UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Ace Baldwin Jr. set a Penn State single-game assists record to lead the Nittany Lion men’s basketball team to a dominant 99-51 win over Coppin State Saturday afternoon inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
Penn State moved to 7-0 in home games this season behind a strong team effort as the Nittany Lions shot 56.7 percent (38-67) from the field en route to the 48-point victory. The win marks Penn State’s third 40-plus point victory this season. Penn State dished a season-high 31 assists on 38 made field goals.
Baldwin Jr. tallied 11 points, a single-game school record 16 assists and five rebounds. His second assist of the game marked his 700th career assist, while his 16 assists broke a nearly 50-year-old single-game record. He was one of six Nittany Lions to finish in double figures and was accompanied by Yanic Konan Niederhauser (14 points), Puff Johnson (12 points), Nick Kern Jr. (12 points), D’Marco Dunn (10 points) and Dominick Stewart (10 points).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Nittany Lions raced out to a quick 29-4 lead just over eight minutes into the game on the back of a 20-0 run that spanned from 17:10 to 11:26. Eight different Nittany Lions scored during the hot start as Nick Kern Jr. and Yanic Konan Niederhauser contributed six points apiece.
- Penn State kept its foot on the gas on both ends of the court, not letting the Eagles get above 10 points until there were less than six minutes left in the half. The Nittany Lions wrapped up the first half shooting 58.3 percent (21-for-36) from the field as Konan Niederhauser scored 12 points, Baldwin Jr. dished nine assists and Penn State controlled a 52-21 lead heading into halftime.
- Penn State kept rolling in the second half, scoring 13 of the first 19 points and going up 38 points five minutes into the frame.
- The Nittany Lions upped their lead to 40 points with 11:58 remaining in the half and never allowed it to go below that mark again, steamrolling their way to a 99-51 win.
GAME NOTES
- Penn State moves to 7-0 at home this season and has now won 10 consecutive home games dating back to last season. The Nittany Lions’ 9-2 start is their best record through 11 games since 2019-20.
- Ace Baldwin Jr. set a Penn State single-game record with his 16 assists, besting the previous school record of 15 that was set by Tom Doaty on Jan. 29, 1975 (vs. Syracuse).
- Baldwin Jr.’s 16-assist mark shattered the previous Bryce Jordan Center record of 12 assists that was achieved twice, first by Austin Parkinson of Purdue in 2004 and then again by Daniel Horton of Michigan in 2006.
- Baldwin Jr. now owns 714 career assists as one of just two active Division I players with 700 career assists.
- Baldwin Jr. has notched his fourth double-double of the season and fifth double-digit assist game. He has five double-digit assist games through 11 games this season.
- Penn State’s 52 first-half points marked the second time this season the Nittany Lions put up 50+ in the first half this season.
- The Nittany Lions had six of their 10 scoring contributors tally double-digit points. Konan Niederhauser (14 pts), Johnson (12 pts), Kern Jr. (12 pts), Baldwin Jr. (11 pts), Dunn (10 pts), and Stewart (10 pts) all finished in double figures against Coppin State.
- Freddie Dilione V posted a career high seven assists, adding to his nine-point scoring outing.
- Freshman Jahvin Carter’s nine points (three 3-pointers) was his best scoring outing since the second game of the year.
- Freshman Hudson Ward posted a career-best three rebounds and tallied his first career blocked shot.
UP NEXT
- The Nittany Lions take a brief break for final exams this week before returning to action with a non-conference matchup vs. Drexel at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Dec. 21. Tipoff is slated for noon and tickets are available here.
The 2024-25 Penn State men’s basketball season is presented by Highmark Health.