Newbill, Garner lead Penn St past Fordham, 73-54

Nov 16, 2014, 07:41 pm

STATE COLLEGE, Penn. -- D.J. Newbill scored 18 points, Shep Garner added 12 on four 3-pointers and Penn State beat Fordham 73-54 on Sunday.

Brandon Taylor and John Johnson each scored 11 as Penn State (2-0) sank 25 of 53 field-goal attempts and 7 of 18 3-pointers.

The Lions held the Rams (1-1) to 17-of-55 shooting, including just 8-of-26 3-pointers.

Garner's only shots were from 3-point range (4 of 8).

Nemanja Zarkovic scored 14 points for Fordham and Chris Sengfelder added 10.

The Nittany Lions won the rebounding battle (40-37) and held the Rams' Eric Paschall to just seven points. Paschall, who scored 31 against New York Institute of Technology Friday night, fouled out with 12:56 remaining.

Ross Travis had nine rebounds and eight points for Penn State.

Travis, held scoreless in the first half, prevented the Rams from gaining any quick, second-half momentum by nailing a jump shot, turning a steal into a fast-break layup and converting a tap-in off a Thorpe miss to open a 44-21 lead.

The Rams committed five turnovers in the first six minutes, enabling the Lions to build a 25-point lead.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Mandell Thomas and Zarkovic pulled Fordham to within 19 but Garner's fourth triple increased Penn State's lead to 60-38.

Fordham came out firing to start the game with Paschall countering the game's first 3-pointer by Newbill, then driving the lane for two more. Sengfelder also scored five in the first four minutes to build a 10-5 lead.

But Fordham didn't score for the next 5:15 while Penn State's Taylor dumped in five, Johnson three and Garner nailed a pair of 3-pointers around a Fordham free throw by Thomas.

That 14-1 run resulted in a 19-11 lead, one which the Lions only built upon. They got into a bonus situation at the 8:42 mark and were 10 of 14 from the free throw line.

That turned into a 19-1 run when Penn State's Geno Thorpe hit the floor for a loose ball and got rid of it quickly toward Newbill. He was already running when he reached back to pull in the pass and took off on a fast break for an uncontested slam dunk.

Penn State held the Rams without a field goal for 10:37 until a 3-pointer by Manny Suarez made it 25-16.

Newbill closed out the half with two buckets and an assist for Julian Moore who was trailing on a fast break and made it 38-21 at the half.