Penn State ended the first half on a massive run, and the Nittany Lions never looked back in a 92-76 victory over St. John's on Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.

Junior guard Shep Garner led a balanced Penn State attack with 21 points and a 6-for-9 shooting effort beyond the 3-point arc.

The Nittany Lions (7-5) went on a 35-5 run to close out the first half, and they led by 23 points at the break. St. John's led 24-17 with more than nine minutes left in the first half, but the Red Storm (5-7) managed just five more points before halftime.

Freshman forward Mike Watkins had a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, and he also blocked three shots. Payton Banks and Josh Reaves added 17 and 13 points, respectively, and the Nittany Lions had five players in double figures.

Penn State shot 50 percent from the floor and hit 13 of its 23 3-point attempts.

St. John's leading scorer, Marcus LoVett, returned Sunday after missing three straight games with a sprained ankle. LoVett scored 10 points on 3 of 9 shooting.

The Red Storm were led by sophomore guard Malik Ellison's 22 points. Ellison entered the game averaging 5.5 points per contest, and the 22 were a season-high. Freshman guard Shamorie Ponds added 12 points for St. John's but was 3-for-17 from the floor.

It was the second loss in a row for Chris Mullin's team, and the Red Storm had a week off after falling to LIU-Brooklyn last Sunday. Meanwhile, Penn State snapped its two-game losing streak.

The Nittany Lions will have their final nonconference tune-up on Wednesday against Morgan State. Penn State opens its conference schedule against Northwestern on Dec. 27.