Jones Leads Penn State To Win Over No. 13 Virginia Tech
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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Myreon Jones scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half to lead Penn State to a 63-62 upset win over No. 13 Virginia Tech on Tuesday.
Lamar Stevens added 14 points and eight rebounds and Rasir Bolton chipped in 11 points for the Nittany Lions (4-2), who snapped Virginia Tech's five-game winning streak. It was Penn State's first win over a nonconference Top 25 team at home in 20 years.
Justin Robinson led the Hokies (5-1) with 19 points while Ty Outlaw added 16. Kerry Blackshear Jr. and Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14 and 13 points respectively for the Hokies who led 37-35 at halftime.
The Hokies, playing for the first time on the road this season, used a 9-0 run midway through the second half that gave them a 50-44 lead. But Jones led the Nittany Lions back to a 56-55 advantage with 10 points over the next five minutes.
Bolton hit his third 3-pointer of the game to give Penn State the lead for good, 61-58 lead with 3:57 to play.
Blackshear Jr. and Josh Reaves traded baskets over the next 40 seconds and those were the final baskets of the game as Penn State went scoreless over the final 3:16.
Robinson made two free throws with 1:24 left to get Virginia Tech within one, but the Hokies missed three shots and had a turnover in the final 90 seconds.
Virginia Tech led 21-13 midway through the first half after four-straight 3-pointers from Outlaw preceded a pair free throws from Blackshear Jr.
But Stevens made a layup through traffic to spark a tying run that included back-to-back 3-pointers from Jamari Wheeler and Bolton 24 seconds apart. Stevens hit another basket moments later to give Penn State a lead it wouldn't relinquish until Robinson drained back-to-back 3s to give Virginia Tech a 37-35 halftime lead.
THE TAKEAWAY
Virginia Tech: Sitting at their highest ranking in the AP Top 25 since the 1995-96 season, the Hokies have plenty of offensive talent and have played well enough on defense to indicate they should be able to climb higher.
Penn State: Getting Watkins back should be a boost for a team that got 20-plus plus points in six-straight games from Stevens before Tuesday to go with a bunch of complimentary scoring from freshmen Myles Dread and Bolton. With No. 24 Maryland next, the Nittany Lions will have a shot to post back-to-back wins over ranked teams for the first time since 2011. ... The Nittany Lions beat then-No. 10 Temple in 1998 at home.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech hosts Central Connecticut on Saturday.
Penn State visits No. 24 Maryland on Saturday.
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