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GAME COVERAGE
LOCATION | University Park, Pa. (Bryce Jordan Center)
TIME | 6:00 PM
WATCH| BTN – Jason Knapp & Myles Dread
RADIO | Penn State Sports Network – 103.7 FM & 1450 AM – Steve Jones & Dick Jerardi
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The Nittany Lions opened their fourth season under head coach Mike Rhoades with an emphatic 97-57 victory over Canisius Monday night, securing their ninth consecutive season-opening victory.
Fifth-year forward Roko Prkačin delivered a sensational collegiate debut, pouring in a game-high 28 points on 12-of-14 shooting while adding six rebounds in just over 20 minutes of action.
Penn State’s newcomers made an immediate impact in the season opener as the Nittany Lions received 53 points from their bench, placed four players in double figures and shot an impressive 55.4 percent from the field.
Returning sophomore forward Ivan Jurić recorded a double-double with 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, while graduate forward Josh Reed added 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting.
ROKO’S REMARKABLE DEBUT
Fifth-year forward Roko Prkačin wasted little time making his mark in Happy Valley, delivering a sensational 28-point performance in his first collegiate appearance during Penn State’s 97-57 season-opening victory over Canisius.
The Zagreb, Croatia, native was nearly unstoppable around the basket, connecting on 12 of his 14 field goal attempts for an outstanding 85.7 percent shooting clip. Prkačin also went 4-for-5 from the free-throw line and added six rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.
The 6-foot-8 forward needed just 20:08 of court time to lead all scorers, averaging nearly 1.4 points per minute in his debut.
Prkačin made his first four shots from the field before putting together a dominant second-half stretch in which he converted six consecutive field goal attempts and scored 12 straight Penn State points. The run helped the Nittany Lions extend their advantage to 66-35 with 13:05 remaining.
His performance featured multiple highlight-reel dunks, including an alley-oop finish off a feed from Brant Byers and a powerful one-handed putback slam.
Prkačin accounted for 28.9 percent of Penn State’s scoring despite playing just over half the game, immediately establishing himself as a significant addition to the Nittany Lion frontcourt.
NEW FACES, IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Penn State’s retooled roster made a strong first impression in Monday’s season-opening victory, showcasing the depth, athleticism and versatility that the Nittany Lions added during the offseason.
Six Penn State players made their collegiate debuts in the victory, including Roko Prkačin, François Wibaut, Reggie Grodin, Andy Gemao, Grant Spacciapolli and Aleksandar Zečević.
Prkačin headlined the newcomers with 28 points and six rebounds, while Wibaut added 10 points, three rebounds and three assists according to the official box score.
Redshirt junior Brant Byers contributed eight points, three assists and two steals in his first regular-season game with the Nittany Lions. Byers scored Penn State’s first five points of the season with a fast-break dunk followed by a 3-pointer.
Newcomer Thomas Allard added five points, six rebounds and two assists, while Dasonte Bowen finished with five points, four rebounds and three assists.
The Nittany Lions received 53 points from their reserves, more than half their scoring output, and recorded 20 assists on 36 made field goals.
Penn State’s depth was evident throughout the contest as 14 players saw action and 13 entered the scoring column. The Nittany Lions also received their first collegiate points from Grodin, Gemao and Zečević.
JURIĆ DOMINATES THE GLASS
Sophomore forward Ivan Jurić picked up where he left off during his freshman campaign, recording a dominant double-double in Penn State’s 97-57 season-opening victory.
The 7-foot Croatian finished with 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds while shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Jurić grabbed six offensive rebounds and nine defensive boards in just 19:51 of action, helping Penn State build a commanding 45-28 advantage on the glass.
The Zagreb, Croatia, native also drew six fouls and contributed a blocked shot and a steal.
REED REMAINS STEADY
Graduate forward Josh Reed continued to provide consistency for the Nittany Lions in their season opener, finishing with 12 points in the victory over Canisius.
Reed connected on four of his seven field goal attempts and was perfect at the free-throw line, making all four of his opportunities. He also contributed two rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot.
The Atlanta, Ga., native enters his second season in Happy Valley after averaging a team-best 11.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game during the 2025-26 campaign.
Reed was one of Penn State’s most efficient offensive players last season, shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 87.2 percent from the free-throw line.
The 6-foot-8 forward carried that production into the preseason, averaging 16.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in exhibition victories over St. Bonaventure and Drexel.
Reed has scored in double figures in each of Penn State’s three contests this season, including the two exhibitions, and remains a dependable scoring option for the Nittany Lions’ revamped lineup.