Penn State men's basketball defeats Robert Morris in exhibition game 68-58
Penn State never trailed and four Nittany Lions finished with double-digit scoring efforts in a 68-58 exhibition win over the Robert Morris Colonials on Friday night at the UPMC Medical Center in Moon Township.
Qudus Wahab led Penn State, contributing 15 points along with 10 rebounds, including four on the offensive end. The former Maryland Terrapin and Georgetown Hoya had an impressive performance, shooting 6-for-8 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.
Fellow transfers Ace Baldwin (VCU) and Zach Hicks added 13 and 11 points, respectively. They took the heaviest volume of shots for the Nittany Lions on the night. Baldwin connected on 6-of-14 attempts, including 1-of-2 from beyond the arc, while Hicks struggled from long range, going 2-for-10, but managed 4-of-13 overall.
Nick Kern, another VCU transfer, had a solid offensive night, scoring nine points on 3-of-7 shooting from the floor and making 3-of-4 free throws. He also contributed with three rebounds, one assist, and one steal. D'Marco Dunn, a North Carolina transfer, added eight points, making 3-of-4 shots from the floor, including both of his three-point attempts.
As a team, the Nittany Lions shot 43.3% from the field on Friday night, including a 5-for-18 performance from beyond the arc. They secured a 39-37 advantage in the overall rebound battle and a 29-27 lead in the defensive rebound battle. Notably, both teams had 10 offensive rebounds during the evening, but Penn State struggled to capitalize on these opportunities, converting only nine points on their 10 offensive rebounds, whereas Robert Morris was more efficient, scoring 16 points off their own offensive boards.
One area where the Nittany Lions excelled was in causing turnovers and capitalizing on them. They forced 16 turnovers during the game and also recorded three blocks. The 16 turnovers led to 12 points for the Nittany Lions on the offensive side of the court.
In the game, Penn State would jump out to an early 11-2 lead over the Colonials over the first seven and half minutes of the game before Robert Morris looked to make it a game before halftime. While the Nittany Lions would attempt to keep the Colonials at bay, Andrew Toole's squad would continue to scrap and cut Penn State's once nine-point lead down to just 33-30 prior to halftime before a pair of free throws from Qudus Wahab would make it a 35-30 game heading into halftime.
In the second half, Robert Morris continued to play with a gritty style, coming within a single point of tying the game at the 16:22 mark. However, Mike Rhoades' squad responded effectively after a media timeout and embarked on a 16-5 run, turning a slim 44-43 lead into a 60-48 advantage with 7:34 remaining in the contest. Although Robert Morris managed to reduce the deficit to five heading into the final two minutes, the Nittany Lions ultimately pulled away in the closing moments, securing a 68-58 victory.
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