UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men’s basketball team scored 100-plus points for the second-straight game in a 103-54 dismantling of UMBC Friday night inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
After scoring 108 in Monday night’s season opener, Penn State put up 103 points against the Retrievers, marking the first time in program history that Penn State has scored 100-plus points in back-to-back games.
Eleven different Nittany Lions scored and the Penn State bench contributed 51 points in the balanced team effort. The Nittany Lions shot 55.2 percent (37-for-67) from the field and 43.5 percent (10-for-23) from 3-point range and had 21 assists on 37 field goals. Defensively, Penn State limited UMBC to a 29.2 percent (19-for-65) clip from the field, collected 12 steals, and scored 22 points off 17 Retriever turnovers.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser led five Nittany Lions in double figures with 18 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals. D’Marco Dunn was 5-for-7 from the field for 16 points. Zach Hicks (12 points), Jahvin Carter (12 points) and Nick Kern Jr. (10 points) also finished in double figures, while Ace Baldwin Jr. dished a game-high eight assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Four points from Konan Niederhauser and a conventional three-point play from Freddie Dilione V helped Penn State get out to a 7-2 lead just under three minutes into the game.
- Four points from both Dunn and Kern Jr. helped propel a 10-1 Nittany Lion streak over a two-plus minute stretch to force a UMBC timeout at 13:25 as Penn State pulled ahead 17-4. The Nittany Lion defense held the Retrievers to just one field goal in the game’s first 6:53.
- UMBC used eight unanswered points to claw within six at 24-18 with 8:35 left on the first-half clock.
- A Dilione V jumper at 7:48 stopped the UMBC streak and ignited an 11-1 Penn State run over the next 3:18 to give the Nittany Lions their largest lead yet at 35-19 with 4:30 to play.
- The Nittany Lions made five of their final seven shots of the half and controlled a 43-28 edge heading into halftime.
- Five points from Puff Johnson and a pair of Baldwin Jr. free throws opened the second half as the Nittany Lions quickly stretched their lead to 22 at 50-28 and forced the Retrievers to call a timeout at 17:39.
- Penn State kept its foot on the gas as the Nittany Lions outscored UMBC 27-8 through the first 10 minutes of the term, capped off by a 13-0 run, and took a 34-point lead at 70-36.
- The Nittany Lions wrapped up the second half shooting 58.3 percent (21-for-36) from the field and a blistering 60 percent (9-for-15) from 3-point range as Penn State outscored the Retrievers 60-26 in the second stanza and cruised to the 103-54 victory.
GAME NOTES
- The Nittany Lions scored 100-plus points in back-to-back games for the first time in program history after their 103 points tonight vs. UMBC and 108 in Monday night’s season opener vs. Binghamton.
- It marks the first time Penn State has had two 100-plus point games in the same season since the 1954-55 season.
- Penn State’s 49-point margin of victory was its most in a game since it beat Colgate by 53 points in 2007, and its second-largest winning margin since 1992.
- Penn State scored 60 points in the second half, marking the first time since Dec. 19, 2009 that the Nittany Lions scored 60+ in a half (vs. Gardner-Webb, second half).
- The Nittany Lion bench combined for 51 points against UMBC, marking the first time the Penn State bench scored 50-plus in a game since Dec. 7, 2005 vs. UMKC (50).
- Penn State owned a 22-8 advantage in points off turnovers, 52-20 edge in points scored in the paint, 23-3 advantage in second-chance points, 23-8 edge in fastbreak points and 51-15 advantage in bench points.
- Penn State starts the season 2-0 for the third-straight year and the seventh time in the last eight years.
- The Nittany Lions are now 5-0 all-time against UMBC.
- The Nittany Lions were 9-for-15 (60%) from 3-point range in the second half compared to their 1-for-8 (12.5%) clip from deep in the first half.
- Yanic Konan Niederhauser finished in double figures for the second-straight game, posting 18 points, a game-high nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
- D’Marco Dunn posted 16 points, his second consecutive double-figure scoring outing to start the season. Dunn’s line included three rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a perfect 4-for-4 effort from the free throw line.
- Freshman Jahvin Carter tallied a season-best 12 points thanks in part to an unblemished 3-for-3 effort from behind the arc. Carter also picked up three assists and a steal in his second collegiate contest.
UP NEXT
- The Nittany Lions wrap up their season-opening homestand Tuesday night when Penn State hosts Saint Francis (Pa.) on Military Appreciation Night. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. on Peacock.
The 2024-25 Penn State men’s basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.