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Penn State can beat Youngstown State 82-71 on Wednesday night.
Penn State posted its biggest point total of the season Wednesday night in defeating Youngstown State 82-71 at the Bryce Jordan Center to improve to 5-1 on the season.
Junior point guard Tim Frazier eclipsed the 20-point mark for the fourth time in six games to lead the Nittany Lions with 26 points on 8-11 shooting to go with 11 assists and four rebounds. Guards Trey Lewis and Cammeron Woodyard broke into double figures as well with 12 and 10 points respectively on the evening.
Blake Allen led the Penguins with 25 points on 9-16 shooting, including 7-12 from 3-point territory. Kendrick Perry chipped in 23 points and three assists.
Penn State raced out to a 21-point advantage in the first half and took a 44-26 lead into the half. The Penguins came out strong to start the second half with hot shooting from the perimeter, but the big lead allowed the Lions to coast to their fifth victory of the season.
Both teams posted solid shooting numbers. Penn State finished the evening at 56.5% from the field while Youngstown State was just under 40% at 39.%. Both teams shot greater than 50% from 3-point territory.
Penn State earned the edge in the rebounding margin, 35-26, and the teams split 11-11 on the offensive boards.
The Lions return to action on Saturday when they take on St. Joseph's in Philadelphia at 3:30 p.m.
Penn State's offense caught fire early against Youngstown State and never looked back in racing out to a 44-26 halftime lead on Wednesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Tim Frazier's 14 points and eight assists paced the Nittany Lions' attack, while Cammeron Woodyard and Trey Lewis added eight and six points to the effort respectively. As a team, Penn State shot 15-25 (60%) for by far it's most efficient shooting performance in a first half all season. Eight Penn State players have scored already in the game.
Blake Allen led the Penguins with eight points in the first half on 3-7 shooting from the field.
In addition to the hot shooting, Penn State earned a 19-14 edge in the rebound margin, including 14 defensive rebounds. The Lions were sloppy with the ball, however, racking up 12 turnovers in the half, putting them on pace for a season-high 24.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh for a full recap after the game.
Penn State looks to remain on its early-season role when it hosts Youngstown State on Wednesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center.
The Nittany Lions, fresh off a split of games against Kentucky and South Florida at the Hall of Fame Tip-off Tournament in Uncasville, Conn. look to improve their early season mark to 5-1 against the Penguins.
Youngstown State is 3-0 and looking to stay perfect on the season in this game.
Here are some things to watch for.
When Penn State has the ball...
-Trey Lewis struggled a bit at the tournament, so it will be interesting to see how he handles the adversity. He is still the team's second leading scorer, after all, so whether he gets out of his funk is kind of a big deal.
-As solid a contributor as Tim Frazier has been early on, he's been prone to some sloppiness handling the basketball. He's averaging 3.4 turnovers per game, which, while not terrible, is a figure he could definitely improve upon. This will be an opportunity for him to be more responsible with the ball.
-The forwards have to start getting involved offensively to take pressure off of the guards.
When Youngstown State has the ball...
-Speaking of forwards, when two guards (Frazier and Cammeron Woodyard) are leading the team in rebounding, it's very clear the bigs aren't quite getting the job done. It's important this group become more active on the glass starting against the Penguins.
-YSU's Kendrick Perry, averaging 18.7 points per game, is dangerous and the Nittany Lions must be aware of him defensively at all times, especially on the perimeter where he's hit 41% of his 3-point attempts.
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Penn State Basketball: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - Youngstown State Edition
by Adam Bittner
A quick look back at the Nittany Lions' win against the Penguins on Wednesday.Continue reading »
Nov 24 8:01a