Field Level Media
Nov 20, 2018
Junior forward Lamar Stevens scored 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting to help Penn State post a 77-59 victory over Wright State on Tuesday night at the Cancun Challenge in Mexico.
Freshman guard Myles Dread added 13 points and six steals for Penn State (3-1), which faces Bradley in Wednesday's championship game. Bradley (4-1) defeated Southern Methodist 75-62 in the tournament.
Senior guard Josh Reaves had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Penn State, and sophomore guard Jamari Wheeler added 12 points.
Junior forward Billy Wampler scored 17 points for Wright State (3-2), which will meet SMU in Wednesday's consolation game.
Sophomore center Loudon Love recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds, while junior guard Cole Gentry and senior guard Mark Hughes had 11 points apiece.
Stevens scored 25 points for the third straight time this season after scoring 22 in the Nittany Lions' season opener. Tuesday's game was his 19th career 20-point game.
Penn State shot 58.0 percent from the field, including 9 of 17 from 3-point range. The Raiders shot 39.6 percent and were 6 of 22 from behind the arc.
The Nittany Lions led by 17 points at halftime and never allowed Wright State a chance to get back into the game.
The Raiders were down 50-37 after a layup by Love with 14:26 to play before Stevens scored Penn State's next 10 points. His final hoop during the stretch gave the Nittany Lions a 60-42 advantage with 11:27 to play.
Wright State again crept within 13 with 6:27 left before Wheeler scored the next five points to boost the score to 71-53 with 4:35 left as Penn State closed it out.
Penn State shot 61.5 percent from the field in the first half while taking a 45-28 lead at the break.
Stevens scored 11 points while Dread and Reaves both added 10.
Wright State trailed 21-15 midway through the half before the Nittany Lions began to pull way with 13 straight points. Reaves capped the spurt with a jumper to give Penn State a 34-15 advantage with 5:40 remaining.
Wampler scored 14 first-half points for the Raiders, who shot 38.5 percent in the first half.
--Field Level Media