BALTIMORE — In an exciting showdown at the Hall of Fame Series, Penn State showcased their strength with an impressive 86-64 win over Virginia Tech on Friday night.

Ace Baldwin Jr. and Zach Hicks led the Nittany Lions, each contributing 19 points. Baldwin also notched 10 assists, marking his first double-double of the season. He was accurate from the field, going 5 for 11, and made a remarkable 9 of 10 from the free-throw line. Hicks excelled from beyond the arc, knocking down five 3-pointers, along with grabbing five rebounds and making three steals.

Off the bench, Nick Kern made a significant impact with 16 points, shooting an impressive 6 of 7 from the floor and converting 4 of 6 free throws. Fred Dilione V contributed 11 points for the Nittany Lions, solidifying their dominant performance.

For Virginia Tech, Mylyjael Poteat was the standout player, leading his team with 15 points. The Hokies struggled to keep pace as they headed into halftime, trailing 37-29 after Hicks scored three 3-pointers and Kern contributed 10 points on a perfect shooting performance.

In the second half, Kern’s jumper with 7:47 left in the game extended Penn State’s lead to 72-52. The Nittany Lions controlled the game for nearly the entire contest, only losing the lead momentarily with a brief tie.

Overall, Penn State showcased a strong shooting performance, hitting 51% from the field, including 36.4% from three-point range with 8 of 22 success. At the free-throw line, they excelled, making 22 of 30 attempts. In contrast, Virginia Tech managed to shoot 44.4%, sinking 5 of 18 from beyond the arc and converting 19 of 26 foul shots.

Looking ahead, Penn State will return home to face Purdue-Fort Wayne on Wednesday, while Virginia Tech gears up to host Jacksonville on the same day.