Thursday, Feb. 20, 1997

Close loss frustrates cagers

By ANDREW KREBS
Collegian Sports Writer

When Penn State and Wisconsin met for the first time this season, on Jan. 18, the game was ugly and so was the outcome -- at least for Nittany Lion fans.

In Wednesday's rematch between the two teams, just over a month after that 64-45 debacle, Penn State lost again. This time the 49-45 final score was much closer, but the loss still left everyone associated with the team shaking their heads.

Penn State, which led the Badgers by seven points at halftime, looked like a different team than the squad that faced the Badgers a month ago. From Lion center Calvin Booth's alley-oop dunk on the opening possession, everything appeared to be clicking early.

At the half, the Badgers had only 17 points and were shooting just 38.9 percent from the field. On the opposite side, the Lions had 24 points and were shooting 43.5 percent from the field.

But the Lions couldn't continue the promising play in the second half. Penn State blew a 14-point lead and fell apart down the stretch to eventually lose a game which looked to be in the bag.

"We weren't executing," Penn State guard Pete Lisicky said. "You have to do whatever it takes with two minutes to go and we just didn't do it."

Early on, Penn State looked to be a vastly different squad than the one that lost to the Badgers the first time around. Late in the game, though, Penn State reverted to the mistake prone play that it has shown all season. And it was anyone's guess as to whether the Lions have improved at all in the past month.

"I though they were a much tougher team today," Wisconsin coach Dick Bennett said. "They were much more physical and aggressive."

Cagers drop nail-biter to Badgers

But for all that physical and aggressive play, the Lions were still out-rebounded, 35-to-24. For all that physical and aggressive play, the Lions still notched two turnovers in the final two minutes of the game -- when it was on the line. For all that physical and aggressive play, Penn State still missed all three of its free throw chances in the final five minutes of the game -- when it was on the line.

As far as raw scoring statistics go, Penn State was a better team than it was in the first meeting with Wisconsin.

Instead of Lisicky carrying the bulk of the offensive burden, guard Ryan Bailey chipped-in 11 points. He scored just six points last time.

Booth scored nine points. He scored just two last meeting.

But in the statistical category that counts the most, the final score, Penn State fell short for the 14th time this season.