Correction appended
Talor Battle walked to the free throw line, the ball and game in his hands with his team up a point and only 16.6 seconds to go.
Though a Nittany Lion weakness through much of the season, the charity stripe brought a sense of comfort to a Penn State team that shot just 28 percent from the field and turned the ball over 13 times Wednesday.
The point guard promptly knocked down the pair of freebies, then corralled a loose ball following a Demtri McCamey desperation 3-point heave before nailing two more from the line after an intentional foul, silencing the Assembly Hall crowd and securing the 38-33 win over No. 18 Illinois.
The nine-for-11 effort from the line, coupled with zero free throw attempts from the Illini, helped the Lions win their third straight game in Champaign, Ill.
"I've never been involved in one like this," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis told the Penn State Sports Network.
The game seemingly defied all logic, as both teams failed to generate anything resembling a rhythm offensively through the game's first 30 minutes.
But Penn State (19-8, 8-6 Big Ten) persisted uncharacteristically -- blocking shots while forcing turnovers -- and outscored the Illini 18-4 down the stretch after putting up only 20 points three-quarters of the way through the contest.
The Lions grinded a nine-point deficit with 9:30 left down to four before receiving an offensive spark from a trio of defensive plays that changed the momentum with less than five minutes to go.
Jamelle Cornley took a charge in the paint on Trent Meacham before finding Andrew Jones down low for the two and an ensuing free throw.
The Illini's next trip down resulted in a similar sequence, this time with freshman Chris Babb pick-pocketing McCamey and finding Stanley Pringle on a fast break for the lay-in to give the Lions the lead.
Pringle then blocked McCamey's shot in the paint with :49 left, preserving the Lion lead for good as Battle, who scored a game-high 11 points, iced the game from the line.
"When we got down nine we looked like we couldn't score the whole night, but I give the kids credit," DeChellis said, "they continued to guard."
The 71 combined points marked the lowest-scoring game in the 46-year history of Assembly Hall and the lowest-scoring NCAA Division I game since Dec. 14, 2005 -- a 41-21 Monmouth win over Princeton.
Illinois had its lowest offensive output since a 34-31 loss to Minnesota on Jan. 6, 1947, while this time Penn State was on the winning end of a 38-point performance. The Lions matched that total in a 27-point loss at Iowa on Mar. 1, 2006.
The game was as ugly as the scoreboard, with Illinois (21-6, 9-5) adding to the futility with 15 turnovers and just a 30 percent showing from the field.
But Penn State wasn't apologizing for anything, as a team that looked left for dead a week ago now finds itself right in the thick of the tournament picture after its second road win over a ranked team this season.
"Honestly, I don't think anybody thought we could come here and win, and the only guys that really thought that we could win is the guys in the locker room," said Andrew Jones, who notched seven points and eight rebounds. "It's not a matter of who the team is, it's who comes out, plays the hardest."
Correction: This article incorrectly spells the name of an Illinois basketball player. The sophomore guard's name is Demetri McCamey.
