Hoops du Jour - Nov. 7-8
Penn State’s women get the Saturday spotlight in Cincinnati, while the men’s in-state showdown with Pitt headlines Sunday’s slate at The Palestra. There’s also a full run of area college results, plus a major NBA development involving Kristaps Porzingis.
SATURDAY
Women: PSU at Cincinnati
Penn State heads to Fifth Third Arena looking for its first win after opening the season with a home loss to Cleveland State. The Nittany Lions are 0-1, while Cincinnati comes in at 1-0 after beating East Texas A&M by eight points.
This is the second meeting between the programs. Penn State won last year in the teams’ first-ever matchup. Cincinnati finished 11-20 a season ago.
The Nittany Lions are now under first-year coach Tanisha Wright, who is the seventh coach in program history. PSU also has only one player from last year’s roster still on the team.
Mirror prediction: Penn State 66, Cincinnati 60
Mirror prediction record: 0-1
-- Michael Boytim
SUNDAY
Men: Pitt vs. Penn State
The 150th all-time meeting between Pitt and Penn State lands at The Palestra, with both teams unbeaten at 2-0. Pitt is 2-0 overall and 0-0 in the ACC, while Penn State is 2-0 overall and 0-0 in the Big Ten.
The series has been tight for years, with Penn State holding a 76-73 edge. Pitt took last season’s matchup, rolling to an 80-46 win at the Giant Center in Hershey on Dec. 21, 2025.
Only three players from that game are back: Penn State’s Josh Reed, who scored nine points in 31 minutes, and Ivan Juric, who had no points and three rebounds in 14 minutes, plus Pitt’s Macari Moore, who didn’t score in two minutes of action.
Pitt is coming off a wild second-half surge against Buffalo. After trailing by 13 at the break, the Panthers outscored Buffalo 48-16 after halftime to win 80-61.
Georgia Tech transfer Baye Ndongo powered that comeback with 23 points and 21 rebounds. Pitt shot just 5-of-23 from 3-point range in that game after going 14-of-26 from deep in its opener against Rider.
Penn State enters off a 97-93 win over Tennessee Chatanooga, a game it controlled early with a 54-31 halftime lead. The Nittany Lions won by getting to the line and cashing in, finishing 43 of 49 on free throws. Reed led the way with 25 points, while Roko Prkacin added 13 after scoring 28 off the bench in a win over Canisius earlier in the week.
Mirror prediction: Penn State 77, Pitt 69
Mirror Pitt prediction record: 2-0
Mirror Penn State prediction record: 2-0
-- Scott Franco and Buck Frank
AREA COLLEGE
SFU men come up short at home
LORETTO -- Saint Francis University opened its 2026-27 season Friday night at DeGol Arena and dropped a 101-93 decision to Susquehanna in men’s basketball action.
The Red Wolves trailed 45-40 at halftime but got 23 points from Trey Weiand and 15 from Taurean Consiglio. Mason Douglas finished with 11 points, and Carson Rhodes added 10.
Susquehanna was also making its season debut and got 21 points apiece from K.J. Carson and Bryce Rollerson.
Saint Francis visits Messiah College on Wednesday.
Lady Red Wolves roughed up in opener
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Saint Francis’ women’s team made its Division III debut against Yale and ran into a wall, falling 106-24 Friday night.
The Lady Red Wolves were down 22-1 after one quarter and 47-4 at halftime. Demi Marshall scored 10 points, while Sarah Miller and Demi Marshall each added six points.
Yale, now 2-0, got 15 points from Ciniya Moore and 14 from Lea Vukic.
Saint Francis plays at Division I North Texas on Wednesday.
Bad overtime for Juniata women
HUNTINGDON -- Juniata’s women opened their season Friday and fell 60-47 to Dickinson in overtime.
The Lady Eagles led 25-21 at halftime before Dickinson pulled away in the extra period, outscoring Juniata 17-4.
