Penn State Basketball: Nittany Lions Dominate in Win Over Oral Roberts

Penn State men’s basketball (6-1, 0-0 Big Ten) demolished Oral Roberts by the score of 86-48 during a Friday matinee at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Nazeer Bostick and Jamari Wheeler came off the bench and shared the team lead in scoring this afternoon with 14 points each. Tony Carr finished the day with 13 points of his own, while dishing out five assists. Josh Reaves tallied 10 points to give Penn State four double-digit scorers.

The game was the first ever meeting between the Nittany Lions and Golden Eagles.

How It Happened

Pat Chambers’ squad got off to a quick start, scoring the first six points. Two Tony Carr three pointers set the tone for the rest of the game, which Penn State would dominate.

The Nittany Lions started the game on a 15-3 run, but their momentum was slowed during a near-five minute scoreless stretch. Oral Roberts could not capitalize, though, only scoring one basket during that span.

A Jamari Wheeler layup broke the cold stretch and sent Penn State on a 16-6 run that gave the Nittany Lions a 31-9 lead entering the final few minutes of the half. Shep Garner, who struggled in the Lions’ last game against Texas A&M, did not record a point in the first half.

Penn State went into halftime holding a 38-19 lead. Josh Reaves led all scorers with 10 points in the first half, followed closely by Lamar Stevens’ 7 and Tony Carr and Jamari Wheeler, who each tallied six.

The second half got off to an even better start than the first for the Nittany Lions, who opened on a 13-0 run before Oral Roberts finally hit a three-pointer. This stretch only lasted five minutes, but it served as the dagger for any hopes the Golden Eagles had for a comeback.

The blowout allowed Chambers to spread around the playing time. Nazeer Bostick came off the bench and led all scorers with 14 points alongside Jamari Wheeler, who also came off the bench.

Garner, meanwhile, bounced back nicely in the second with two quick three pointers. Freshman walk-on Deivis Zemgulis got in on the fun late in the second half, splashing home a three in the final minute to extend Penn State’s lead to a final score of 86-48

Player Of The Game

Jamari Wheeler | Freshman | Guard

Jamari Wheeler came off the bench and put on a clinic for Penn State.

He finished with 14 points, which was tied for the most of all scorers on the afternoon. In addition to his scoring, the freshman grabbed seven rebounds and distributed the ball well, adding three assists.

Getting up big early allowed a freshman like Wheeler to burst onto the scene and make a big impact despite starting on the bench.

What’s Next

The Nittany Lions will be back in action on Wednesday for a tough away game against N.C. State in Raleigh. Tip-off is at 7:15 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPNU as part of the Big Ten/ACC challenge.