Entering on a three-game losing skid, Penn State had a prime opportunity for a get-right game on Monday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center against a struggling N.C. Central team that entered at 4-10, including 0-8 in road games.
After a sluggish return to action, the Nittany Lions powered ahead with a dominant second half to win a 16th consecutive home nonconference game and return to the win column by a 90-67 score.
“Finishing up the nonconference with a win, disappointed in our start … In the second half, I thought we did a really good job of sharing the ball and knocking down some shots,” head coach Mike Rhoades said after the game.
How it happened
Penn State hit an early snag, with Ivan Jurič going down in the opening seconds of the game, but he returned to action minutes later. Regardless of whether he was on the court, the Nittany Lions gave up easy looks near the rim, falling into an early 15-6 hole.
A hustle play from Dominick Stewart forced a turnover, sparking some life into the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State produced a 13-point surge — including eight points from Eli Rice — to take its first lead of the game, 19-17.
Rice stayed hot beyond the arc with another pair of threes, becoming the first Nittany Lion to reach double digits and reaching a season high in the first half. He finished the game with a career high 18 points, fresh off a 0-point showing against Pitt. Penn State built off the momentum, mounting a 34-24 lead with four minutes before halftime.
“Yeah, we challenged him,” Rhoades said. “Eli’s such a great kid, he wants to do right by everybody, but when you’re out there, roll the dice and play … I think when he gets lost in the game, and he’s doing the dirty work stuff, his instincts take over on the offensive end where he can catch and shoot at an elite level.”
N.C. Central battled back to make it a 36-33 game headed into the break, with Khouri Carvey the leading scorer at 11 points. The Nittany Lions’ rebounding struggles continued on both ends, getting outdone 21-10 by the Eagles in the opening frame.
Momentum remained with the home team into the second half, with Kayden Mingo hitting a pair of triples to reach double digits and layups from Rice and Josh Reed giving Penn State its largest lead of the game, 46-35.
However, the Nittany Lions continued to allow easy penetration defensively, surrendering points in the paint and offensive boards to the Eagles, who refused to fade away. Guard Kyric Davis was responsible for six of their first 12 points in the second half.
Melih Tunca came alive in the second half, as he’s done multiple times this season, with eight points in less than four minutes to guide Penn State to a 65-47 advantage at the under-12 timeout.
“(Tunca’s) a lot like Kayden; he wants to be a really good player … He’s gotta keep getting stronger, keep that ball in front of him all the time,” Rhoades said. “He’s a talented player, we all see that.”
While N.C. Central attacked the glass, the Nittany Lions peppered the hoop from beyond the arc, moving to 13-for-26 from deep as the game wore on.
Mingo pushed the tempo and scored a pair of layups to overtake Rice as the leading scorer, powering Penn State to a 73-57 advantage by the under-8 timeout.
“I thought as the game went on, he knew he could take the ball from people and get deflections … he was the head of the snake for us today without a doubt. He was aggressive,” Rhoades said.
With the game in hand, the Nittany Lions subbed in freshman Mason Blackwood for some late minutes. He recorded his first career steal and followed it with a layup at the other end. He finished with a career high with six points.
Fans began trickling out of the arena as Penn State wrapped up the game, advancing to 9-4 on the year and dropping the Eagles to 4-11.
Team leaders
Points: Kayden Mingo, 19
Rebounds: Sasa Ciani, 5
Assists: Kayden Mingo and Freddie Dilione V, 5
Next up: Penn State will face off against No. 20 Illinois on Saturday at The Palestra in Philadelphia
