NEW YORK -- Jamelle Cornley had just learned his career-long goal of making the NCAA tournament wasn't met before calling his father, Hank, for advice.

Hank, then on Selection Sunday, decided to turn toward the future.

"The Lord won't give you what you want, only what you need," the elder Cornley told his son. "I won't be surprised if you guys go ahead and win the NIT now."

A day before the NIT title game, Jamelle had a message for his father -- simply, "we here."

Eight long months and a single day after the Nittany Lions gathered before Cornley's final season and just 18 days after their season-long dream was officially shot down, Cornley and his teammates completed what was their only choice -- winning the championship of a national tournament.

"I'm satisfied, I'm satisfied," the exhausted forward said in the locker room after the game. "I tried to take the hit, I tried to take responsibility, pressure for the program's success for four years now, and to leave on this note is so enjoyable and I can't be any happier right now."

For Cornley and the team's three other seniors, it was a fitting end to a trial that at times appeared as a mockery in the success-starved atmosphere.

Yet, 33 buses and more than 2,000 fans made the four-hour trek to Madison Square Garden to watch this group finish what it started.

Danny Morrissey, who suffered through more futility than anyone over his five-year career, made those worried about missing precious class time and losing sleep look foolish with his dive near the scorer's table to save a loose ball with the team two and a half minutes from victory.

Nearly motionless as trainers rushed to his aid, the "Morrissey!" chants reminded the Cleveland native why he felt the need to risk his newly busted lip in the first place.

"That's just Danny -- he gave it his all the whole way," Talor Battle said on the court amidst the celebration. "I'm sure he'd trade it all for this championship. That [busted lip] will go away."

Sporting a "playoff beard" for the on-court festivities, former intramural star Will Leiner -- the recent recipient of a second-semester scholarship after three and a half years as a walk-on -- was relieved.

"It's all coming off tomorrow," Leiner said of the peach fuzz through a smile.

"It feels great," added fellow senior Stanley Pringle, with Battle putting extra emphasis on the word "great" in the background.

But as everyone knew by then, the night belonged to Cornley, the undersized forward who was reduced to tears as he pointed to the fans, friends and family members in the stands before accepting the tournament's Most Outstanding Player trophy.

Dorcella Smith, his mother who cried when told by "Cornley's Cuties" on Tuesday there were 16 buses of fans at MSG, said knowing this was the overlooked forward's last game was a luxury since he embraced the leadership role from his first day in uniform.

"It's destiny. I've never been able to see this amount of support," Smith said. "It's a great, great, great, great alternative."

After pouring in 18 points and grabbing seven boards, there was just one more memento to snatch before leaving basketball's grandest stage.

Director of Basketball Operations Jon Perry handed Cornley a pair of scissors, but the simple utility posed a problem for the anchor of one of college basketball's great turnarounds.

"I don't even know how to do it," the captain joked before walking up the ladder near the basket.

For once in Jamelle Cornley's life, there wasn't a taller man in the building.