UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men’s basketball team never trailed in a dominant 86-64 win over Virginia Tech Friday night in the Hall of Fame Series Baltimore at CFG Bank Arena.
Penn State turned an eight-point halftime lead into a 22-point victory by way of a 49-35 second-half scoring advantage. The Nittany Lion defense collected 16 steals, forced 24 Hokie turnovers and limited Virginia Tech to a 27.8 three-point shooting percentage. Penn State forced more Hokie turnovers (24) than they allowed Virginia Tech field goals (20).
Baltimore native Ace Baldwin Jr. led the Nittany Lions with 19 points, 10 assists, three steals and two rebounds in the return to his home city. Zach Hicks also tallied 19 points behind five 3-pointers, while adding five rebounds and three steals. Nick Kern Jr. finished with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, while Freddie Dilione V added 11 points, five rebounds and four steals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Penn State raced out to a 15-2 lead just five and a half minutes into the game. The Nittany Lion defense held the Hokies to just a 1-for-8 mark from the field to start the game while Penn State was 6-for-8, including a pair of triples from Zach Hicks, as the Nittany Lions took the early 13-point advantage at 14:34.
- The Hokies scored six-straight points to pull within 15-8, but Nick Kern Jr. answered with back-to-back fastbreak layups to force a Virginia Tech timeout at the 11:22 mark as Penn State went up 19-8.
- Hicks drilled his third trey of the night at 10:41 to make it 22-8 Nittany Lions, but Penn State went cold for the next few minutes as Virginia Tech clawed back within five at 22-17 with 7:08 left in the first half.
- The Nittany Lions scored nine of the next 14 points, with six of those coming from the free throw line, as a Hicks turnaround jumper at the 4:10 mark had Penn State back up nine at 31-22.
- The Penn State defense kept Virginia Tech without a field goal for the final 3:40 as the Nittany Lions took a 37-29 lead into halftime.
- The score sat at 42-33 two minutes into the second half before Puff Johnson took over with a personal 7-0 run, fueled by two steals and four points off turnovers, to give the Nittany Lions a 49-33 cushion as the Hokies called a timeout at 16:42.
- Penn State’s lead reached as much as 18 following a Baldwin Jr. conventional three-point play at 14:49 that put the score at 56-38.
- It would be all Nittany Lions the rest of the way as Penn State never let Virginia Tech get closer than 15. The Nittany Lions poured it on late and cruised to the 86-64 win.
GAME NOTES
- Penn State begins its season 4-0 for the third consecutive year and the fourth time in the last six seasons.
- Penn State has beaten Virginia Tech in four of the last five meetings. The 22-point margin of victory over the Hokies is Penn State’s largest in the all-time series between the two programs.
- The Nittany Lions have scored 80-plus points in four consecutive games for the first time since they did so in the first four games of the 2019-2020 campaign against UMES, Wagner, Georgetown, and Bucknell.
- The Nittny Lions collected 16 steals against Virginia Tech. Penn State has collected double-digit steals in each of its four games this season.
- The Nittany Lions forced more Hokie turnovers (24) than they allowed made field goals (20) in the game.
- Penn State had four players score in double-figures as it shot an impressive 50.9 percent from the floor as a team.
- Ace Baldwin Jr. posted his first double-double of the 2024-25 season, tallying 19 points and 10 assists in an outstanding performance in his hometown. Baldwin Jr. also recorded three steals and two rebounds.
- Zach Hicks drilled a season-best five threes on his way to 19 points against the Hokies. Hicks added five rebounds and three steals to his final line.
- Freddie Dilione V posted career highs in points with 11 and steals with four against Virginia Tech. The redshirt sophomore added a career-high-tying five boards and two steals.
- Nick Kern Jr. tallied a season-best 16 points off the bench on 6-for-7 shooting from the field. The senior added two assists, a steal, and a blocked shot to his final line.
- Kachi Nzeh played solid minutes as the Nittany Lions navigated foul trouble, scoring a season-best eight points on a 3-for-5 effort from the floor.
UP NEXT
- The Nittany Lions return home Wednesday night to face Purdue Fort Wayne in an on-campus matchup of the Sunshine Slam. Tipoff from the Bryce Jordan Center is slated for 7 p.m.
The 2024-25 Penn State men’s basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.