STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Guard John Johnson made his presence felt in his first game for Penn State as the Nittany Lions rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to turn away pesky Mount St. Mary’s 92-82 Sunday in the Bryce Jordan Center.
Johnson, who transferred from Pittsburgh in December 2012, was eligible to play for the first time against the Mountaineers. He scored 15 of his team-high 20 points in the second half.
Four other Nittany Lions (9-4) scored in double figures: D.J. Newbill scored 18, Tim Frazier 15, Ross Travis 14 and Brandon Taylor 10.
For Mount St. Mary’s (3-8), Julian Norfleet led the way with 22 points. Sam Prescott added 18 points, Rashad Whack 16 and Byron Ashe 14.
Penn State opened the second half with a 6-0 run to cut the Mountaineer lead to 46-43, but Mount St. Mary’s wasn’t ready to cede the lead without a fight.
