Ace Baldwin Jr. led the way with 25 points and 11 assists as Penn State remained unbeaten with a 102-89 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne on Wednesday in University Park, Pa.
Five other players scored in double figures for the Nittany Lions (5-0): Zach Hicks (17 points), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (16 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks), Nick Kern Jr. (13 points), Freddie Dilione V (11 points) and Puff Johnson (11 points).
Penn State shot well from the field (55.7 percent) and the 3-point arc (11 of 25, 44 percent), while its second-half numbers (71.9 percent shooting, 9 of 14 from 3-point range) were even more impressive.
Purdue Fort Wayne (3-2) was led by Jalen Jackson’s 31 points and Corey Hadnot II’s 20 points. Eric Mulder chipped in 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Mastodons.
With under 10 minutes remaining, Penn State led just 74-69 before Baldwin’s layup kickstarted a 12-0 run. Hicks connected on two 3-pointers during the burst, including a triple that made it 86-69 with 6:57 to play.
Purdue Fort Wayne got within 94-85 with 1:27 to go, but Konan Niederhauser threw down a dunk on the next possession, and the hosts cruised to the finish line.
The score was close throughout the first half until the Mastodons began to create some separation late in the session.
Jackson’s 3-pointer with 3:10 left before halftime put Purdue Fort Wayne ahead 39-33, and then he dunked about a minute later to make it 43-35.
With 1:27 to go before the break, Quinton Morton-Robertson knocked down a 3-pointer to push the Mastodons’ lead to double digits (47-36) for the first time. However, the hosts scored the final five points of the half — including a 3-pointer by Hicks — to get within 47-41 at intermission.
Baldwin came out firing in the second half, drilling three 3-pointers (one of which became a four-point play) in the first two minutes, turning the six-point halftime deficit into a 51-47 advantage.
With under 15 minutes left in the contest, Jackson made three straight buckets to put Purdue Fort Wayne up by a point. However, Baldwin and D’Marco Dunn each made a 3-pointer during an 8-0 run as Penn State regained a seven-point cushion.
–Field Level Media
