Jones leads balanced Penn State past Minnesota 84-65

Updated Mar. 3, 2021 9:49 p.m. ET

Associated Press

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (AP) — Myreon Jones scored 17 points, knocking down four 3-pointers, as five Penn State players reached double-figures and the Nittany Lions walloped Minnesota 84-65 on Wednesday night.

After an early scramble, Penn State took the lead for keeps on a Trent Buttrick 3-pointer 5-1/2 minutes in, surging to a 49-28 halftime lead on a 16-2 run to close out the first 20 minutes.

The Lions (9-13, 6-12 Big Ten Conference) opened the second half with a 14-8 edge and maintained a double-digit lead all the way.

Izaiah Brockington scored 14 points with seven boards, and Buttrick finished with 13 points, making three from distance. John Harrar added 12 points with 11 rebounds, and Jamari Wheeler scored 10 with five assists.

Penn State shot 46% (32 of 70) and hit 10 of 25 from behind the arc. Minnesota was 36% shooting (21 of 59) and just 5 of 18 from distance.

Minnesota's Marcus Carr needed 22 points to reach 1,000 for his career and scored exactly that many, with 13 coming in the second half. Carr was just 2 of 7 from the floor after halftime but made 9 of 11 at the line. During a stretch of 2:40, Carr scored 10 points, eight on free throws, in a 14-4 Minnesota rally that cut Penn State's lead to 13 points. Another short surge pulled Minnesota to 74-63 with just under four minutes remaining but they would get no closer.

Tre' Williams added 17 points for Minnesota (13-13, 6-13) and Isaiah Ihnen scored 12 with 10 rebounds. The Gophers have lost six straight and have not won a road game in 10 tries this season.

The Gophers return to The Barn to face visiting Rutgers in the regular-season finale on Saturday. Penn State closes the regular season at Maryland on Sunday.

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