Penn State cruises past Canisius
UNIVERSITY PARK (AP) — Roko Prkacin scored 28 points, Ivan Juric had a double-double, and Penn State rolled past Canisius 97-57 on Monday night in the season opener for both teams.
Prkacin made 12 of 14 shots and 4 of 5 free throws. Juric scored 14 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.
The Nittany Lions led by as many as 22 points in the first half, and it was 47-26 at the break. Prkacin led the way with 12 points, and Juric hauled in eight rebounds.
Early in the second half, Prkacin outscored the Golden Griffins 12-2 over a 3-minute stretch as the Nittany Lions extended their lead to 66-35. The biggest lead was 96-54 in the final minute.
Clinton Efinda led Canisius with 13 points, and Preist Ryan added 12.
Josh Reed scored 12 points for Penn State. The Nittany Lions shot 55% and made 21 of 29 free throws (72%).
The Nittany Lions have won all four previous meetings with Canisius, most recently earning a 97-67 victory in 2022.
The Golden Griffins’ roster is full of transfers and freshmen, with only one returning player who scored for them last year — Trevor Augustine, who scored four points last season. He did not score on Monday.
Up next
Canisius: vs. St. Bonaventure on Saturday.
Penn State: vs. Chattanooga on Thursday.