Penn State didn’t need style points on this one. The Nittany Lions leaned on defense, free throws and enough late-game toughness to outlast Chattanooga 97-93 at the Bryce Jordan Center and move to 2-0.
The win came with a little extra ceremony attached, too. Former Penn State assistant coach, Penn State alum and Chattanooga head coach Dan Earl was honored before tipoff in his return to Happy Valley.
Penn State rolled out the same starting five it used in its season-opening blowout of Canisius, but the opening minutes looked nothing like that lopsided first game. Thomas Allard gave the Nittany Lions an early spark with two 3-pointers and a pull-up jumper, helping them grab a 6-2 lead. Chattanooga answered quickly, though, as Kobe McDowell-White buried three shots from deep to pull the Mocs even at 11-11.
From there, the game turned choppy and physical. Scoring slowed during a whistle-filled stretch until François Wibaut stepped in to jump-start Penn State. The 6-foot-7 junior finished through contact for an and-one, then knocked down a 3 on his next touch to put the Nittany Lions back in front.
Josh Reed followed with a tough putback to stretch the lead to 21-13, but Chattanooga kept hanging around and trimmed the margin. Penn State couldn’t quite shake the Mocs until its defense started dictating the game. Wibaut added a pull-up jumper, Reed picked off a steal and got to the line, and Ivan Jurić dove for a ball at midcourt to force another turnover that sent Dasone Bowen to the stripe.
Then Jurić added a big shot of his own, drilling a long-range jumper to make it 33-22. By that point, Chattanooga had already piled up 10 fouls with more than five minutes left in the half, and Penn State took full advantage. Over the final five minutes before halftime, the Nittany Lions ripped off a 16-2 run fueled by free throws and work on the glass.
That surge sent Penn State into the break up 54-31. The Nittany Lions had outrebounded Chattanooga by 11 and taken 16 more free throws, converting 95.5% of their attempts at the line.
The second half brought a different feel. Chattanooga came out sharper, scoring the first two baskets after the break and then crashing the offensive boards to fuel an eight-point run. Wibaut stopped that stretch with a fading bucket, but the Mocs kept pressing.
McDowell-White stayed hot and helped cut the Penn State lead to 65-54 during another foul-heavy stretch, this time with the whistles going against the Nittany Lions. Bowen tried to steady the offense, but Chattanooga kept finding answers and pulled within nine with under 10 minutes left.
Penn State’s defense still had some teeth. Wibaut and Roko Prkačin each came up with blocks, though both were whistled for goaltending.
Foul trouble became part of the story, too, with Prkačin and Allard sitting on four fouls as Penn State tried to close things out. Allard eventually picked up his fifth with 1:30 remaining, but by then Reed had already done enough on both ends to help the Nittany Lions survive the push.
McDowell-White finished with 28 points and seven 3-pointers for Chattanooga. Reed led Penn State with 25 points and added five steals and five rebounds. Jurić recorded his second double-double of the season, and Bowen, Allard, Prkačin and Wibaut all reached double figures as well.
Penn State’s 43 made free throws set a new program record, topping the previous mark of 36 against Northwestern last season. Brant Byers had a rough shooting night, going 1-for-10 from the field and missing all seven of his 3-point tries.
Next up, Penn State leaves Happy Valley for the first time this season and heads to Philadelphia for a Keystone Clash matchup with Pittsburgh at the Palestra. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m., and the game will stream on ESPN2.
In Other News...
Penn State Just Got A Bigger Problem For Washington Trip
Washingtons quarterback situation is suddenly worth watching closely heading into Penn States trip west, because Jedd Fisch said Demond Williams is expected to start if he feels healthy. Williams has dealt with injuries and uneven play throughout the 2026 season, but he also showed why Washington wants him back on the field when he returned late in a recent game and helped finish off a win.
For Penn State, that changes the shape of the matchup in a hurry. Williams has already been through enough this season to make his availability a real week-to-week question, yet his presence gives Washington a different ceiling and a more dangerous look than the backup plan would offer. The Nittany Lions will be preparing for the possibility that the Huskies get their quarterback back at close to full strength, even if the final call still hinges on how he feels before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Biggest Injury Concern Just Got More Interesting
Penn States injury report brought a little more clarity heading into its matchup with Washington, with left tackle Malachi Goodman and receiver Chase Sowell both listed as probable. Goodman has been a steady presence up front all season, starting all eight games and leading the Nittany Lions in offensive snaps, so his status matters well beyond one lineup note. Defensive tackle Armstrong Nnodim is also probable, giving the team a better look on both sides of the ball as the week moves along.
Koby Howard is the one name still worth watching, though, after being listed as questionable. For a Penn State offense that has leaned on continuity in the trenches and depth at receiver, the final call there could shape how the staff approaches its options against Washington. The update leaves the Nittany Lions in a better spot than they might have been, but not quite out of the woods yet. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Campbell Just Gave Penn State Fans A New Reason To Hope
Matt Campbells approach against Purdue offered Penn State fans something they have not seen enough of this season: a little more edge. The fake field goal was the kind of call that immediately changes the feel of a game, and it fit with a broader willingness to take chances instead of settling into the safer, more conservative script that had defined much of the year.
Campbell also showed he was willing to trust his offense in a spot where most coaches would think twice, going for it on fourth down from his own 28-yard line. For a fan base that has spent plenty of time waiting for the Nittany Lions to play with more conviction, those choices mattered, and they left a real question hanging over the rest of the season: was this a one-game shift, or the start of a bolder Penn State identity? [Read more 🡒]