Penn State begins the 2024-2025 marketing campaign.
The Nittany Lions confirmed off their dominant play on protection en path to a 103-54 victory over UMBC contained in the Bryce Jordan Middle on Friday evening.
Toughness underneath the basket and quickness in transition are two qualities coach Mike Rhoades typically preaches.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser was sandwiched between two defenders within the paint, however the middle's huge body allowed him to gather a rebound and lay down a shot for Penn State's first rating of the sport.
Freddie Dilione V's superior velocity was on show in transition, driving previous the Retrievers on protection for a layup whereas getting fouled within the course of. D'Marco Dunn was fouled after crashing the basket early on the Nittany Lions' possession, sinking two free throws to increase the Blue and White's early result in 9-Three.
Rhoades' suffocating protection prolonged to the press, whereas Ace Baldwin Jr.'s steals. to Nick Kern Jr. led to a different basket for Penn State, 15-Four. Puff Johnson confirmed extra tenacity underneath the basket for the Nittany Lions, scoring a second-chance layup to increase the result in 17-Four.
Nevertheless, there was a method for the Retrievers to keep away from Rhoades' robust protection down low – shoot deep threes. UMBC sank back-to-back Three-pointers, chopping the Blue and White's result in eight, 24-16.
Rhoades' protection made the required changes and the Retrievers had been unable to seek out open appears past the arc. Extra transition scores adopted for Penn State, culminating in Dunn's two free throws, 35-19, after Niederhauser's vicious block that pushed the ball upfield.
Niederhauser hit one other UMBC punt, placing the Nittany Lions in transition. The native of Fraschels, Switzerland discovered himself underneath the basket and drained one other 2-pointer whereas fouled, displaying his toughness within the paint.
As the primary 20 minutes wound down, Kern blocked a layup try by Ace Valentine, proving a pattern, because the Nittany Lions took a 43-28 lead into the locker room. UMBC might solely have sustainable offensive manufacturing if it could possibly discover open appears with the blue and white toughness close to the basket dominating the paint.
Taking up within the second half, Johnson confirmed off his abilities from past the arc earlier than ending it within the paint with a layup because the Blue and White led, 50-28. Niederhauser and Baldwin once more proved instrumental down the stretch, hitting hotly contested two-pointers to increase the lead, 59-33.
UMBC made a Three-pointer on the very subsequent possession, however the alternative was solely out there because of the Nittany Lions protection lacking a Retriever, who discovered himself extensive open within the nook.
The Retrievers had been unable to generate factors within the paint because the Blue and White turned protection into offense in its 9-Zero run that prolonged the lead, 68-36. Penn State's transition rush continued, forcing a number of UMBC turnovers that had been rapidly transformed into two-pointers from Kern and Dominick Stewart to increase the lead, 80-43.
The three-pointers rained down because the Blue and White closed in on triple digits for the second straight sport, 95-51. Dunn, Hicks and Jahvin Carter fueled the long-range efforts because the Nittany Lions shot 57.1 % from deep to that time within the half.
UMBC didn’t convert a layup, as soon as once more displaying Rhoades' powerful protection within the paint. Carter caught the Retrievers off guard in transition, sinking a 3 to eclipse the century mark, 101-51, earlier than successful the sport, 103-54.
Damage report
Offseason additions Miles Goodman and Eli Rice are out for UMBC after lacking Monday's opening evening win over Binghamton.
Subsequent
Penn State will keep on the Bryce Jordan Middle for a conflict in opposition to St. Francis at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday.
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