Pitt Pours It On as Penn State Falters in Hershey Showdown
In what was supposed to be a neutral-site showcase at the Giant Center in Hershey, Penn State found itself on the wrong end of a lopsided rivalry game. Pitt came out firing and never took its foot off the gas, handing the Nittany Lions an 80-46 loss in the 149th meeting between the two programs - and the first NCAA basketball game ever played in the Giant Center.
For Penn State, this one stings. Not just because it’s a third straight loss, but because the effort and execution just weren’t there. From the opening tip, Pitt dictated the pace, the physicality, and most importantly, the scoreboard.
A Hot Start That Never Cooled
The Panthers wasted no time letting Penn State know they meant business. Pitt hit three of its first four shots from beyond the arc and five of its first eight, quickly building a double-digit lead less than seven minutes in. The Nittany Lions never got it back under 10.
Damarco Minor set the tone early with a deep, off-balance three that banked in - a shot that felt like a warning sign for the kind of afternoon it would be. From there, Pitt just kept piling it on.
Forward Roman Siulepa delivered a career performance, pouring in 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including a scorching 5-of-6 from long range. He was everywhere - hitting tough shots, running the floor, and taking advantage of every defensive lapse.
Minor added 11 points and a pair of momentum-shifting plays - a clean pick and breakaway dunk late in the first half, followed by a sidestep three at the buzzer to send Pitt into the locker room with a commanding 40-20 lead. Omari Witherspoon chipped in 15, and forward Cameron Corhen capitalized on Penn State’s soft interior defense with a couple of easy dunks.
By the numbers, Pitt shot a blistering 50% from both the field and beyond the arc. That’s lights out, especially against a Penn State defense that came in already ranked 330th in the nation in opponent three-point percentage. That weakness was exposed - and then some - by a Panthers team that came ready to shoot and execute.
Penn State's Offense Never Found Its Rhythm
Offensively, the Nittany Lions just couldn’t keep pace. Freddie Dilione was the lone bright spot, scoring 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting and doing everything he could to keep Penn State afloat.
He hit a three early that pulled the Lions within 9-6, but Pitt responded with a 10-0 run, and that was that. The deficit never dipped below double digits again.
Dilione got little help. Guards Kayden Mingo and Josh Reed each added nine points, but no other Nittany Lion scored until the final four minutes of the game. That’s not a typo - three players accounted for all of Penn State’s scoring until the closing stretch.
As a team, Penn State shot just 32.7% from the field and a rough 17.4% from deep. The Lions missed nine of their first 10 three-point attempts and never looked comfortable in the halfcourt. The ball stuck, the spacing was off, and the shots didn’t fall.
Even second-chance opportunities - a potential lifeline in a game like this - went nowhere. Despite grabbing seven offensive rebounds, Penn State finished with zero second-chance points. That’s a tough pill to swallow.
Turnovers and Defensive Breakdowns Add to the Struggles
One of the few things Penn State had done well this season was take care of the basketball. Entering Sunday, the Lions were averaging just 8.8 turnovers per game - second-best in the country.
But against Pitt, that discipline disappeared. Penn State turned it over 12 times, seven of those coming in the first half.
Pitt capitalized with 12 points off those miscues, including several backbreaking sequences that turned potential momentum into missed opportunities.
Defensively, it wasn’t just the perimeter shooting that hurt. The Nittany Lions were slow on rotations, late on closeouts, and allowed too many easy looks in the paint. Corhen’s dunks were emblematic of the kind of defensive lapses that plagued Penn State all afternoon.
A Glimpse of Energy, But Not Enough
Early in the second half, head coach Mike Rhoades tried to shake things up. He went to his bench, bringing in freshmen Mason Blackwood and Justin Houser.
The young forwards injected some energy, and alongside Dilione, Mingo, and Reed, helped Penn State cut the deficit to 41-28. For a brief moment, the Lions looked like they might claw their way back into it.
But Pitt answered with a 10-2 run that slammed the door shut. Every time Penn State showed a flicker of life, the Panthers had a response - and usually a dagger three to go with it.
Lineup Notes and Rotation Decisions
Penn State stuck with its usual starting five: Mingo, Melih Tunca, Dominick Stewart, Reed, and Ivan Jurić. Mingo and Reed have now started all 12 games this season. The Lions are 2-3 with this group as the starting unit.
Rhoades made his first substitutions about five minutes in, bringing in Dilione, Eli Rice, and Tibor Mirtič. Later, forward Saša Ciani entered for Jurić, leaving Mingo as the lone starter on the floor. The rotations were fluid, but the spark just wasn’t there.
Houser, a Camp Hill native playing just a short drive from home, checked in with just over 16 minutes left. It was only his fourth appearance of the season, but he did chip in five points. Blackwood, making his sixth appearance, also logged early second-half minutes as Rhoades looked for answers.
Twelve of Penn State’s 13 players were available. The only absence was freshman Reggie Grodin, who is redshirting this season.
What’s Next
Penn State has one more chance to regroup before Big Ten play resumes. The Nittany Lions return to the Bryce Jordan Center on Dec. 29 to host North Carolina Central in their non-conference finale.
Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
After a tough stretch and a humbling loss in Hershey, that game becomes more than just a tune-up - it’s a chance to reset, refocus, and find some rhythm before conference play kicks into gear.