UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Mike Watkins recorded a double-double and four Penn State players scored in double figures as the 20th-ranked Nittany Lions topped Cornell 90-59 on Sunday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State improved to 11-2, while Cornell slipped to 1-10.
Watkins hit 9-of-10 shots from the floor, including all eight attempts in the first half, as the home team shot 52 percent for the the game. Lamar Stevens added 19, Myreon Jones had 18 and Izaiah Brockington posted 11 Penn State held a 43-28 edge on the backboards and dominated the paint, outscoring Cornell 44-20.
Jimmy Boeheim led the Big Red with 17 points and six rebounds while chipping in three assists, a blocked shot and a steal. Fellow junior tri-captain
Terrance McBride scored 12 points with five assists and
Greg Dolan notched eight points, three rebounds and two steals off the bench to pace Cornell. The Big Red turned the ball over 17 times, resulting in 30 Nittany Lion points.
The Nittany Lions pulled away six minutes in, using their superior size to build a sizable lead and never allowing Cornell back in. Watkins hit all seven of his attempts in the first 14 minutes to set the tone, and Boeheim's 11 points and stretches of solid play weren't nearly enough against a Penn State team that moved to 9-0 at home on the year.
First Half
• Penn State used a 12-0 run break a 9-9 tie, led by as many as 19 and cruised to a 45-29 edge at the half.
• Watkins made all eight of his field goals en route to 16 points and nine rebounds at the break, while Stevens chipped in 14 for the Nittany Lions.
• Cornell made 5-of-11 from beyond the arc with McBride hitting both of his attempts en route nine 10 in the first 20 minutes.
• The Big Red won the tap and scored on its first possession with Boeheim getting a basket in the post, the first of his 11 points at the break.
• Watkins answered with four straight and had two dunks in the game's first three minutes.
• After trailing 7-2, Cornell knotted the game at 9-9 on a 3-pointer by Knapp with 15:43 on the clock.
• Stevens scored seven consecutive during a 10-0 run that put Penn State in the lead for good.
• Boeheim hit a pair of free throws, then found Marcus Filien in the corner for an open 3-pointer to get the Big Red back within five, but the Nittany Lions answered right back.
• The home team scored 14 straight and held Cornell scoreless for 6:03 to extend the lead all the way to 19 (33-14).
Second Half
• Cornell hung around in the early part of the second half, but a 16-2 Penn State run over nearly seven minutes gave the Nittany Lions an insurmountable 32-point lead.
• Dolan had all eight of his points in the second half and senior walk-on Noah Gear made his collegiate debut to highlight the second half for Cornell.
• The Big Red outscored the Nittany Lions 16-12 over the final seven minutes to close out the game strong, including consecutive 3-pointers by the freshman.
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Next Up
• Cornell will welcome Purchase College for the first time when the teams meet on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. at Newman Arena in Ithaca.
• The contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.
• Cornell has almost annually played a non-Division I team, going 27-0 with an average margin of victory of more than 30 points per game in the last 27 seasons.
