UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men’s basketball team earned a 72-57 win over Mercyhurst on Thursday night at the Bryce Jordan Center, moving to 3-1 on the year and an undefeated mark on its home floor.
Penn State outrebounded the Lakers 39-33, making it four games in a row with more rebounds than its opponents to start the season. The squad was efficient from beyond the arc, making 6-of-11 3-pointers, to go along with a 51% shooting day from the field (25-49). The Blue & White held Mercyhurst just 33.3% from the field (20-60) and 20.7% from 3-point range (6-29).
Sophomore forward Ivan Jurić led the way for the Nittany Lions, with 20 points and 15 rebounds for his fourth-straight double-double to start the 2026-27 campaign. Fifth year forward Roko Prkačin contributed 14 points in addition to four boards while redshirt junior Brant Byers had 14 points off the bench, drive on three of his five 3-pointers.
Graduate guards Dasonte Bowen and Thomas Allard dished out a combined 12 assists. Bowen’s seven and Allard’s five were both season highs. Bowen did not commit a single turnover in over 32 minutes of action as a primary ball handler.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Prkačin paced the Nittany Lions early, notching four of the team’s first six points. Jurić provided an early spark, contributing four straight points in the paint. The Nittany Lions held the Lakers to 2-of-12 from the field through the first seven minutes of the game and held a 12-9 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the first half.
In what was a defensive battle early on, the Blue & White turned to their bench unit as Byers drilled a 3-pointer before dishing out an assist to junior forward François Wibaut, who slammed it home on the other end, capping an 8-0 run by the Nittany Lions. With eight minutes to go in the first half, Penn State doubled Mercyhurst’s team total, leading 18-9.
The Lakers were held without a point from 12:15 to 6:50, while the Nittany Lions built up a 14-2 scoring run. Mercyhurst was able to regain control, going on a 7-0 run of its own late in the half. The momentum was halted with a beautiful feed from Bowen to a leaping Jurić, who tipped it in to bring his game total to nine points on the night. PSU finished the first half with a 33-29 advantage as Jurić was well on his way to a double-double, collecting nine points and eight rebounds while Bowen dished out a team-leading five assists.
Out of the half, it was all Prkačin, who had four straight for the Nittany Lions, giving him 10 points total on an efficient 3-of-3 from the field. Just minutes into the half, a 6-0 run by the Lakers tied the game at 37. PSU was in control of the turnover battle, with just four as a team, compared to Mercyhurst’s eight. A pair of 3-pointers from Allard and Byers propelled Penn State to pull to a 48-41 edge with 10 minutes remaining before a timeout.
Allard connected again from beyond the arc, growing the lead to double-figures on a 10-0 Nittany Lions run. On the other side of the run, Penn State held the Lakers to making just one of their last 10 shots. Meanwhile, Jurić continued to make his presence felt in the paint, converting a hook shot to give him his fourth straight double-double.
Prkačin energized the Bryce Jordan Center crowd with a two-hand slam off an assist from fifth year forward Josh Reed, who converted from long-range on the following play to expand the Penn State lead to 13 with seven minutes remaining. Reed finished the game with seven points, five rebounds and two steals to go along with his assist.
Eight unanswered points from the Lakers trimmed the Nittany Lions lead, 63-57. Two inside buckets from Jurić and Byers halted the Lakers momentum, extending the Penn State lead to 10 with just under two minutes left. Penn State never looked back as Jurić continued to pad the lead, nailing his sixth free throw of the night and converting a layup to bring his game total to 20 points. The Nittany Lions would add two more free throws from Bowen to close out the 72-57 win.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Penn State has won their first meeting against Mercyhurst and is now 1-0 in the all-time series.
- The Nittany Lions improve to 3-1 on the season and remain undefeated at home.
- Penn State outrebounded Mercyhurst, continuing a four game streak of outrebounding their opponent thus far.
- Three Nittany Lions reached double figures in scoring: Jurić (20), Byers (14) and Prkačin (14).
- Jurić continued his dominant start with his first 20-point game to go along with his second 15-board night. Jurić now averages 16.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. He is shooting 58.6% from the field this season following a 7-for-8 performance.
- Byers’ 14 points were his most in a Penn State uniform and his three 3-pointers made set a new season high.
- Prkačin’s 14 points kept him as a team’s leading scorer with 66 points this season, good for a 16.5 points per game average. He is shooting a remarkable 83.3% (25-30) from the field through four games.
- Bowen (seven) and Allard (five) both set new season highs in assists.
UP NEXT
Penn State remains in Happy Valley for the second game of a three-game homestand as they take on New Haven on Sunday, November 15. The game is set for tipoff at 4:30 P.M. (ET) and will be streamed on Peacock/NBCSN.
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