Penn State faces Navy, relying on reliable trio of guards

Early in the season, Penn State coach Mike Rhoades already has several players that he can trust with the ball in their hands.

The Nittany Lions aim to build off a resounding road victory Tuesday when they host Navy in nonconference action from University Park, Pa.

Penn State (2-0) opened its season with a narrow win over Fairfield before trouncing New Haven — a Division I newcomer — in an 87-43 triumph over the weekend.

The Nittany Lions shot well from the field (52.5%) and the 3-point line (44%) against New Haven, while committing only six turnovers. Kayden Mingo led the team with six assists to go with 16 points, while Freddie Dilione V and Melih Tunca continued to establish themselves as dependable options to run the Penn State offense.

“We have multiple point guards out there,” Rhoades said. “When you have Freddie, Kayden and Melih out there, three guys who can play the point and handle the ball and make plays, that really helps.”

Mingo leads the team with 15.5 points per game, while Tunca averages 13.5 and Dominick Stewart comes in contributing 12.5 per contest after netting a team-high 18 points against New Haven.

Meanwhile, Navy (1-1) is coming off its first loss of the season — a 97-68 setback against Yale in which the team shot just 3-of-14 from 3-point range and committed 19 turnovers.

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity,” first-year coach Jon Perry said. “(The Yale game) was difficult for us. There is going to be turbulence in our season. We have to learn from it and grow from it. We have to develop and stay together. It is one game, but we have a lot of work to do.”

Jinwoo Kim led the team with a career-high 16 points, while Austin Benigni had 14 points and four steals.

Aidan Kehoe, who scored 19 points in the season opener, was limited to six points against Yale. He continued to be efficient, however, as he is 12-of-14 from the field on the season.

–Field Level Media