Fairfield Stags @ Penn State Nittany Lions
Tunca's 19 points, Mingo's 15 push Penn State 76-68 past Fairfield
State College, Pa. -- — Melih Tunca scored 19 points and had six assists, and Kayden Mingo added 15 points to lead Penn State to a 75-68 win over Fairfield in a season opener for both teams on Monday night.
Penn State trailed by three points with 2:17 remaining, but pulled away with an 11-0 run over the final two minutes. Tunca had six of those points, hitting a game-tying 3-pointer at the two-minute mark. He was 7-of-11 from the field.
Tibor Mirtic added a game-high 11 rebounds along with six points.
Fairfield opened the game on a 12-0 scoring run, but Penn State quickly cut into the deficit, leaving it 37-37 at the half.
Braden Sparks led all scorers with 25 points, going 5-of-12 from 3-point range. Brandon Benjamin had 18 points and 10 rebounds and was 8-of-11 from the field.
------
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Game Information
University Park, PA

Referee:Larry Scirotto
Referee:Chad Barlow
Referee:Tariq Lucas

2025-26 Standings
| Metro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceMetro Atlantic Athletic Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrimack | 17-3 | - | 21-10 |
| Saint Peter's | 14-6 | 3 | 17-11 |
| Siena | 13-7 | 4 | 20-11 |
| Marist | 12-8 | 5 | 18-11 |
| Quinnipiac | 12-8 | 5 | 19-12 |
| Fairfield | 11-9 | 6 | 19-12 |
| Mount St. Mary's | 11-9 | 6 | 15-16 |
| Iona | 10-10 | 7 | 18-13 |
| Sacred Heart | 9-11 | 8 | 13-18 |
| Manhattan | 8-12 | 9 | 12-19 |
| Canisius | 5-15 | 12 | 10-21 |
| Niagara | 5-15 | 12 | 8-22 |
| Rider | 3-17 | 14 | 4-25 |
| Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 17-1 | - | 27-2 |
| Nebraska | 14-4 | 3 | 25-4 |
| Michigan State | 14-4 | 3 | 24-5 |
| Illinois | 13-5 | 4 | 22-7 |
| Purdue | 12-6 | 5 | 22-7 |
| Wisconsin | 12-6 | 5 | 20-9 |
| UCLA | 11-7 | 6 | 19-10 |
| Iowa | 10-8 | 7 | 20-9 |
| Ohio State | 10-8 | 7 | 18-11 |
| Indiana | 8-10 | 9 | 17-12 |
| USC | 7-11 | 10 | 18-11 |
| Minnesota | 7-11 | 10 | 14-15 |
| Washington | 6-12 | 11 | 14-15 |
| Northwestern | 5-13 | 12 | 13-16 |
| Rutgers | 5-13 | 12 | 12-17 |
| Oregon | 4-14 | 13 | 11-18 |
| Maryland | 4-14 | 13 | 11-18 |
| Penn State | 3-15 | 14 | 12-17 |
Men's College Basketball News

Johnson, Madi post double-doubles to power Sacramento State to 83-65 victory over Idaho State
2h

Portland State tops Weber State 84-60 to win first Big Sky regular-season title since 2008
2h

Idaho State Bengals vs. Sacramento State Hornets: Game Highlights
2h

