Defense carries Penn State past Saint Francis (Pa.)
Puff Johnson scored a game-high 20 points Tuesday night and Penn State held Saint Francis (Pa.) to three points for more than 10 1/2 minutes of the second half while cruising to a 92-62 win in University Park, Pa.
Ace Baldwin Jr. added 16 points and six assists for the Nittany Lions, who failed to score 100 points for the first time this year but still won easily. Penn State (3-0) forced 24 turnovers that led to 25 points and enjoyed a 21-11 advantage in fastbreak points.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds for the Nittany Lions, while D'Marco Dunn came off the bench to tally 10 points. Penn State sank 49.3 percent of its shots from the field, getting points from 10 of its 11 players.
Bobby Rosenberger scored 14 points for the Red Flash (1-3), while Valentino Pinedo added 11 points and 12 rebounds. Daemar Kelly netted 10 points, but Saint Francis simply didn't have enough offense, making only 37.3 percent from the field.
The Nittany Lions' pressure defense wore down the Red Flash just before the midway point of the second half. It was 64-52 after Jeremy Clayville hit a 3-pointer for Saint Francis with 13:20 left, but Penn State ripped off 15 straight points to seal the outcome.
Penn State got off to a fast start, opening up an 11-0 lead two minutes into the game when Johnson canned a 3-pointer to force a timeout. The Nittany Lions started the game with an alley-oop dunk and then drained three consecutive 3-pointers.
Saint Francis got its bearings shortly thereafter and worked its way into a rhythm, making its first field goal nearly five minutes in. The Red Flash even assumed a brief lead when Kelly converted a short jumper to make it 34-33 with 2:17 to go until halftime.
Penn State regained the lead for good on its next possession. Johnson's 3-pointer started a six-point run that helped the Nittany Lions take a 45-38 cushion into the break.
