Mingo scores career-high 24 points, helps Penn State hold off Harvard 84-80

UNIVERSITY, Pa. (AP) — Freshman Kayden Mingo scored a career-high 24 points, and Penn State held off Harvard for an 84-80 victory on Wednesday night.

Harvard’s Chandler Pigge made three free throws to tie it 70-all with 4:56 remaining. Penn State’s Melih Tunca scored the next four points, and the Nittany Lions later stretched their lead to 82-76 with 24 seconds to play. Pigge converted a four-point play to cut the deficit to 82-80 before Freddie Dilione V sealed it from the free-throw line.

Mingo shot 8 of 18 from the floor and made all seven of his free-throw attempts. Josh Reed added 14 points, Dilione chipped in with 13 and Tunca finished with 10 for Penn State (5-0).

Pigge scored 21 points and had nine assists for Harvard (4-2). Thomas Batties III scored 17 points and made five 3-pointers, Ben Eisendrath had 15 points and Tey Barbour 12.

Penn State shot 31 of 57 (54%) from the field and Harvard was 30 of 57. The Crimson hit 12 from distance and the Nittany Lions had just five, but Penn State was 17 of 25 from the line while Harvard made 8 of 8 free throws.