Myreon Jones scored 22 points, Lamar Stevens added 14 and Penn State cruised to a 76-54 victory over Wake Forest in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in University Park, Pa., on Wednesday.
Izaiah Brockington had 13 for the Nittany Lions, who improved to 7-1. Mike Watkins contributed seven points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots.
This was just the third career meeting between the two programs.
Olivier Sarr led Wake Forest with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Andrien White added 10 points.
Brandon Childress began the night as the Demon Deacons' leading scorer at 16.9 points per game, but he finished with just one point, shooting 0-for-7 from the field, including 0-for-3 from beyond the arc. Wake Forest fell to 5-4.
Stevens scored eight early points to help Penn State to a 14-4 lead seven minutes into the game.
White knocked down a 3-pointer, his second of the game, from the corner to pull Wake Forest within 20-13. Wright hit a deep trey about two minutes later and the Demon Deacons trailed 22-18 with 9:29 left.
The Nittany Lions then bolted to a 30-20 advantage thanks to some suffocating defense that produced turnovers and fast-break points. Jamari Wheeler's difficult layup gave them a 10-point lead with 6:31 remaining.
Jones drained a 3-pointer for a 39-22 lead, and Penn State went on to take a 41-23 lead at halftime. Jones led all scorers with 16 points.
Wake Forest was just 9 of 30 in the first half.
Sarr scored in the paint with 13:59 left, but the Demon Deacons were still behind by 19 at 49-30.
Penn State responded with a basket by Watkins, a fifth-year senior, and two free throws by Stevens for a 53-30 advantage. Wake Forest missed 10 of its first 12 shots of the second half as the Nittany Lions built the 23-point lead.
Another quick five points and the Penn State lead was suddenly 28 at 58-30 with 11:33 to go. The lead eventually reached 30, and the Nittany Lions rolled to the victory.
--Field Level Media
