The Penn State men’s basketball team played their second and final exhibition game tonight against Drexel inside the Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia, Pa.
The game started out with Drexel draining a three, but then the Nittany Lions stormed back with buckets from Roberts Blums, Ivan Juric and Josh Reed to make the score 6-5 at the first media timeout (15:12).
The Dragons, though, did not flinch and retook the lead 10-7 with 12:03 left in the first half.
At the second media timeout (11:10), Drexel was up by one, 10-9.
Then Penn State started to use their size inside and after foul shots by Juric and a Brant Byers’ three the score was all tied 12-12 (9:16).
The Nittany Lions were shooting 33% to the Dragons’ 35% and with 6:29 left until halftime, the score was tied at 17.
Juric was leading the Blue & White with five points.
Behind their home crowd, the Dragons then took their biggest lead of the game at the 5:24 mark after back-to-back threes to make the score 23-17.
Penn State kept attacking, though, and with 2:58 left before halftime it was the Dragons over the Nittany Lions, 24-23.
After a Dasonte Bowen coast-to-coast drive to the hoop with four seconds to play until halftime, the Nittany Lions were up on the Dragons, 31-30.
Bowen was leading PSU with 8 points and Juric had 7.
Penn State finished the first half shooting 45% from the field to Drexel’s 38%.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.To start the second half, it was Drexel hitting the offensive boards and retaking the lead, but that was short-lived when the Nittany Lions went on a run capped by a Francois Wibaut splash from downtown to make the score 49-43 with 10:20 to play in the game.
Both teams were in the bonus and it seemed this game was going to be won at the free throw line.
With 7:56 left to play, it was Penn State over Drexel 51-49 and the Dragons were not going away quietly.
After a Josh Reed and-1, it was the Nittany Lions over the Dragons 53-49 with 6:45 to play.
Drexel started to get cold shooting from the field and Penn State took advantage with Reed and Bowen making plays to the hoop and with 4:31 left in regulation it was the Nittany Lions over the Dragons 56-49.
Penn State was putting the clamps down on defense and the Dragons were turning the ball over.
The Nittany Lions had their biggest lead of the game of ten points, 61-51, with 2:39 to play and PSU called a timeout to make sure to close out the game.
Penn State did not let up and they were rebounding well and getting to the free throw line.
The Nittany Lions closed out Drexel with a final score of 68-57.
