In the homecoming for Penn State leader Ace Baldwin Jr., the graduate student powered Penn State to a dominant 86-64 victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Hall of Fame Series.
Baldwin led all scorers with 19 points while dishing out 10 assists and snagging three steals. Zach Hicks followed with 19 points ( five 3’s), five rebounds and three steals. Nick Kern Jr. finished with 16 points and two stocks.
Overall, Penn State shot 51 percent from the field and made 22 out of 30 free throws. Virginia Tech was held to 44 percent shooting and forced into 24 turnovers, which PSU turned into 28 points.
To start the game, Penn State was 4-for-5 overall and 2-of-2 from downtown. The Nittany Lions were able to jump out to an early 10-2 lead by the first media timeout.
Baldwin was involved on all 10 points as he had four buckets and two assists. One of those assists was on a Hicks three, who finished the half with 12 points on an efficient 4-of-7.
Baldwin (five assists in the first half) continued to set up his teammates as he connected with Kern on back-to-back transition plays. Then, he hit Hicks for his third three of the night, giving Penn State a 14-point advantage at the 10:41 mark.
After that make, PSU went on a six-and-a-half minute field goal drought, only converting seven free throws.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Virginia Tech ended the half with a 21-15 scoring advantage but was never able to grab the lead. Penn State would take a 37-29 lead into halftime after Baldwin was assessed a technical, giving Virginia Tech its 29th point.
In the second, a three by Dilione and two Baldwin free throws gave Penn State a 10-point advantage. Then, Puff Johnson (nine points) went on a personal 9-2 run, stepping into passing lanes for two steals along the way.
At the 14:49 mark, Baldwin cashed in on an and-one left-handed layup to give the Nittany Lions an 18-point lead. By the 12:26 mark, PSU had already been to the line nine times in the second half and was shooting perfectly.
A Kern floater gave Penn State its first 20-point lead of the night, a lead Virginia Tech would never encroach on.
As Yanic Konan Niederhauser was in foul trouble all night (eventually fouling out), Penn State ramped up its defensive activity to the tune of 16 steals. The Nittany Lions outscored the Hokies 46-35 in the second half, bringing the final score to 86-64.
Penn State will return home on Wednesday to take on Purdue Fort Wayne.
