2023-2024 Penn State men's basketball report card: vs. Le Moyne

The Nittany Lions improved their record to 6-6 on the season after defeating Le Moyne 72-55 on Thursday.

Penn State got the lead early and never looked back, which is the type of dominant victory that the blue and white haven’t had since mid-November.

The team has been improving steadily in the last few games, and things were firing on all cylinders against the Dolphins.

Here are the game grades for Penn State in their victory:

Offense: B+

Penn State’s lack of 3-point shooting was a major issue early in the season, but the squad has caught fire from beyond the arc as of late.

After drilling a season-high 12 3-pointers against Georgia Tech in their previous game, the Nittany Lions came out hot and made nine shots from deep in the first half alone.

When the shooting went cold in the second half, the offense was still successful by driving into the paint and getting opportunities closer to the rim.

Kanye Clary led all scorers with 20 points, which is the sixth time this season that Clary has hit that mark.

Additionally, Clary and Ace Baldwin Jr. each had six assists, which is a positive sign for the dynamic backcourt as they are both able to set up teammates.

It was a total team effort on offense as nine players were able to score, giving Penn State depth off the bench.

Defense: A

The Nittany Lions have been inconsistent on defense for most of the season, but against Le Moyne, the defense stood strong for both halves.

The Dolphins are an excellent 3-point shooting team, but they struggled against the blue and white.

Le Moyne finished the game making 26.1% of their shots from deep, which is well below their season average of 34.1%.

Penn State held Le Moyne to just 55 points the whole game and the rebounding battle was a key factor in this.

Rebounding has been crucial for the Nittany Lions and it cost them numerous games against tough opponents.

However, against Le Moyne, Penn State was able to win on the boards as the whole team was crashing the glass all game long.

The Nittany Lions ended the game with 29 defensive rebounds and allowed just six offensive rebounds, limiting the second-chance opportunities.

It was an impressive performance to lock down the Dolphins on the perimeter and win the rebounding battle, making it one of their best defensive performances this season.

Coaching: A

Penn State jumped out to an early lead and held on to a healthy lead throughout the remainder of the game.

Basketball is a game of runs, but head coach Mike Rhoades held his players accountable as they never let their foot off the gas.

Rhoades managed to play 10 different players while consistently having five players on the court who were able to hold the lead.

It’s easy to get complacent in games where the team has a big lead, but the players were playing intensely and that starts with Rhoades yelling on the sideline.

The Nittany Lions took care of business at home and had a much-needed victory to improve their record back to .500.

Christopher Reynolds is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email him at clr5971@psu.edu.