NEW YORK -- A hush fell over Madison Square Garden before being interrupted by thousands of white-clad Penn State fans who joined together in echoing chants of "Morriss-ey, Morriss-ey," throughout the historic arena.

Danny Morrissey had crashed into the ground near the scorers' table when diving after a loose ball with two and a half minutes left. The play served as a culmination of the hard-nosed, physical basketball put on display all night as Penn State held on to beat Baylor, 69-63, and win the NIT championship.

"That's exactly how I'd like it," Morrissey said amidst the post-game celebration in the arena, with a cut on his lip serving as a reminder of the fall. "I made some big shots, and getting on the floor -- that's how I play."

Early on, senior forward Jamelle Cornley took control, constantly fighting through traffic and finishing in the paint. Later in the game, despite the shooting struggles of Talor Battle and Stanley Pringle most of the night, the shots began to fall from the outside.

Several minutes before his face-first collision with the MSG hardwood, Morrissey broke a 37-37 tie by knocking down back-to-back three-pointers from nearly the identical spot in the corner opposite the Penn State bench.

"At this point in time, you give your seniors a crack at it," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "He got a big dive on that play and he got himself knocked. We've got tough kids and we are going to compete, and that's been our trademark all year ... but that play kind of typifies what I think our team has been like all year."

Tempers flared during the game and intensity built all night. Both Cornley and Baylor coach Scott Drew received technicals -- Drew slammed his jacket to the ground and later joked that he "had an itch in my coat" -- while Bears guard LaceDarius Dunn received an intentional foul on a Pringle breakaway.

"We were able to battle with them, but I mean, Cornley, he's a pretty big dude and he played his tail off tonight," Baylor guard Curtis Jarrells said. "Got to tip your hat to him."

With his left shoulder wrapped again, Cornley paced the game with 18 points and showed few hints of pain until the play after the Morrissey dive. After a hard bump on an in-bounds play, Cornley grabbed his shoulder and yelled.

But he quickly regained his composure, walked to the other end of the floor and buried two key free throws.

"It was a hit that caught me off-guard, and again, you're playing a very physical team, and again, that's something that is not a big deal," Cornley said. "I really was focused on stepping up and hitting free throws, and I was able to do that."

An entire team effort pushed the Lions through the physical game and on to the first NIT title in program history.

"There is not a better way [the seniors] could have went out," Battle said.

"I think they believe that as well. These guys can never say I never did enough for them.

"I helped them win a championship, and this will last a lifetime."