Penn State closed out its homestand against Campbell in the Bryce Jordan Center on Tuesday night, looking to continue its successful nonconference campaign.
The Nittany Lions mounted a first-half lead and held on late, coming away with an 87-76 win to advance to 8-1 on the year.
“It was a choppy game for us, but I was proud of our guys, especially down the stretch,” head coach Mike Rhoades said after the game.
How it happened:
Penn State started the game with a defensive stand, forcing Campbell into a shot clock violation on the opening possession and setting the tone for what began as a defensive struggle.
Josh Reed went down just minutes into the game, causing a stoppage in play for what he later confirmed to be an ankle injury, though he returned to the game shortly after.
Reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Week Kayden Mingo provided most of the early offense, responsible for seven of the team’s first 12 points, though the Nittany Lions fell into a 16-12 deficit.
“He’s a very aggressive player, you saw that again tonight,” Rhoades said. “He’s gonna make plays for us. We want an attacking point guard all the time.”
A 12-1 run — including four points from Freddie Dilione V — gave Penn State a 26-20 lead, which quickly evaporated into a 33-30 Camels advantage, with DJ Smith powering the lead change.
Momentum flipped again off back-to-back steals for the Nittany Lions, including one on an inbound pass, giving Penn State a 36-33 lead. The team rode the momentum into halftime ahead 46-39.
“We gotta be able to guard good offensive teams,” Rhoades said. “I thought our guys did better sustaining our defense, deflections in the half court.”
That extended to a 63-50 difference in the opening minutes of the second half, including six points from Ivan Jurić in a three-minute span.
Shortly after mounting its largest lead of the game at 68-54, Penn State struggled to get into a rhythm offensively with turnovers and poor shot selection. The lead shrunk to 79-74 with under two minutes to play, prompting a full-court press from Campbell.
Mingo, who produced 15 points in the first half, got his first bucket of the second half to give the Nittany Lions a seven point lead, and free throws helped salt the game away.
“He’s really hard on himself to get better,” Rhoades said of Mingo. “I really think he’s a good player now, he’s only gonna continue to get better and better … I wish he wasn’t so hard on himself, but often the good ones are.”
Team leaders:
Points: Kayden Mingo, 21
Rebounds: Freddie Dilione V, 4
Assists: Dominick Stewart, 5
Up next: Penn State kicks off Big Ten play with a tough test at No. 22 Indiana next Tuesday, slated for an 8:30 p.m. tipoff on FS1.
