standings going into the weekend.

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Penn State men’s basketball can’t hold off No. 15 Oregon without Ace Baldwin

Penn State fought hard without its star point guard, but it wasn’t enough to upset No. 15 Oregon.

Before the game, Penn State men’s basketball found out that the Nittany Lions would be without star point guard [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] That didn’t stop Penn State from coming out firing and giving No. 15 Oregon a true fight in the Bryce Jordan Center. Despite holding a late second-half lead, the Nittany Lions fell at home to the Ducks 82-81.

Sophomore guard [autotag]Freddie Dilione V[/autotag] stepped up in Baldwin’s absence, scoring a career-high 21 points on 6-12 shooting. Dilione hit four 3-pointers, crucial in Penn State fighting back from a 14-point first-half deficit. The Nittany Lions held a nine-point lead with 6:34 left in the second half.

The Ducks hit their shots down the stretch to escape Happy Valley with the one-point win. Jadrian Tracey hit two clutch free throws for Oregon to put the game just out of reach for Penn State.

[autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] and Penn State had a legitimate gripe at the end of the game when the Oregon inbounder was moving along the baseline, which, if called, would’ve given Penn State possession.

[autotag]Nick Kern Jr.[/autotag] joined Dilione in double figures, putting up 19 points and eight rebounds. Forwards [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] and [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag] scored 14 and 15 respectively.

The Nittany Lions are back on the road Wednesday night when Penn State travels to No. 16 Michigan State for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff in East Lansing.

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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 men’s basketball secures best start in 25 years with Fordham win

Penn State men’s basketball on to the Sunshine Slam championship game after historic win over Fordham

Penn State men’s basketball team continued its dominant start to the 2024-25 basketball season, clinching its first 6-0 season in 25 years with an 85-66 win against the Fordham Rams Monday afternoon. The Nittany Lions move on to the Sunshine Slam championship game and will face the winner of this evening’s tilt between Clemson and San Francisco.

Penn State’s offense was once again impressive, shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from the 3-point line. Another significant statistical advantage the Nittany Lions held was a 21-8 edge in second-chance points.

[autotag]Nick Kern Jr.[/autotag] came off the bench and led Penn State with 20 points on 9-12 shooting while grabbing 13 rebounds. [autotag]Zach Hicks[/autotag] also continued his strong start to the year scoring 16 points and knocking down three 3-pointers.

The Rams didn’t go down without a fight. They scored six of the final seven points of the half, cutting Penn State’s lead to 42-34. The Nittany Lions used a 16-1 scoring run in the second half to extend their lead to 72-50 with under ten minutes left.

Fordham could not get any closer as Penn State earned the wire-to-wire victory to advance to the Sunshine Slam finale Tuesday afternoon.

Penn State will face San Francisco or Clemson at 4 p.m. Tuesday on CBS Sports Network.

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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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