The Sports Xchange
Nov 20, 2017
Sophomore guard Tony Carr returned from an ankle injury to contribute 16 points, six rebounds and five assists as Penn State routed Pittsburgh 85-54 on Monday in the Legends Classic semifinals in New York.
Sophomore forward Lamar Stevens had 10 points and eight rebounds, and sophomore forward Mike Watkins and senior guard Shep Garner scored 13 points apiece for the Nittany Lions (5-0). Penn State shot 57.6 percent from the field.
Junior guard Jared Wilson-Frame scored 17 points and made five 3-pointers for the Panthers (1-3), who shot 31 percent from the floor.
The Nittany Lions play No. 16 Texas A&M in Tuesday's final. Pitt meets Oklahoma State in the consolation game.
Penn State led 18-3 and finished the first half with a 15-1 burst to take a 47-21 lead at intermission.
Carr, who did not play in the Nittany Lions' 79-65 victory over Columbia on Friday, scored 14 points in the first 20 minutes and was 4 of 4 from 3-point range. His last from beyond the arc came with 1.2 seconds left in the period. Carr also had four assists, including one which turned into Watkins' dunk that made it 40-21.
Stevens and Garner scored eight points apiece in the first half with Stevens grabbing six rebounds. Pitt junior guard Josh Reaves, who also missed the Columbia game with an ankle injury, added seven points and five boards before the break. Reaves wound up with 10 points.
Penn State, which leads the series 76-72, unleashed a 17-0 run to take a 69-29 lead with 8:21 remaining.
The teams combined to make just 16 of 32 free throws.