Penn State men’s basketball (9-9, 0-7 Big Ten) lost to Maryland (8-10, 1-6 Big Ten) 96-73 in the Xfinity Center, still searching for its first conference win of the 2025-26 season.

Penn State fell behind by 30 points in the first half as David Coit caught fire from beyond the arc, helping Maryland take a 56-26 lead into the break. Although the Nittany Lions opened the second half on a 20-4 run, they were never able to fully climb back into the game.

How It Happened

Mike Rhoades started Kayden Mingo, Dominick Stewart, Eli Rice, Ivan Jurić, and Josh Reed. It marked Mingo’s first game back since January 3 against Illinois.

Penn State won the opening tip, and Mingo knocked down a three-pointer on the Nittany Lions’ first possession. After misses from the Terrapins, Mingo and Reed each covered inside to help Penn State start a perfect 4-for-4.

Maryland quickly answered, with David Coit catching fire from beyond the arc. Coit drained multiple early threes, and Maryland capitalized on Penn State turnovers. Andre Mills knocked down a three off a turnover near midcourt, pushing Maryland ahead 19-13.

Penn State responded with second-chance points from Rice and a three from Freddie Dilione V to cut the deficit, but Coit continued to connect from deep. Elijah Saunders and Solomon Washington added baskets off defensive breakdowns and offensive rebounds. The Terps’ sixth-made three of the opening nine minutes pushed the lead to double digits.

The run only grew from there. Maryland strung together several fast-break buckets and knocked down three more triples in a span of just over four minutes. Turnovers and missed opportunities killed Penn State, allowing the Terps to stretch their first-half lead past 20.

Coit capped off his first-half performance with an and-one finish and another deep three, giving him 30 points before the break, matching Penn State’s entire team total by that point. Maryland closed the half with Darius Adams burying a step-back three at the buzzer to send the Terrapins into the locker room with a 56-26 advantage.

Stewart ignited a run to start the second half, immediatley connecting on a three-pointer. The Nittany Lions forced consecutive turnovers and found Stewart again from deep before adding a floater of his own.

Rice added a three, and Stewart’s third triple of the half cut the deficit to just 10. Maryland answered as Washington finished multiple dunks to halt the surge, pushing the lead back to double digits. Saunders followed with a three-point lay after capitalizing on a Penn State giveaway.

Coit reentered the game and knocked down a step-back three for his seventh of the contest, then added an and-one finish at the rim moments later. Despite another three from Rice that briefly settled down the momentum, Coit continued to bury threes to extend the Terps lead. Coit’s ninth three-pointer tied a Maryland record, pushing the lead back beyond 20 with under five minutes to play.

The Terps closed the game down the stretch, with Saunders knocking down a three to push the lead to 90-67. Penn State found late buckets from Jurić, Mingo, and Stewart, but Adams answered one more time from beyond the arc to seal a 96-73 win.

Takeaways

• Coit delivered the most dominant first-half performance Penn State has faced this season, scoring more than the Nittany Lions did as a team in the opening 20 minutes.
• In his first game back since Janary 3, Mingo finished with 19 points, five assists, and three rebounds while going 7-for-12 from the field. While the early deficit proved too big to overcome, Mingo’s performance gave an encouraging sign as he’s rotated back into the lineup.
• Penn State’s loss dipped it to 0-7 in Big Ten play, extending its conference skid against a Maryland team that also entered the game winless in league play.

What’s Next?

Penn State hoops will make its return to Rec Hall to face Wisconsin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 22. Folks can watch the game on FS1.