In a game that saw one of the nation’s top offensive teams turn the ball over at a significant rate, Penn State’s undefeated start to the 2024-25 season came to a close in a 75-67 loss to Clemson on Tuesday. Ace Baldwin Jr. tallied 20 points and 11 assists for his third double-double of the year, but it wasn’t enough to topple the Tigers in the Sunshine Slam championship game at Daytona Beach. Florida.
An acrobatic finish by Baldwin put the Nittany Lions within three points of a tie game with just over a minute remaining, but Penn State couldn’t capitalize thereafter as Clemson hit its late-game free throws to hand Mike Rhoades’ team its first loss of the year.
“He’s just a warrior,” Rhoades said of Baldwin to the Penn State Sports Network. “But we needed other guys to help him in other areas. We had a lot of open threes today that we didn’t make that we’ve been making all year. But I think (Clemson’s) physicality and their length had something to do with that.”
Yanic Konan Niederhauser also contributed 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks, showcasing his dominance as a 7-foot-1 threat. But it was outside the paint where Penn State struggled most, shooting 4-for-18 from 3-point land and gifting Clemson with 16 points off of 16 turnovers.
Nick Kern Jr. was the only other Nittany Lion to score in double figures, tallying 11 points and six rebounds off the bench. For a team that entered the day with five players averaging double-digit scoring totals, the contributions from Baldwin, Niederhauser and Kern just weren’t enough as Penn State was held to a season-low points tally.
The turnovers certainly didn’t help Rhoades’ group find shot opportunities. Many were unforced, but four were stolen by Clemson’s Ian Schieffelin, who also contributed a team-high 18 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Chase Hunter also scored 17 points and Chauncey Wiggins scored 14 points to round out the leaders for the Tigers.
“I just thought the game was so murky, like chopped up. It just never got in the rhythm,” Rhoades said. “(Clemson) had a lot to do with it. We didn’t shoot it. We just had too many turnovers, to be honest with you. Too many turnovers late in the game.”
The Nittany Lions, who had a chance to win their first in-season tournament championship in 24 years, now move to 6-1. They’ll return to the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday for a game against Buffalo (4-3) before opening Big Ten play against No. 13 Purdue on Thursday, Dec. 5.
“We got to learn from it. We got to learn from it,” Rhoades said. “Because if we can play a team like this like we did tonight, and take care of some stuff and get more contributions from others, we’re going to be better and better.”
INJURIES
Four-star freshman forward Miles Goodman missed his seventh straight game, an absence Rhoades said last week was “protocol.” … Nebraska transfer Eli Rice missed a third straight game with a “recurring” injury.
