Penn State Beaver defeated Penn State Hazleton with a final score of 73-54 in their basketball game on January 13, 2024. Penn State Beaver improved their overall record to 5-10 and their conference record to 4-5, while Penn State Hazleton fell to 7-6 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
From the start, Penn State Beaver took control of the game, outscoring Penn State Hazleton 26-22 in the first half. They continued their dominance in the second half, scoring 47 points compared to Penn State Hazleton's 32 points. This strong performance led Penn State Beaver to a comfortable victory.
Nick Gjergji was the leading scorer for Penn State Beaver, contributing 15 points. He made 6 of his 11 field goal attempts, including 3 three-pointers. Josh McCloud also had a solid performance, scoring 9 points and making 3 of his 7 field goal attempts.
For Penn State Hazleton, Connor Rushing was the top scorer with 18 points. He made 5 of his 12 field goal attempts, including 3 three-pointers. Miles Edwards was a strong contributor off the bench, scoring 10 points and making 4 of his 5 field goal attempts.
Overall, Penn State Beaver had a higher shooting percentage, making 42.4% of their field goal attempts compared to Penn State Hazleton's 35.7%. Penn State Beaver also had a better three-point shooting percentage, making 33.3% compared to Penn State Hazleton's 26.3%. However, Penn State Hazleton had a higher free throw percentage, making 52.9% compared to Penn State Beaver's 62.5%.
In terms of rebounds, Penn State Beaver had the advantage, grabbing a total of 36 rebounds compared to Penn State Hazleton's 45 rebounds. Penn State Beaver also had more steals with 14 compared to Penn State Hazleton's 8. The victory for Penn State Beaver highlights their improvement in recent games and their ability to perform well on both ends of the court. The Nittany Lions will look to improve defensively in upcoming matchups beginning with their road trip to Penn State Schuylkill on Tuesday, January 16.
