Penn State Downs Orange, 85-64

Friday, November 29

Brooklyn, N.Y.

7 PM

Syracuse University

4-3,0-1ACC

Penn State

6-1,0-0Big Ten

Penn St.

Syracuse

11/29/2019 9:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Boeheim Press Conference Highlights Photo Gallery

BROOKLYN, N.Y – A tough shooting night and a one-sided battle on the boards left Syracuse (4-3) with its second straight loss, falling to Penn State (6-1), 84-65, Friday night at the Barclays Center. The Nittany Lions earned third place in the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament with the win.

Elijah Hughes once again paced the Orange, finishing with 19 points and a career-best nine free throws. Freshman Quincy Guerrier scored his first career collegiate double-double with 13 points and 10 rebonds.

SLOW SCORING START
The teams began the contest shooting a combined 3-for-15 from the field in the first five minutes. A full 4:55 after the opening tip, the Nittany Lions led 5-3, with all the Orange scoring coming from Buddy Boeheim. Penn State grabbed four quick offensive boards in the early-going and sophomore guard Myreon Jones drilled two of his first three 3-pointers to give his team a 10-5 advantage. The Nittany Lions built a 12-2 scoring run in the next five minutes of play, and led 22-9 with 7:24 remaining in the opening 20.

CHIPPING AWAY
Hughes began to ignite the 'Cuse offense, nailing two 3-pointers of his own and going 4-for-5 from the free throw strike. Hughes ended the half with 10 points, three rebounds and three assists. Penn State went into the locker room with a 34-27 lead.

The Nittany Lions dominated the glass in the opening half, outrebounding the Orange 30-14, including 13 offensive rebounds that produced 10 second-chance points.

HERE COME THE POINTS
The Orange started strong in the second half, tying the game at 35 thanks to an 8-1 run. Hughes tied the score with an emphatic two-handed slam and Joseph Girard III added four points and two steals in the stretch.

Both teams began to heat up from beyond the arc. The Nittany Lions made their next three shots from long range while Boeheim went 2-for-2 for Syracuse. Penn State held a 57-50 lead with just under eight minutes to play in regulation.

FOUL TROUBLE
Coach Jim Boeheim had to turn to his reserves in crunch time as Bourama Sidibe fouled out with 6:58 remaining in the second half. Forward Marek Dolezaj was also saddled with foul trouble, limiting him to 30:31 minutes of play.

PENN STATE PUTS IT AWAY
With a 63-56 cushion, the Nittany Lions' 11-4 run was enough to put the Orange out of reach. A 3-ball from freshman Seth Lundy and field goals from seniors Mike Watkins and Lamar Stevens gave Penn State a 74-60 edge with 2:21 to go in the contest. The Nittany Lions cruised from that point to the 21-point victory.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

Girard led both teams with seven assists.
Syracuse cashed in 16 points off turnovers, compared to 11 for Penn State.
The Orange had eight steals in the contest. The Nittany Lions had six swipes.
The O-zone turned Penn State over 14 times. 'Cuse had 12 turnovers of its own.
The Nittany Lions outrebounded the Orange 55-27, including 23 offensive boards.
Four Orange players scored in double figures (Hughes - 19, Boeheim - 14, Guerrier - 13, Dolezaj - 10)

UP NEXT
The Orange return to the Dome next Tuesday, Dec. 3 to face Iowa as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Tickets for Iowa and all regular-season home games are on sale now online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Dome Box Office located in the Ensley Athletic Center.

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