Penn State Basketball Falls to Clemson in First Loss of Season

The Nittany Lions struggle from 3-point range and commit 17 turnovers in loss to the Tigers.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Mike Rhoades reacts on the sideline during the second half against the Virginia Tech Hokies at CFG Bank Arena. / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Penn State's season-opening win streak ended Tuesday in the Sunshine Slam championship game, where the Nittany Lions fell 75-67 to Clemson. The loss ended Penn State's best start since 1999 and also marked the first time this season the team has not scored 80+ points this season.

The Nittany Lions (7-1) shot season-lows from the field (46.4 percent) and from 3-point range (22.2 percent) in their biggest offensive struggle of the young season. Clemson held Penn State to shooting 4-for-18 from 3-point range. Penn State entered the game shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from 3-point range.

Still, the game was close, as Penn State and Clemson (6-1) traded seven lead changes, with Penn State leading by as many as seven in the first half before giving up the lead at halftime. Clemson pushed its second-half lead to seven points before the Nittany Lions rallied, taking a 3-point advantage as part of a 9-0 run. But Clemson retaliated with a 10-2 run to reclaim the lead for good.

Penn State went nearly 6 minutes in the second half without a field goal until Zack Hicks ended the quiet streak with a 3-pointer with 2:45 to play. The Nittany Lions trailed by four in the final minute but couldn't get the looks. Clemson scored the game's final four points on free throws.

Penn State point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. recorded his third double-double of the season, scoring 20 points and adding 11 assists. It was his second 20-point game of the season. Yanic Konan Niederhauser added 14 points and six rebounds in 32 minutes. He went 5-for-5 from the field in the first half. Nick Kern Jr. added 11 points and six rebounds, and Freddit Dilione contributed nine points and a career-high six rebounds.

Clemson shot worse than Penn State, finishing at 43.9 percent from the field, but hit nine of 19 3-pointers. Neither team held a rebounding edge (they tied at 34), but Clemson scored 16 points off turnovers to Penn State's nine and led for more than 27 minutes.

Penn State's first loss in a Quad 1 game isn't a back-breaker to the nonconference schedule, which continues Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State will host Buffalo on Schuylkill County Day. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

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