Lisicky's clutch shots rally cagers

By ROB AMEN
Collegian Sports Writer

It was only a matter of time before his shots would fall.

Although his stat line mirrors his struggle from the field, freshman guard Pete Lisicky came up with the big shots in the clutch for the men's basketball team as it downed Miami (Fla.), 62-56, last night at Rec Hall.

Lisicky managed just 3-of-13 from the field -- 1-of-10 from three point land -- but he chose the most opportune time to catch fire.

With Penn State trailing the Hurricanes, 50-34, with eight minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the game, Lisicky drained a 19-foot jumper from the top of the key to close the deficit to 14. It was the first shot of the night he hit, and it wouldn't be his last.

"That was a big part of it," Lion Coach Bruce Parkhill said of Lisicky's shooting that sparked the comeback. "I think the primary factor was our defense. But it was nice to see Pete knock down some J's."

Lisicky's jumper awoke the slumbering Lion offense, which, until then, had only scored 14 second-half points. Penn State continued to heat up, outscoring Miami 28-6 the rest of the way.

The Lions' unrelenting defense created offensive opportunities, which the team took advantage of. With the ever-diminishing Hurricane lead at five, Lisicky calmly stepped up and sank an 18-footer from the right corner to close the gap to three, then drained his specialty -- a three pointer that put Penn State within one.

"I knew what I was doing wrong, so it made it easier to take another shot -- especially if I was open," Lisicky said, adding that he was rushing his stroke.

Lisicky not only nailed some key jumpers, but also made his presence felt on the defensive end, tallying three defensive rebounds and two steals.