Spartans' rebounding leaves Lions in dust

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Rebounding is an important part of basketball -- just ask Michigan State forward Antonio Smith or the entire Penn State men's basketball team.

"Rebounding for us is something we do well," said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. "We've been doing that well all year."

For Penn State, it hasn't been that rosy.

Saturday, Smith, who entered the game averaging a Big Ten-leading 9.7 rebounds per contest, exploded for five offensive and 12 defensive boards against the Nittany Lions on the way to a 71-57 win. He did it against the substantially larger big men from Penn State.

The Lions' leading rebounder, forward Phil Williams, is 6 feet 9 and 295 pounds. That's an inch taller and 65 pounds heavier than the 6-foot-8, 235-pound Smith. Penn State's second leading rebounder, center Calvin Booth, is 6 feet 11 and 220 pounds -- and three inches taller than Smith.

Despite their size advantage Williams had just four rebounds and Booth only had three. As a whole, the Spartans outrebounded the Lions, 38 to 24.

"Anytime you get beat by that many (rebounds) it's a big part," Penn State guard Pete Lisicky said. "If it was offensive rebounding, they were battling until it went in. If it was defensive rebounding they were on transition, in which they're very strong."

For the Lions, who surrender the fourth fewest rebounds per game in the Big Ten, it was the second consecutive game rebounding had a prominent role in the outcome. The Lions were outrebounded, 35 to 24, and went on to lose, 49-45, Wednesday to Wisconsin. In that game, Booth finished without a rebound and Williams' nine boards were not nearly enough.

Against the Spartans, Penn State coach Jerry Dunn knew rebounding would once again present a problem.

"I said from the start that Michigan State was a very athletic team," Dunn said. "When we face more athletic teams we have our problems."

But Dunn also said from the start that rebounding is as much about effort as it is about skill. Smith displayed the skill and effort necessary to burn the Lions. Penn State forward Greg Stevenson, who finished with just two rebounds, wasn't so sure that effort was reciprocated.

"You've got to have it in your heart," he said. "You have to have the desire to get the ball. They came out more hungry."