Rutgers Beats Penn State 74-62, Sweeps Series

PISCATAWAY, N.J. Rutgers secured a 74-62 victory over Penn State on Sunday afternoon, closing out the Big Ten Conference regular season with a sweep of the season series against the Nittany Lions.

The Scarlet Knights, finishing with a 13-18 overall record and 6-14 in conference play, controlled the game from the outset at Jersey Mike's Arena. They used a pair of decisive runs in the first half—a 12-0 spurt followed by a 16-0 surge—to build a commanding 43-21 halftime lead. Rutgers extended the advantage to 26 points early in the second half with back-to-back three-pointers from Lino Mark and Tariq Francis. Despite Penn State's improved shooting in the second period, where they connected on 50 percent of their field goals after a 33.3 percent effort before the break, the Nittany Lions could not close the gap. Rutgers restored a 20-point cushion late, sealing the win with Francis's three-pointer that made the score 72-57 with 1:46 remaining.

Tariq Francis led Rutgers with 18 points, including three three-pointers and 10 in the first half. Freshman Lino Mark added 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting, contributing nine before halftime. Darren Buchanan Jr. recorded eight points and a...