‘The Way You Get Out Of It Is Together’: Penn State Hoops Snaps Four-Game Losing Streak

Going into Monday night’s matchup with Rutgers, Penn State men’s basketball was frustrated. The Nittany Lions faced four of the top teams in the Big Ten in two weeks and fell to them all.
While Mike Rhoades and Co. had kept up with the last two opponents in Oregon and Michigan State, Monday was another opportunity to get back on track against a good team at home. Behind 22 points from Ace Baldwin Jr. and a perfect 4-4 three-point clip from Freddie Dilione V, the Nittany Lions pulled out an 80-72 victory over the Scarlet Knights to snap the skid.
While Rhoades said there wasn’t a major change in how the group played, he noted they guarded the ball better and executed well on defense. Along with the defense, the team mentality was on display.
“We had a tough two weeks, and when you go through that, the way you get out of it is together,” Rhoades said. “I thought our guys, especially in the second half, stuck together and just had great fight.”
Baldwin said the tough stretch made the team better. Communication improved, as did execution, and eventually, the results came.
“We just stayed together as a team, whenever there was any adversity, the huddles got tighter,” Baldwin said. “The Big Ten is such a tough schedule, and it’s gonna go up and down. We just have to fight through it.”
The win didn’t come easily, either. After a slow start with the blue and white down 9-2, the Nittany Lion offense took hold. Dilione made the first of Penn State’s 10 three-pointers in what became a back-and-forth affair.
The redshirt freshman transfer had his third game of the season with at least four three-pointers made against Rutgers and his second time in three games. With the Nittany Lion lineup going through a game without Baldwin and the loss of Puff Johnson, Dilione’s strong stretch arrived at the right time.
“He just keeps getting better and he’s still a sophomore, he’s still a young guy figuring this out, he was very coachable today,” Rhoades said. “Freddie’s coming along, man… As he continues to mature and takes ownership in everything, he’s going to be a good player for us.”
After the confidence-boosting win on Monday, though, more conference action awaits. The Nittany Lions will hit the road to face Iowa on Friday and travel to No. 21 Michigan on Monday. After that, Ohio State and Minnesota come to town before the Nittany Lions go out west to face UCLA and USC.
Playing in a league like the Big Ten reinforces Rhoades’ message during the losing streak. The team wins and loses together, and there are always areas to improve, even after a win.
“Some days you’re going to lose a really tough one and it hurts, and some days you’re going to get your head kicked in, and other days you’re going to find a way to win and that’s just how it goes,” Rhoades said. “And one thing I’m learning as I’m going along in my second year is this league is a beast. I love it.”
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