WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Penn State men's basketball team dropped a 95-78 road game at #1/1 Purdue Saturday afternoon.
Nick Kern Jr. led the Nittany Lions with a career-best 18 points, while Ace Baldwin Jr. dished a career-high 13 assists. Kanye Clary finished with 16 points and Jameel Brown tallied 13 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Five points from Kanye Clary helped Penn State get out to a 10-8 lead as the Nittany Lion defense forced four early Purdue turnovers and PSU held the slim edge just under five minutes into the game.
- The Boilermakers answered with a 31-5 streak over the next 7:09 behind an 11-for-12 showing the from the field and 5-for-6 mark from 3-point range as Purdue put the Nittany Lions in a 39-15 hole with 8:14 left in the first half.
- A trio of 3-pointers from Jameel Brown and a triple from Nick Kern Jr. ignited a 14-5 Penn State streak from the 7:26 mark to the 5:11 mark of the first half as the Nittany Lions used the 2:39-long stretch to claw back within 46-30. The Nittany Lions weren't able to pull any closer in the remainder of the half as Purdue took a 56-36 lead into halftime.
- The second half was much more even as the Nittany Lions outscored the Boilermakers 42-39, but it was too little as #1 Purdue secured the 95-78 home victory.
GAME NOTES
- Nick Kern Jr.'s 18 points bested his previous career high of 17. It marked his second-straight and fourth-overall double-digit scoring effort of the season.
- Ace Baldwin Jr. dished a career-high 13 assists, besting his previous career mark of 10 that was set on three occasions.
- Kanye Clary finished with 16 points, notching his 14th double-digit scoring effort of the season.
- Jameel Brown finished with 13 points, marking his second double-digit scoring performance of the season.
UP NEXT
- The Nittany Lions return home Tuesday to host #15 Wisconsin at 9 p.m. inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
The 2023-24 Penn State men's basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.