NEW YORK -- Andrew Jones' modest talk doesn't suffice his torrid National Invitation Tournament run.

He said he simply goes out and plays, trying to play with a clear head and stay loose. And he's always aggressive.

Through Penn State's NIT run, Jones has blossomed into a second inside threat for the Nittany Lions. In four games, Jones is averaging 11 points and 9.5 rebounds.

Maybe he should take a little more credit for his career-best 16 points and 15 rebounds against Notre Dame Tuesday night.

Second-team All-America forward Luke Harangody won't give it to him.

"Looking at the stat sheet, he had a pretty quiet game," Harangody said after Tuesday's game. "But 16-15, I didn't realize he had that."

Harangody got his 17 points and 10 rebounds, but it took him 16 shots to get there.

Flustering the Irish big man most of the night, Jones fought hard on the low block to contest each baby hook and drop-step shot.

"Drew did a great job," DeChellis said. "Best defensive game Drew's played in a long time without fouling."

Raw on the offensive end, Jones is taking the jumper from the elbow opponents are giving him.

Inside, DeChellis wants him active, flashing to the ball crashing the boards.

"Now I feel like teams actually have to shade to me a little bit," Jones said. "Especially on the glass."

Jamelle Cornley's -- the one usually dominating opponents' scouting reports with his physicality -- career is done tonight, but Jones has two more years to dominate the paint.

Tuesday night was dominant by all accounts.

When senior guard Stanley Pringle's shot ricocheted hard off the glass, Jones slammed it home after it cleared the cylinder, right where the burly 6-foot-8, 255-pound Harangody typically makes his meal money.

But nothing was easy for Harangody Tuesday. Jones' man defense -- mostly without any help -- perhaps looked better because of misses from close in.

"God, I'll take those any day," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said about Harangody's shot selection.

DeChellis challenged Jones to limit the Irish to one shot each time down the floor and be wary of Harangody's ability to draw contact and get to the free throw line.

Jones controlled the glass, and at the end of the game found himself at the line icing the game and sending the Lions to their first NIT championship since 1998.

It will also be a chance to coronate a record-setting season with a postseason championship.

"Early on, I don't know if we saw this coming," Cornley said. "Now that we're here, you always wanna take advantage of it. To end our season 27-11 is a record that I don't think any of us saw coming, but it's here now."