Penn State 80, Navy 71: Lions Handle Business

SB Nation

The Penn State Nittany Lions embarked on their third game of the season, on Veterans Day against Navy. The Midshipmen, projected by some to win the Patriot League, was poised to be come a good test for

a young Lion squad looking to gel early.

Early on, it certainly looked like that would be the case. Navy used a traditional 3-point play to take the first lead, and the first seven minutes of the first half were a closely contested affair, with Navy managing to either lead or stay within striking distance. Then, for the next seven, it looked like the Nittany Lions would run away with it. Both teams fell into a slump for the closing minutes of the first half, which Navy used to chip away at the 11-point lead Penn State built up.

The second half started exactly like the first. Navy scored the first four points of the half, and the two teams spent the next six minutes trading points, though the Lions never gave up the lead. Like the first half, The Lions opened up another 11-point lead after the first back and forth, though this one came quicker, as the Lions went up at exactly the 14-minute mark of the second half.

Navy used heavy zone to deal with the Nittany Lions’ height, to mostly positive results. It served as a way to slow down the Lions each time they opened up their big lead, as they did so in vintage Mike Rhoades fashion: force turnovers, run the floor, score quickly. And each time the lead grew past 10, the zone helped Navy slowly cut it down to single digits.

The Midshipmen mixed in some pressure, and suddenly the 12-point led shrank to three. Lucklily, Freddie Dilione had had enough. A three-point play, a pseudo assist, and another drawn foul later, the Nittany Lions saw the lead back at a comfortable 10.

The pattern kept on as the game came to a close. The Lions opened up another 11-point lead with less than two minutes left, Navy hit a three, and, well, we got into our customary “foul to make the next minute feel like 30” sequence to close us out.

Players of the Game

Freddie Dilione V – 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

When Penn State found itself in a lull in the second half, Dilione woke the Nittany Lions up and prevented Navy from completing the comeback. The 19 points helped too.

Random Observations

Height? – Yes, it’s Navy, but it’s good to see Penn State’s big men perform decently. Hopefully natural progression makes them a small liability in conference play, instead of the massive disadvantage we’d been expecting coming into the season.

Hot and cold – The one thing that hasn’t changed, even with a brand new roster, is the hot and cold nature of the offense. They look like world beaters for a stretch, then can’t hit the broad side of a barn the next. Consistency is going to be key if you want to avoid the single-digit win projection.

Never change, Bryce Jordan – It wouldn’t be a Penn State game if you didn’t have clock issue. They made it 58 minutes and 30 seconds before the clock monster hit.