STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Brandon Taylor scored 27 points and Payton Banks added 17 as Penn State defeated Eastern Michigan 81-70 on Saturday in the Bryce Jordan Center to win its third straight game.

Taylor, a senior forward, helped push a 10-point halftime lead to 21 with a 3-pointer at the 13:17 mark. Banks, a sophomore forward, had 13 of his points in the second half, when the Nittany Lions (5-2) were 20 of 24 at the free-throw line and connected on 5 of 11 3-pointers.

Eastern Michigan (5-3), which got 18 points and 14 rebounds from forward James Thompson and 15 points from guard Willie Mangum, got to within nine points with 1:58 to play on two Thompson free throws but could get no closer.

Penn State, which won despite shooting just 36 percent, went more than six minutes without a field goal in the first half, falling behind 18-14, before a 14-1 run that included a pair of 3-pointers from Taylor gave the Nittany Lions a 28-19 lead with 3:35 left in the half.

Taylor had 13 points in the first half, while Donovon Jack had eight points off the bench.