BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The Penn State men's basketball team improved to 6-1 with a 85-64 win over Syracuse on Friday night at the Barclays Center. Senior forward Lamar Stevens was the top scorer in the game with 20 points while senior forward Mike Watkins and sophomore guard Myreon Jones each produced double-doubles on the night.
Watkins, who was name to the NIT Season Tip-Off all-tournament team, was dominant on the glass for the Nittany Lions with a game-best 16 rebounds to go along with 15 points. His second-consecutive double-double included 11 offensive rebounds to give the Nittany Lions multiple chances on the offensive end throughout the game.
Myreon Jones had 16 points and 10 rebounds, nine on the defensive side, for his first career double-double. Myreon Jones connected on three 3-pointers in the first half to help the Nittany Lions to a fast start offensively.
"I think these guys really responded well to the challenge from the Ole Miss (game)," said Penn State men's basketball coach Patrick Chambers. "We had a great day yesterday…tried to move on, we talked about responding, talked about taking care of the little things, discipline, mental conditioning and how you can't think a game is over when there is so much time left, and we have to play to win and I thought we did that tonight…I am really proud of the way they responded tonight."
Penn State never trailed in the game, grabbing a double-digit lead in the first half and countered Syracuse's 8-0 run to start with second period with an 8-1 run of its own. Stevens broke the 35-35 tie with a 3-pointer at 16:49 and Curtis Jones Jr scored three of the Nittany Lions' next four baskets to push the PSU lead to nine, 48-39.
Syracuse would get as close as four, 50-46, at 11:52 in the second half, but no closer. For 7:01, the Orange went without a field goal, earning its 10 points at the free throw line in that stretch. Buddy Boeheim had a layup at 3:09 and Quincy Guerrier finished the scoring for Syracuse with its final basket at 1:28.
In all, five Nittany Lions scored in double figures with Curtis Jones, Jr. adding 14 points and freshman forward Seth Lundy finishing with 10, eight in the second half.
Penn State was relentless on the glass with 57 rebounds, most in the Patrick Chambers era and first time the Nittany Lions had more than 50 since a Dec. 29, 2012 win over Duquesne.
The Nittany Lions lead 34-27 at the half with Stevens with 10 points, despite having two personal fouls, and M. Jones had nine points. Neither team shot well in the first half with the Orange with a 34.6 to 32.4 advantage in field goal percentage.
Elijah Hughes had 19 points for Syracuse and Quincy Guerrier was the top rebounder for the Orange with 10. Bourama Sidibe, the top rebounder coming into the game for Syracuse, picked up three fouls by halftime and fouled out of the game with 6:58 left to play. Marek Dolezaj, another Orange starter, exited the game with his fifth foul with 90 seconds left to play.
The Nittany Lions return home to the Bryce Jordan Center on Wednesday, December 4 at 9:15 p.m. to face Wake Forest.
GAME NOTES:
With Watkins and Jones each recording a double-double, they became the first pair of teammates to record a double-double in the same games since 1/3/19 when Watkins and Lamar Stevens accomplished the feat against Michigan.
Watkins was named to the NIT Season Tip-Off all-Tournament team with 33 points, 28 rebounds, 12 blocks and six steals combined in the games vs. Ole Miss and Syracuse.
Lamar Stevens 20-point effort was the 36th time in his career that Stevens has scored 20 or more points in a game.
Penn State's 57 team rebounds mark the highest total in the coach Patrick Chambers era.
The two teams had not played since 1982. Penn State's win broke an 11-game win streak by Syracuse dating back to an 88-84 Nittany Lion win on Jan. 29, 1975.