Cate Clark had 10 points and eight rebounds, and Laney Gerdich posted nine points and 12 rebounds. Brooke Chang led Dickinson with 14 points off the bench.
Juniata hosts Penn State Altoona on Tuesday.
Trio lead Mount women to victory
CRESSON -- Mount Aloysius opened its season with a 71-63 win over Waynesburg on Friday night behind a balanced effort from Molly Kosmack, Kyle Rebert and Makenna Weimert.
Kosmack finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds, Rebert scored 14 points and Weimert added 14 off the bench. The Lady Mounties trailed 17-13 after one quarter but led 30-27 at halftime.
Waynesburg got 16 points from Kara McFadden.
Mount Aloysius plays at Westminster on Tuesday.
-- From Mirror reports
NBA
Kristaps Porzingis is stepping away from basketball to focus on his health, announcing the decision in a social media post Friday.
The Warriors center did not disclose the nature of the undisclosed matter in his message on X. The 31-year-old is on his sixth team in 11 seasons after being selected fourth overall by the New York Knicks in the 2015 draft.
His situation has been unsettled since late September, when Golden State said he would be out indefinitely with a health issue and would not travel with the team to Hawaii for training camp.
On Oct. 14, the Warriors said Porzingis would spend time with staff and teammates in some capacity while still out indefinitely after meeting with general manager Mike Dunleavy and Vice President of Player Health and Performance Dr. Rick Celebrini the day before. A week later, the team changed course again, saying he would not be with the team for “the immediate future,” and coach Steve Kerr offered no additional detail before the season opener at the Los Angeles Lakers.
Porzingis said in his post that he intends to work with the Warriors to “find a solution that makes sense.”
He ended the message with: “I’m thankful to my family and close ones for always being there. Much appreciation to all of you for the support. Onwards and upwards.”
In Other News...
Penn State Fans Finally Got An Encouraging Jack Ham Update
Penn State fans got a reassuring update on Jack Ham after the longtime Nittany Lions legend and radio color commentator experienced a medical emergency in Seattle ahead of the Penn State-Washington game. Ham was treated at the University of Washington Medical Center, and Penn State athletics later confirmed the incident while saying he is in stable condition.
Matt Campbell and the teams broadcasters have since offered updates and support for Ham and his family, a reminder of how deeply he remains woven into the programs identity. For a fan base that has followed him for generations, the immediate concern was simply hearing that the Hall of Fame linebacker was getting the care he needed and was in a better place than the initial news suggested. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Campbell Just Changed A Penn State Problem Fans Know Too Well
Penn States latest trip to Wisconsin offered a useful snapshot of how far the program has come in handling the grind of Big Ten road football. Matt Campbell pointed to the contrast between the two games against the Badgers, saying the later meeting showed more poise and stronger leadership, the kind of steadiness that often decides whether a team survives in a hostile setting or lets one slip away.
Rocco Becht drew praise for his composure, and Campbell framed the win as part of a broader push to keep developing in all phases. The run game and pass rush remain areas the staff wants to keep sharpening, but the bigger picture is clear enough: Penn State found a way to win on the road against a struggling conference opponent, and now the focus shifts to finishing at 8-4. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Biggest Offensive Turnaround Came From One Crucial Change
Penn States ground game has started to look like a different unit over the past two weeks, and the numbers tell the story. The Nittany Lions piled up 443 rushing yards across games against Purdue and Washington, with Cam Wallace and Carson Hansen both giving the offense a much-needed lift. Hansen topped 100 yards against Washington, while Wallace broke loose for a 46-yard touchdown that showed how much more explosive the run game has become.
Matt Campbell pointed to schematic adjustments and a growing sense of confidence up front as the biggest reasons for the turnaround. For an offense that had been searching for consistency on the ground, the change has been hard to miss, and it has given Penn State another layer to lean on as the season moves forward. The question now is whether that progress can hold when the competition stiffens again. [Read more 🡒]