Pierre Brooks scores career-high 26 points as Butler beats Penn State 88-78
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Pierre Brooks II scored a career-high 26 points, Jahmyl Telfort added 18 and Butler cruised to an 88-78 victory over Penn State on Friday in the ESPN Events Invitational.
Penn State trailed the entire second half but pulled within 64-61 on Kanye Clary’s jumper with 7:57 to play. Brooks answered a pair of 3s to bookend an 11-3 surge to help the Bulldogs pull away.
Brooks was 9-of-13 shooting from the floor and finished with five 3-pointers. Telfort made 4 of 11 shots and a pair of 3s. DJ Davis added 14 points and Andre Screen had nine for Butler (4-2), which made half its 62 field goal attempts. Telfort, Davis and Screen combined for 23 of the Bulldogs’ 35 rebounds.
Clary scored 28 points to lead Penn State (4-2). Ace Baldwin Jr. added 15 points, Nick Kern Jr. had 12 and Zach Hicks 11.
Butler used a 15-4 run, capped by a Brooks 3, for a 38-36 advantage with 2:16 left in the first half and led the rest of the way.
Butler hosts Texas Tech on Thursday. Penn State is at home against Bucknell on Dec. 2.