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
- Referees:
 - Larry Scirotto
 - Chad Barlow
 - Tariq Lucas
 
2025-26 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Siena | 0-0 | - | 1-0 | 
| Iona | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 
| Manhattan | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 
| Mount St. Mary's | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 
| Sacred Heart | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 
| Canisius | 0-0 | - | 0-1 | 
| Fairfield | 0-0 | - | 0-1 | 
| Marist | 0-0 | - | 0-1 | 
| Merrimack | 0-0 | - | 0-1 | 
| Niagara | 0-0 | - | 0-1 | 
| Quinnipiac | 0-0 | - | 0-1 | 
| Rider | 0-0 | - | 0-1 | 
| Saint Peter's | 0-0 | - | 0-1 | 
2025-26 Big Ten Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 0-0 | - | 1-0 | 
| Maryland | 0-0 | - | 1-0 | 
| Michigan | 0-0 | - | 1-0 | 
| Michigan State | 0-0 | - | 1-0 | 
| Minnesota | 0-0 | - | 1-0 | 
| Nebraska | 0-0 | - | 1-0 | 
| Northwestern | 0-0 | - | 1-0 | 
| Ohio State | 0-0 | - | 1-0 | 
| Penn State | 0-0 | - | 1-0 | 
| UCLA | 0-0 | - | 1-0 | 
| USC | 0-0 | - | 1-0 | 
| Washington | 0-0 | - | 1-0 | 
| Wisconsin | 0-0 | - | 1-0 | 
| Indiana | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 
| Iowa | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 
| Oregon | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 
| Purdue | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 
| Rutgers | 0-0 | - | 0-0 | 

