Penn State took care of business on Monday afternoon, beating Dartmouth 69-49 to finish off the non-conference schedule at a 12-1 mark.
The 12 non-conference wins are the most in program history but with a tough Big Ten schedule up ahead it will be a long time before the Nittany Lions are celebrating their accomplishments.
How It Happened:
The Nittany Lions used a 20-9 run to open up the game early in the first half and would lead by a 41-16 margin at the break. Penn State was led by DJ Newbill’s 17 points on the afternoon but a total team effort from the bench and supporting cast saw the Nittany Lions lead by as many as 26. Geno Thorpe added 12 points and 4 rebounds while John Johnson and Brandon Taylor added 10 points each. From there Penn State got a 6 point 5 rebound effort from Ross Travis and a combined 9 point, 6 rebound effort from Shep Garner and Donovon Jack.
Penn State trailed by 2 just under 5 minutes into the game but never looked back after taking the lead. The win gives Penn State a 12-1 record on the year, the most non-conference wins ever in program history.
It Was Over When:
Penn State and Dartmouth were tied at 7-7 with 15:24 to go in the game and a Nittany Lion 20-9 run made it a 27-16 game with 6:46 to go in the half. Dartmouth would only score 3 points in the final 6:18 of the half and Penn State’s 41-16 halftime lead made the second half something of a formality.
Stats Of The Game:
The Nittany Lions shot 11 of 16 from inside the arc in the first half and 15-26 overall in the opening 20 minutes of play. DJ Newbill went 5-of-7 in the opening frame as four different Nittany Lions had 5 or more points. On the flip side the Penn State defense held Dartmouth to only 29% shooting.
Penn State would go on a 34-9 run to end the first half.
Ten different Nittany Lions scored on Monday with four breaking into double figures.
DJ Newbill played only 30 minutes as the Nittany Lions went deep into the bench and shared the ball for 15 assists.
Player Of The Game:
Newbill’s 7-of-12 shooting and 17 points wasn’t all that impressive by his standards but it was effective. Brandon Taylor followed up his double-double with a 10 point 8 rebound effort that would have given him the honors if not for a 3-for-11 shooting clip. Overall though Penn State played a solid all around team game that makes no one performance stand out above the rest.
What’s Up Next:
Penn State will rest up for nine days before playing Wisconsin to open Big Ten play on the road on New Year’s eve at 1 p.m.
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