PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Penn State men's basketball team used a gutsy defensive performance and full-team effort to earn a gritty 61-46 road win at Rutgers Wednesday night inside Jersey Mike's Arena.
The Penn State defense forced 20 Rutgers turnovers and held the Scarlet Knights to a 34.0 percent (17-50) clip from the field and 5.9 percent (1-17) mark from 3-point range.
With leading scorer Kanye Clary out due to injury, Ace Baldwin Jr. stepped up big on both sides of the ball, finishing with a team-high 15 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and five steals for his first double-double in a Penn State uniform and third-career double-double. D'Marco Dunn stepped up with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Qudus Wahab finished with nine points, a game-high 11 rebounds and two blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Nittany Lions started just 2-for-9 from the field, but forced four Rutgers turnovers in the first 6:15 to limit the early damage as the Scarlet Knights held an 8-5 lead at the 13:42 mark.
- Rutgers stretched its lead to seven at 12-5 before an Ace Baldwin Jr. floater in the lane sparked a 16-4 Penn State run over the next 6:44. D'Marco Dunn and Baldwin Jr. contributed seven points apiece in the stretch while the Nittany Lions turned Rutgers over six times and Penn State surged in front 21-16 with 4:48 left to play in the first half.
- Penn State's lead reached eight at 26-18 almost three minutes later, but Rutgers scored the final six points of the half to pull within 26-24 heading into halftime.
- A Zach Hicks triple at the 16:52 mark capped an 8-2 Penn State streak to open the second half as the Nittany Lions extended their lead back to eight at 34-26 and forced a Rutgers timeout.
- The Nittany Lions had an answer for every Scarlet Knight charge over the next 10 minutes, not letting Rutgers closer than four as Penn State owned a 44-39 lead with 8:02 to play.
- A Baldwin Jr. jumper at the 7:50 mark ignited a 9-2 Penn State streak over a 4:08 stretch that was capped by a Hicks 3-pointer and Demetrius Lilley layup to give the Nittany Lions their largest lead yet at 53-41with 3:54 left on the clock.
- Rutgers wouldn't get within single digits the rest of the way as Penn State closed the game from the line down the stretch and the Nittany Lions earned the 61-46 road win.
GAME NOTES
- Penn State earned its first true road win of the season and first of the Mike Rhoades era.
- The Nittany Lions earned their first road win in Piscataway since March 6, 2019.
- Senior Ace Baldwin Jr. recorded his third game this season with five-or-more steals securing five against Rutgers, including three in the first half alone. Baldwin Jr. delivered an outstanding all-around performance, finishing with 15 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, and a blocked shot. It marked his first double-double in a Penn State uniform and third-career double-double.
- Junior D'Marco Dunn grabbed a career-high seven rebounds against the Scarlet Knights. Dunn also recorded his seventh double-figure scoring game this year, netting 14 points in his second start of the season. His three steals also tied his career-best mark while his one block was his first in a Penn State uniform.
- Qudus Wahab collected 11 rebounds and nine points while blocking two shots in a solid outing down low for the Nittany Lions.
- Junior Zach Hicks snagged a Big Ten career-best seven rebounds.
- Penn State played without leading scorer Kanye Clary due to injury.
HIGHLIGHTS
UP NEXT
- The Nittany Lions travel to Bloomington, Ind. for a Saturday noon tipoff at Indiana on FS1.
The 2023-24 Penn State men's basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.