Prior to Sunday's game against New Hampshire, Penn State's six wins this season were by an average of six points.
While the majority of victories have been close ones for the Nittany Lions, today's matchup against New Hampshire was not one of them – and it was apparent in the first half.
Despite a sluggish start to an 11 a.m. contest, the Lions (7-4) dismantled the Wildcats in a 72-45 victory. They went on a 20-2 run following the first media timeout.
While New Hampshire (4-7) shot just 17.9 percent from the field in the first half, Penn State did just the opposite.
In terms of scoring, the Lions distributed the ball well, receiving double-digit contributions from four different players and were balanced in their approach.
From the outside, Jermaine Marshall connected on three treys – contributing to his team-leading 15 total points – and freshman forward Brandon Taylor also nailed two from behind the arc to add to his 10-point showing.
Marshall not only made jumpers, but also made impressive contributions in nearly all facets of the game. The redshirt junior logged five steals, four rebounds and three assists.
Guard D.J. Newbill also looked good, tallying 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
And even though the inside game was expected to be an advantage for New Hampshire, Penn State turned it into a positive for themselves on the offensive and defensive end.
Sasa Borovnjak, who entered the game averaging 8.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game over his last three games, was a noticeable force inside with 10 points in the paint in just 21 minutes of playing time.
On the defensive end, the Lions clogged the paint and held New Hampshire's Chris Pelcher to just one point. Prior to Sunday's game, Pelcher averaged 12.4 points per game.
Even though New Hampshire got open looks from downtown, the Wildcats weren’t able to capitalize, shooting just 1-of-10 from behind the arc in the first half.
The Lions also did well in the turnover battle, forcing 15 takeaways while surrendering seven.
