Penn State men’s basketball (7-1) kept up its strong early season play Wednesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center. After beating Syracuse in the NIT Season Tip-Off, Penn State came back from Brooklyn to play another ACC opponent in Wake Forest (5-4).

Strong defense and consistent scoring helped the Nittany Lions cruise past the Demon Deacons 76-54. Mike Watkins recorded his 800th rebound during the game. Sixteen total boards and five blocks from the senior helped seal the victory, along with a team-leading 22 points for Myreon Jones.

How It Happened

Wake Forest got the opening tip to go its way, but Mike Watkins sent a corner three right into the Penn State bench with a huge block. Watkins continued his hot start with a steal on the inbound pass. Myreon Jones got a mid-range jumper to fall and the Nittany Lions seemed to be in the driver’s seat from the get-go.

Even with some miscues on offense, Penn State’s defense was choking the life out of the Demon Deacons. Jones and Lamar Stevens followed Watkins with steals of their own, along an emphatic windmill dunk off the break for Stevens.

The Nittany Lions wouldn’t slow down either, pushing that lead to double digits with 13:31 still to go in the first half.

The Demon Deacons were able to get things together and stop Penn State’s relentless assault after the Nittany Lions found themselves up 20-7. Wake Forest went on a 13-5 run to dig itself out of the hole a bit, thanks in part to the hot hand of sophomore guard Sharone Wright Jr.

After a timeout from Pat Chambers, Penn State got right back into it. Jones buried his second three of the day and Jamari Wheeler was able to finish off a fast break to put Penn State up 30-20.

Curtis Jones Jr. made the most of his time on the court in the closing minutes of the first half. A jumper followed by a fast break lay-in — with a beautiful behind the back move to get past a Demon Deacon defender –helped build that Penn State lead back to where it was.

Myreon Jones nailed his third trey of the night to put him at 16 points before halftime. John Harrar scored his first bucket of the night soon after and gave the Nittany Lions a comfy 41-23 lead to work on in the second half.

Penn State had a scare when Watkins went down to the paint and was slow to get up soon after the start of the second half. He soon got on his feet, though, and nabbed a bucket off of a strong backdown in the post. Watkins would continue building on his big night, as three rebounds later the senior reached 800 career boards, becoming only the third Nittany Lion to ever do so.

The Nittnay Lions kept pushing on and built a 23-point lead with 13:00 to go in the game. Stevens got going as he attacked the basket and got plenty of chances at the charity stripe. Izaiah Brockington was staying aggressive as well, unafraid of contact as he slid in a few and-one’s himself.

Any momentum the Demon Deacons were able to build on that first half was completely burned out, as Wake Forest was shooting a measly 27% from the field. This was thanks in large part to a monster defensive effort from Penn State, highlighted by Watkins’ complete ownership of the paint. The big man was swatting balls left and right and his quick reflexes gave himself a trio of steals.

Watkins wasn’t the only one having fun. Brockington nailed a three from the top of the key to push his scoring to 11. Stevens matched Watkins with three steals of his own along with seven rebounds. The younger Jones was having himself a night as well, leading the team in scoring with deadeye sniping from deep.

Penn State could smell victory from a mile away, cruising for the rest of the game. Brockington kept up his energy was a vicious slam and Kyle McCloskey was able to see the floor, driving to the hoop and getting his layup to bounce in. The Nittany Lions wouldn’t be able to keep a 30-point lead, but they settled for 22 as they sailed to a 76-54 win.

Takeaways

• Watkins was a beast on the floor. Seven points might not look impressive, but 16 rebounds, five blocks, and three steals along with lockdown interior defense made his presence felt.
• While his three ball wasn’t automatic in the second half as it was in the first, Myreon Jones still made every bucket count as he lead the team with 22 points. He also played great on defense, with his quick hands nabbing a pair of steals.
• The Nittany Lions’ defense was playing at an elite level all night. It forced 20 turnovers and made Wake Forest shoot a lousy 29% from the field. The unit was quick on switches and more than willing to hustle on their help defense.

What’s Next

Penn State will take a trip to Columbus as it starts conference play against No. 6 Ohio State on Saturday. Tip off is at noon and you can catch the game on BTN.