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Nov. 4, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's basketball team made its first appearance of the 2016-17 season tonight in an exhibition game against Lock Haven. The Lions had the opportunity to show progress and season readiness during tonight's game, and they did just that, flying past the Bald Eagles to secure a 91-65 victory.
Five players finished in double figures, including three freshmen, and all 10 scholarship players to see action scored at least one point. Redshirt freshman forward Mike Watkins (Philadelphia, Pa.), freshman guard Tony Carr (Philadelphia, Pa.) and sophomore guard Josh Reaves (Fairfax, Va.) each finished with 15 points, with Watkins adding nine rebounds. Freshman forward Lamar Stevens (Jenkintown, Pa.) had a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Shep Garner scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half, finishing with a trio of 3-pointers after the Nittany Lions went 0-9 from behind the arc in the first half.
Penn State shot 45.9 percent from the field, and sunk 66.7 percent of their attempts from the free throw line. Penn State capitalized on 17 turnovers, turning them into a collective 21 points and outscored Lock Haven 58-26 in the paint. Penn State also dominated the Eagles in fast break points, 19-4.
Entering halftime with an eleven-point lead, the Nittany Lions outscored the Lock Haven Bald Eagles 54-37 in the second half. This pushed their lead to 26 points and captured the win in a 91-65 display by the final buzzer.
DIFFERENCE MAKERS
Penn State
- F Mike Watkins - Logged 20 minutes of playing time, recording 15 points and nine rebounds. Also added two assists.
- G Josh Reaves - Scored 15 points, one assist, and three rebounds, noting 21 minutes of playing time.
- G Tony Carr - Played a team high of 30 minutes for this game, registering 15 points, two assists and three rebounds
- F Lamar Stevens - Recorded 22 minutes of playing time, capturing 14 points and adding 12 assists.
Lock Haven
- G Amir Hinton - Logged 37 minutes of playing time, scoring 32 points, and tallying four assists and four rebounds.
- F Craig Slade - Played 19 minutes, recording nine points and five rebounds.
- F Brahieme Jackson - On the court for 19 minutes, gaining eight points, four rebounds, and one assist.
BY HALF
First Half
The Lions came out of the gate running, beginning the half with a Tony Carr layup 12 seconds in. Things picked up for the Blue and White at the 09:10 mark, when they increased their lead over Lock Haven into the double-digits, making the game 23-12. The first half finished with the Nittany Lions holding a nine-point advantage over the Eagles. Stevens led the way with nine first-half points with Reaves adding seven points.
Penn State 37, Lock Haven 28
Second Half
The Nittany Lions continued to pick up the pace during the second half of the game, starting off with a 3-pointer by Shep Garner 19 seconds into the period. Penn State was active throughout the half, scoring a total of 54 points in the twenty-minute period. Scoring during the second half was lead by Tony Carr with nine points, and junior Lamar Stevens with seven points.
Penn State 91, Lock Haven 65
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions begin their official season next weekend on Friday, November 11 against Albany. Penn State and Albany will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center.