State College, PA - Penn State Beaver dropped an 86–75 decision on February 23, 2026 at Rec Hall after trailing 47–34 at halftime. The Lions battled in the second half with 41 points, but the early deficit proved too much to erase despite a strong perimeter night (12 made threes) and efficient work at the line (15-of-17).
Jermaine Knaff delivered the headline performance for Beaver, pouring in 33 points on 9-of-19 shooting while drilling 8-of-15 from three and a perfect 7-of-7 at the stripe. Trevor Franklin added a well-rounded 13 points, 6 rebounds, and a team-high 4 steals, while Jabari Gayle chipped in 14 points and 4 rebounds. Beaver also got steady playmaking from Joe Pinto (7 assists) and Ronyell Coston (3 assists), helping the team finish with 20 assists on 24 made field goals; as a group, Beaver grabbed 26 rebounds and forced action defensively with 8 steals.
In the end, Beaver's second-half push wasn't enough to overcome the halftime gap, and the Lions couldn't fully capitalize on their hot three-point shooting to flip the result. Still, Knaff's explosive scoring night and Franklin's disruptive defense stood out as key highlights, with Beaver showing fight after the break and producing multiple strong individual lines in a tough road environment.
