Just one season after appearing in the national championship game, the Purdue Boilermakers entered the 2024-25 season, projected to win the Big Ten conference and have the conference player of the year in Braden Smith. Unfortunately for them, they were no match for Ace Baldwin Jr and the red-hot Penn State Nittany Lions.
Penn State’s 81 – 70 win over was the result of a stellar performance on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Defensively, the Nittany Lions forced 24 turnovers and held the Boilermakers to just 8-21 from three. On the other side, Penn State scored an incredible 1.209 points per possession and got to the Free Throw line 32 times, making 28 of them.
The final score doesn’t accurately represent just how badly Penn State beat the number eight team in the country. The Nittany Lions led for 32:24 of 40 minutes and held a 20+ point lead for most of the second half. At one point, Penn State was up by a whopping 27 points.
Baldwin’s defense was one of the biggest keys to victory for the Nittany Lions, holding Braden Smith to just six points and five assists. Smith averages 12.8 points and 9.1 assists this season. Baldwin had a +/- of +26 on the game.
The other significant x-factor was Puff Johnson, who had to play serious minutes at the five position due to centers Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Kachi Nzeh getting in foul trouble. Johnson played lights out on both sides of the floor, putting up 13 points and holding Purdue star Trey Kaufman-Renn four points under his average. Johnson had a +/- +18.
Nittany Lions fans stormed the court after the win. It’s the third court storm in two seasons under Mike Rhoades, after Penn State upset Wisconsin and Illinois last season.
Sophomore guard Freddie Dilione V knocked down a kick out three to give the Nittany Lions a 16 point lead heading into the half. Dilione V finished with 14 points, three assists, three rebounds, and two steals.
Coach Rhoades and company will travel to New Brunswick, New Jersey, to take on a Rutgers squad led by NBA lottery draft pick prospects Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. The Scarlet Nights are 5-3 on the season, with their three losses coming to Alabama, Texas A&M, and Kennesaw State. Tip-off is at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, December 10th, and will be streaming live on Peacock.
