Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543434
6 6 M A R C H 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M THREE STARS 1. Kayden Mingo | G | Fr. Sidelined by a broken nose for two weeks in January, Mingo initially strug- gled to regain his form against Big Ten competition. In February, he found more of it, tying a season-high scoring output with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting in an 83-72 loss at Oregon on Feb. 14. 2. Josh Reed | F | Sr. The only senior on the Nittany Lions' roster, Reed shook off early-season in- consistencies through the heart of the conference schedule. For more than a month's worth of games bridging January and February, he posted 12 consec- utive double-figure scoring performances and became a threat from beyond the arc, knocking down 12 of 24 three-pointers in seven February contests. 3. Freddie Dilione V | G | R-Jr. Penn State's leading scorer with a 13.9-point average in just 26 minutes per game, Dilione has been an undeniable force on offense. Through 28 games, he was hitting 47.1 percent of his attempts from the floor and was leading the team in shots with 325. KEY MOMENT Already riding an eight-game losing streak and still winless through the mid- point of the Big Ten season, the Nittany Lions felt they had an opportunity to end their misfortune in a Feb. 1 matinee against Minnesota. But their tough luck continued when freshman center Ivan Jurić was sidelined with a 103-de- gree fever. The Lions were also without junior forward Saša Ciani (ankle) and freshman forward Tibor Mirtič (shoulder), prompting coach Mike Rhoades to talk to his team before the game about the harsh reality it was facing. "You don't panic. As much as it stinks, it is what it is," Rhoades told his play- ers. "We're not canceling the game because it's not what we like. Sometimes life is not the way you want it to be. What are you going to do about it?" The Lions ended up getting a game-high 25 points from Dilione and 18 from Reed. Then, a last-second layup by Mingo delivered a 77-75 victory at the Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State's first conference win in 11 tries. Even with a 71-61 edge at the under-four media timeout, the Nittany Lions were not out of the woods. Fatigue set in, and a series of defensive lapses, untimely fouls, turnovers and a scoring drought enabled Minnesota to cut the deficit to 71-70 in barely a minute. A turnover by Reed on a full-court inbounds pass allowed the Gophers to tie the score, 75-75. But as time dwindled, Mingo drove to the low block and picked up his dribble. With no outlet available, the true freshman point guard, in Rhoades' words, "pivoted 17 times and threw it up there." This time, the ball dropped through the rim, and a defensive stop on the ensuing inbounds pass sealed it. The Nittany Lions mobbed Mingo when the buzzer sounded. BEST HIGHLIGHT At the start of a two-game West Coast swing on Feb. 11, the Nittany Lions saw the pendulum finally swing in their direction. Locked in another back- and-forth contest, Penn State finished off Washington, 63-60. To do so, the Lions needed to avoid the kind of late-game letdowns that have plagued them this season. Having fallen four times this year in games decided by two or fewer possessions, Penn State saw a tenuous second-half lead evaporate again. Working to contain German big man Hannes Steinbach, who finished with a game-high 19 points and 14 rebounds, Penn State faced its largest deficit of the second half when he made a three-pointer from the wing with 6:57 remaining. Trailing 54-51, the Lions turned to Dilione, who knocked down back-to-back pull-up jumpers to give PSU a one-point lead. Mingo secured the eventual winning bucket on a goaltend charged to Franck Kepnang, and redshirt sophomore guard Eli Rice knocked down 2 free throws to create the final three-point cushion. "We've had a lot of one-possession games last year and this year. That has kept me up for two years now," Rhoades said. "This year, it's a little bit of inex- perience. Last year, it was the injuries and different guys having the ball late in the game. I thought today we executed down the stretch." BOLD PREDICTION Although Reed is the only Nittany Lion who will run out of eligibility af- ter this season, the roster will look much older and bigger next year, with Rhoades and his staff determined to chart a new course. Attempting to build a developmental program with limited resources didn't work. Needing to compete in 2026-27, he'll seek out an injection of ready-to-play size and ex- perience to pair with this year's younger contributors. — Nate Bauer PENN STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL SUPERLATIVES J A N . 2 2 - F E B . 2 1 Guard Freddie Dilione V had a game-high 25 points to help Penn State claim its first Big Ten victory of the season, a 77-75 thriller over visiting Minnesota on Feb. 1. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS