December 30, 2007 at 7:21 AM
MT. WOLF, Pa. -- Well, road troubles continue to plague the Lady Lions.
After failing to win a Big Ten road game all of last season, Penn State droppd its first conference tilt away from Happy Valley with Friday's 67-58 loss at Iowa.
Iowa guards Kristi Smith and Johanna Solverson lead the Hawkeyes with 19 and 16 points respectively and helped Iowa gain a 10-point halftime advantage,
Kam Gissendanner led the Lady Lions with 17 points and nine rebounds. Freshman forward Janessa Wolff registered her first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench and junior point guard Brianne O'Rourke also finished in double figures with 14 points to go along with four assists.
However, Penn State wasn't able to overcome its 23 turnovers and 33.3 percent shooting.
The loss drops the Lady Lions to 9-4, 0-1 in the Big Ten and propels Iowa to 8-4, 1-0 in conference play.
Penn State returns home at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 2 to take on Illinois in the Lady Lions' Big Ten home opener.
-- Wible Comments
December 28, 2007 at 12:16 AM
MT. WOLF, Pa. -- It feels like forever since the Lady Lions (9-3) have taken the court (it's actually been 3 days), but they will begin Big Ten-play at 8:05 Friday night at Iowa (7-4).
Penn State is 10-5 all-time in both Big Ten season Big Ten road openers.
The Lady Lions might feel like they're entering a forest in Iowa City. Six of the Hawkeyes top seven scorers are 6-foot-2 or taller.
Six-foot-2 junior forward Wendy Ausdemore leads the team with 12.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest. While 5-foot-6 junior guard Kristi Smith also averages double-digits with 11 points and 3.2 assists every time out.
Standing in the middle of the Hawkeye defense is 6-foot-6 junior center Megan Skouby who averages 9.4 points, 3.3 boards and 1 block per game.
It might prove to be a battle of styles between Iowa's inside-oriented offense and Penn State's perimeter scoring.
A win here could give the Lady Lions momentum to build for a run at the conference crown and an NCAA birth, a loss won't ruin Penn State's chances, but the Lady Lions must learn to win on the road if they want to continue to improve and return the program to mid-90s form.
-- Wible Comments
December 18, 2007 at 2:00 AM
Howdy yall,
I know its been awhile and I apologize, finals, formals and such, but anyway, there's been some Lady Lion action as of late.
Saturday night, Penn State made the scenic trip down cow-laden route 45 and reminded everyone of its central Pennsylvania dominance as the Lady Lions upended the Bucknell Bison 64-55 in front of a hostile crowd in Lewisburg.
Tyra Grant led the Lady Lions with a game-high 20 points and Mashea Williams notched her first career double-double with 17 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
Grants 20 points against the Bison, coupled with her 24 points against Ole Miss on Thursday earned her Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
The scoring rampage has put the sophomore over the 600-point plateau for her Penn State career.
She finished the week averaging 22 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2 blocks.
The Lady Lions now get their longest layoff of the season before returning to action on Dec. 28 for the Big Ten-opener at Iowa.
We'll be keeping you up-to-date on the latest Lady Lions action during break. Check back for updates from bustling York, Pa, it should be thrilling.
Cheers,
-- Wible Comments
December 15, 2007 at 12:55 PM
Good afternoon, basketball fans. This is Wayne coming to you from the Bryce Jordan Center bringing you PSU-Denver.
Penn State looks to move to 6-0 at home and two games above .500 overall, while the Pioneers look to be 4-4.
An early observation: I know Denver is called the Pioneers, but its symbol is rather confusing. It looks like a cross between a crab, a bird and a burnt calzone. But I digress.
Here are the starting lineups
Starting Lineups
Penn State
Jamelle Cornley
Geary Claxton
Talor Battle
Andrew Jones III
Danny Morrissey
Denver
David Kummer
Kyle Lewis
Adam Tanner
Joe Jackson
Nate Rohnert
PSU-5, Denver-2; 15:13 left in the first half
Claxton appears to be well on his way to his second straight double-double. He scored the game's first five points and grabbed two defensive rebounds in the first 2:25. Denver come out looking a lot like Princeton, missing its first three shots, with a few open looks.
PSU-11, Denver-6; 11:38
Claxton's foul troubles continue to hurt. D.J. Jackson came in to for Claxton, who got hit with a chippy foul. Denver has had success underneath the basket and is really attacking the interior defense. Morrissey showed he can create a shot all by himself on a nice cut to the bucket with the shot clock winding down to put the Nittany Lions up 5.
PSU-14, Denver-6; 7:55
And the play has gotten sloppy all of a sudden. Some bad drops and bad passes are combining with mental lapses resulting in bad fouls. The only points within the last 3:44 came on a Mike Walker 3-pointer.
PSU-21, Denver-7; 2:56
For the second straight game, PSU has held a team scoreless for 9:59 in the first half. Denver has yet to hit a 3-pointer, and it is taking it the entire shot clock to get shots off. Having eight turnovers has also been a problem. And it looks like Walker may be getting out of his free throw shooting slump, hitting 2-of-3 after getting fouled on a 3-point attempt.
PSU-26, Denver-10; halftime
Well, the game started off well for the Pioneers, but the offense has been non-existent for most of the half. Denver shot just 4-16 for 25 percent, but the two areas that have really been a problem has been from 3 (0-8) and turnovers (9).
But Penn State continues to have problems from the free throw line, where it is just 2-4. The Lions have been dominant on the glass, holding a 17-12 edge and conceding just one offensive rebound.
Other scores around the country:
Ohio State beat Presbyterian, 87-43
No. 9 Pitt is beating Oklahoma State, 75-61 with 2:47 left
The halftime show is a matchup of two middle school teams. And I must say, it has been more exciting than the PSU game so far. The teams are playing at a much quicker pace, and neither one has gone on a nearly-10 minute scoring drought.
PU-29, Denver-12; 15:38 left in the game
Both teams are still playing rather sloppily. Denver still only has four made shots this game, and all of the points scored in the second half for both teams have come on the free throw line. Denver hasn't made a field goal in 6:43.
PSU-32, Denver-15; 12:53 left
Claxton picks up his fourth foul, and is forced to sit. Denver finally gets a bucket, a 3-pointer by Joe Jackson to break a 9:25 run without a field goal. It was the Pioneers' first made three in 13 attempts.
PSU-45, Denver-19; 7:30 left
Finally, some style.
A Battle dunk really woke the crowd up, only to be put back to sleep mode by Denver's shooting woes. The Pioneers have 13 turnovers and are just 1-15 from 3. Claxton has re-entered the game with his 8 points and four rebounds along with four fouls. Walker is shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc with four 3-pointers.
PSU-57, Denver-33; 3:50 left
Despite the foul problems, Claxton still has a good shot for a double-double with 13 points and 7 boards. The game has been more fastly-paced in the second half, but both teams are already in the bonus with foul trouble.
PSU-60, Denver-39; final
Just like the Princeton game, this game wasn't always easy on the eyes, but Penn State still earns its third win in a row. Denver's offense didn't catch a groove until the game was well in-hand in the second half. Claxton finished just a rebound shy of another double-double. Walker led all scorers with 14 points. Penn State hit seven 3-pointers and ruled the rebound battle, winning 33-23.
So the Lions have fared well against two Princeton-style offenses, but it will be interesting to see how well it prepares them for the Big Ten opener against Northwestern, who figures to have more athletic skill than Princeton and Denver.
-Wayne Comments
December 14, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Hello there Lady Lions fans and welcome to the final home non-conference game of the 2007 season, as your beloved Penn State Lady Lions take on the Rebels of Mississippi. It's early here at the BJC, but with sloppy conditions outside, and finals week swooping in fast, I don't expect there to be many people here, which puts even more pressure on yours truly to keep you up to date with the most accurate and semi-witty commentary I can.
I accept the challenge.
The Lady Lions come into tonight's match after a truly painful game to watch last Sunday against Georgetown. What looked on paper to be a great defensive matchup was really a showcase of airballs, bricks, and turnovers. The Lady Lions got the victory, however, improving their record to 7-3. An interesting statistic actually, Penn State boasts four players in the Top 20 in scoring in the Big Ten, the only team in the conference that can say that.
Im off to grab some food. I'll have more Lady Lion action to come. Youre reading the Coquestioner, and I'm Brian Eller. Keep it locked.
Starting lineups for both teams:
Penn State:
1 Tyra Grant
3 Brianne O'Rourke
5 Mashea Williams
24 Rashida Mark
25 Kam Gissendanner
Ole Miss:
10 Carla Bartee
11 Shantell Black
14 Elizabeth Robertson
20 Kayla Melson
35 Shawn Goff
15:41 left in the 1st half: Ole Miss 6, PSU 5
Well we are off and running here at the BJC. Pretty much back and forth so far, with Brianne O'Rourke leading the way with three points. Some sloppy turnovers on offense have helped Ole Miss take the lead, but Penn State is playing a tight man-to-man defense. Will it keep the Rebels in check????
11:41 left in the 1st half: PSU 17, Ole Miss 13
Some offensive momentum has seem to fall into the hands of the Lady Lions since my last post. Tyra Grant is finding herself open a lot down low, and is making the tough shots to help give Penn State the early 4 point lead.
7:37 left in the 1st half: Ole Miss 25, PSU 24
The Rebels have made quite a comeback, capitalizing off of some costly turnovers by the Lady Lions. Head coach Coquese Washington has inserted both Janessa Wolff and Evelyn Lewis, probably in an attempt to grab the rebounds on the defensive side of the ball. The problem is though, Ole Miss hasnt missed a shot in over three minutes.
Halftime: PSU 38, Ole Miss 36
Well a pretty interesting first half here in Happy Valley. Despite only being up two, the Lady Lions look pretty good. They are getting good, open shots, and although they need to cut back on the turnovers, going into the locker room with a two point lead is something to smile about. Janessa Wolff is doing a great job underneath the hoop, blocking three shots and pulling down every missed shot put up by the Rebels. Tyra Grant is the leading scorer for Penn State, with 14 points. Her career high is 33. For Ole Miss, Shawn Goff leads the way with 8 points.
15:44 left in the 2nd half: Ole Miss 42, PSU 41
Man this game is definitely a tale of two halves. The Lady Lions have come out very sluggish, scoring only three points so far. Shawn Goff has stepped it up for the Rebels this half. She now has a team-leading 12 points, and is a big part in Ole Miss' ability to control the tempo early in the second half.
11:59 left in the 2nd half: PSU 50, Ole Miss 49
After taking what looked like a nasty spill, Penn State guard Mashea Williams heads to the bench appeared to be in a quite a bit of pain. The Lady Lions have been able to find the hoop a little more often, and now have a one point lead with the Rebels beginning to get into some foul trouble.
7:57 left in the 2nd half: PSU 63, Ole Miss 59
Tyra Grant has taken over this game for the Lady Lions, scoring their last four points and registering 20 on the night. Penn State is aready in the bonus, and with the Lady Lion offense continuing to heat up, it looks like the Rebels will have to bring their A game the rest of the way. Fortunately for Ole Miss, its three point shooting has gotten better as of late, as what was once an eight point lead for the Lady Lions is now down to four. Good news for Penn State, however, is that Mashea Williams is ok, and is currently in the game.
3:58 left in the 2nd half: PSU 71, Ole Miss 67
Well folks, this will be the last post for this game. I hate to leave you hanging, but duty calls. Lets see if the Lady Lions can finish this game off. Comments
December 13, 2007 at 9:19 PM
Today, the Mitchell Report shook the baseball world. But that isn't important. The real question is what kind of bangin' team could you put together from this list of accused players? Behold the power of the 'Roid Ragers' roster.
Mitchell Report All-Stars*
OFFENSE
C -- Paul Lo Duca, Washington Nationals -- Nicknamed "Captain Red Ass" for his temper (coincidence?), it came as a bit of a surprise when he sent his drug dealers a nice Thank You note. It says, "Call me if you need anything!" according to the Mitchell Report. In between sending fruit baskets, he eventually moved to the Mets to be closer to his supplier.
1B -- Mo Vaughn, Boston Red Sox -- Who knew a man who once broke a window in a pharmacy via 400-foot home run would have yet another connection to prescription drugs? In the report, it says "Hit Dog" didn't want to take steroids because he was afraid of needles ... we think the real reason was he could never find a vein through all that flub. Mo' Twinkies, mo' problems.
2B -- Fernando Vina, St. Louis Cardinals -- Vina once starred in the music video "Welcome to Atlanta." Well, Fernando, welcome to inclusion in the Steroid Era! Sources say he's stopped using HGH cream to enhance his performance, but this Baseball Tonight pretty boy still likely uses it to give his hair a radiant shine.
3B -- Troy Glaus, Toronto Blue Jays -- For a guy who has 20/15 vision, it's amazing he couldn't see this report coming.
SS -- Miguel Tejada, Houston Astros -- This guy's used to breaking precedents. He became only the third Dominican to capture the MVP -- and the first to be named on the Mitchell Report!
Word on the street is Miguel Tejada Stadium (in Tejada's hometown) will also be converted to a "pharmacy." We hear Rafael Palmeiro's already in line.
LF -- Rondell White, Montreal Expos -- Known for giving Expos tickets to underprivileged youths in Montreal. Who knew he could have been passing around juice in the neighborhood, too?
CF -- Lenny Dykstra, Philadelphia Philles -- This tobacco-chewer has now tainted more than the centerfield AstroTurf at the Vet. Nicknamed "Nails," Dykstra can now add "Needles" to his metallic call names. Maybe Dykstra should hop into teammate Darren Daulton's Astro-travel time machine and prevent himself from taking those "special vitamins" in the fourth dimension.
RF -- David Justice, Atlanta Braves -- Halle Berry deserved better. Let me get this off my chest. Justice has been served! There, I feel better now.
Anyhow, one reason Mitchell produced his report was to protect young athletes who might consider steroid use in the future, so how ironic is it that Justice is the host of "Kids on Deck" on the YES Network?
PITCHERS
SP -- Roger Clemens, New York Yankees -- His wife must've dropped an important call. We see it going something like this:
Honey, you think I should use steroids?
[SILENCE -- as wife's hands wave through air]
All right, guys, she's so happy, she's speechless. Stick me.
Not only do dropped phone calls ruin conversations and payrolls -- but they also ruin reputations.
SP -- Andy Pettitte, New York Yankees -- "Whatever I do, I love to win. I don't care if it's tennis or ping pong, I'll kill myself to win it."
Apparently, that also means he's willing to reduce his manhood to ping pongs. Hell, he doesn't care. Stick him again!
SP -- Kevin Brown, New York Yankees -- Brown angry!! Brown smash!! In 2004, he punched a wall and broke his wrist. Eventually, his entire arm falls apart and he's out of baseball. Who didn't see this coming?
SP -- Denny Neagle, Colorado Rockies -- Neagle's got 99 problems ... and apparently prostitutes and steroids are Nos. 1 and 2.
Closer -- Eric Gagne, Los Angeles Dodgers -- Great glasses don't make a pitcher. But drugs do!
BENCH
Brian Roberts -- Baltimore Orioles
David Segui -- New York Yankees
Gary Matthews Jr. -- Texas Rangers
David Bell -- San Francisco Giants
* Note: Only players first confirmed by the report are listed. Sorry Bonds, Giambi and McGwire. Maybe next time.
Note 2: Also, current teams are included with current players. For past players, the team most associated with that athlete is listed.
Note 3: No relievers are listed with the exception of closer because, well, our relievers blurbs were too dirty (Sorry, John Rocker!).
Note 4: Sorry for all the notes.
By Jon Blau and Josh Moyer Comments
December 13, 2007 at 6:46 PM
Click here to download the mp3 file.
Comments December 12, 2007 at 6:38 PM
It's about 15 minutes until tipoff for the PSU-Princeton tilt and we're here from the Bryce Jordan Center. The arena is pretty empty right now and doesn't figure to fill up too much before game time. Most betting sites have the Nittany Lions by about 13, which doesn't say much for the tigers.
On a related note, Princeton's incoming freshman class is favored by 120 over Penn State in SAT scores. I'd lay the points.
The PA guy just announced that if Penn State sells 10,000 student tickets to the Ohio State game, then all the proceeds from student ticket sales for the next game (Michigan State) will go to THON. It's a nice gesture, but I'd be surprised to see 10,000 student tickets sold, even if it is for a good cause.
Penn State starters:
Jamelle Cornley
Geary Claxton
Talor Battle
Andrew Jones
Danny Morrissey
Princeton starters:
Kyle Koncz
Marcus Schroeder
Lincoln Gunn
Zach Finley
Noah Savage
After the national anthem, the Nittany Nation began chanting "Harvard Rejects" at the Tigers. Princeton, a school not known for its academics, was very hurt by this.
14:56 to play in the first half
At the first timeout, Penn State leads 7-2. Neither team looks very good, but the Lions look like they're going to dominate underneath the basket all night. Princeton is 0-6 from 3. If the Tigers don't pick up their outside shooting, they won't stand a chance.
10:55
Nearing the midpoint of the first half, we're witnessing a thrilling 9-6 game. Princeton is now 0-7 from 3, but PSU's only points since the last stoppage have been off a Stanley Pringle layup in transition. Both offenses look sloppy.
10:00
After Lincoln Gunn tied the game with a 3, Geary Claxton threw down a big dunk at the other end. The Lions have a clear advantage in athleticism, but they have to have good offensive possessions and avoid turnovers.
6:33
PSU leads 15-9. The Lions are shooting 32 percent, while the Tigers are at 22 percent. Oh my. Stanley Pringle just hustled back to stop an easy layup by Gunn, but Jeff Brooks fouled on the follow-up.
The Nittany Nation is back to chanting "Safety School" and "Harvard Rejects." I'm sure that at least 80 percent of them turned down Princeton to come to Penn State.
5:12
D.J. Jackson just dished to Danny Morrissey on a 2-on-1. And-one. (Actually, And-zero, he missed it) 17-9 Penn State.
3:42
Penn State is approaching the 20-point mark for the first half after a Talor Battle bucket. This is thrilling stuff. Meanwhile, Princeton is trying to avoid a single-digit first half.
1:39
Cornley just missed a wide open layup, but got the rebound and was fouled, making one. At the other end, Princeton traveled. That's just how this game is going.
30.1 seconds
Nick Lake just made a basket to put Princeton into double digits. That also ended a 10-minute scoring drought.
End of half
Mike Walker hit a 3 to end the half and Penn State leads 26-11. Last game, the Lions trailed by a score of 52-42 at half. These teams might not get that many points all game.
A few interesting stats:
- Princeton is shooting 20 percent from the floor and 7.1 percent from 3. They have 11 points.
- Princeton's Kyle Koncz is 0-6 from 3.
- Penn State is shooting 35.5 percent from the floor and 25 percent from 3 and somehow lead by 15.
- Penn State is out-rebounding Princeton 23-20
Needless to say, the crowd hasn't been too involved this game (and it doesn't help that there's only about 6,000 in attendance).
Start of second half
It's 31-13 Penn State with 17:17 to play. Lincoln Gunn's pair of free-throws has set a scorching pace that might allow the tigers to reach 20 before the end of the game. I've seen higher-scoring games watching my eight-year-old sister play.
I just checked the over-under for this game. It's 120. So if you took the under, you're looking pretty safe. These teams might not reach 120 if they played a double-header.
14:13
In a rare statistical oddity, Penn State has more than double the score of its opponent five minutes into the second half, but only one player in double figures (Claxton, with 13). No one else has more than six.
10:46
Princeton has picked up the pace on the offensive end, led by Lincoln Gunn, who has 13 points. The Lions still lead 41-25, but their free throw shooting has been atrocious. They're 2-10 from the line. And this isn't just a fluke game. The Lions have struggled with their foul shots all year.
8:03
After a missed Tigers free throw, Claxton pulled down his tenth board for his fifth double-double of the season. He and Cornley are dominating inside now, and have accounted for 27 of Penn State's 49 points (17 and 10, respectively). 49-31 PSU.
3:32
I think I just fell asleep. When I woke up, the Lions were up 59-31. The fans are leaving in droves and have been for the past few minutes.
End of Game
PSU wins 61-38. With all the talk about the Princeton offense, the Lions' strategy got lost in the shuffle. They played the less-vaunted "Penn State offense" to perfection tonight, which consisted of missing a shot, getting a rebound, missing another shot, getting another rebound, and repeating that process until they scored. It worked tonight, though.
Of course, one major component of the Penn State offense is that the opponent needs to have a less than average skill level in basketball. Oh well.
-Nordeman Comments
December 10, 2007 at 6:41 PM
Hear Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis talk about the upcoming game against the Princeton Tigers.
Click here to download the mp3 file.
Comments December 9, 2007 at 6:41 PM
Listen to Talor Battle and Ed DeChellis talk about Saturday's win over Seton Hall.
Click here to download the mp3 file.
Comments December 9, 2007 at 5:17 PM
Howdy yall, it's Wible again coming at ya from press row at the Bryce Jordan Center for today's Lady Lion game against Georgetown. This game raises some questions, such as can Penn State bounce back from Thursday's lackluster 72-53 loss at Syracuse and continue to play like world beaters at home? Another question I have is what exactly is a Hoya? Georgetown's mascot is a bulldog, so why aren't they the bulldogs? More on this later.
An interesting central Pennsylvania sidenote, this game is drawing a lot of attention in York County, Pa. Penn State's Meggan Quinn and Georgetown's Meredith Cox were York County high school stars and battle for York Area Interscholastic Athletic Association titles on more than one occasion, with Quinn's Red Lion team always coming out on top.
Back to today's game, here are your starting lineups
Penn State
G - #1 Tyra Grant
G - #3 Brianna O'Rourke
G - #5 Mashea Williams
G - #25 Kam Gissendanner
F - #24 Rashida Mark
Georgetown
G - #2 Kristin Heidloff
G - #11 Brina Pollack
G - #22 Kenya Kirkland
F - #44 Kieraah Marlow
C - #54 Aminata Diop (6-foot5)
16:10 to go first half
PSU 6 Georgetown 5
We've got a screamer. Georgetown's Shanice Fuller is very "vocal" on the floor and I bet you can hear her screams all the way in Bellefonte. On the basketball front, Penn State is a doing a better job attacking Georgetown's zone than it did on Thursday night. The Lady Lions settled for outside shots, but so far this game only two of Penn State's eight shots have been from the land of 3.
12:16 to go first half
PSU 8 G-Town 8
Is the BJC leaking? We just had a 30-second timeout turn into about a three or four minute stopage because of excess moisture in front of the Hoyas' bench. Maybe the bulldog's drolling a little too much.
11:16 to go first half
Still tied at 8
I have found the answer to my pressing question, and all I can say is, 'Wow'
According to the Gerogetown athletic website (http://guhoyas.cstv.com/trads/gu-hoya.html):
"Many years ago, when all Georgetown students were required to study Greek and Latin, the University's teams were nicknamed "The Stonewalls." It is suggested that a student, using Greek and Latin terms, started the cheer "Hoya Saxa!", which translates into "What Rocks!" The name proved popular and the term "Hoyas" was eventually adopted for all Georgetown teams."
7:42 to go first half
PSU 19 G-Town 15
Big props to fellow Lady Lions writer Brian Eller. During three straight trips down the court, he kept commenting how open Quinn was beyond the arc. Williams must have heard him because she found Quinn open on the wing duiring Penn State's next position and Quinn promptly nail the trey.
2:30 remaining first half
G-Town 24 PSU 21
Not the most cleanly played half. The Lady Lions have committed nine turnovers and the Hoyas have taken advantage and grabed the lead. Neither team is shooting particularly well, the Lady Lions have connected on only 26.9 percent of their shots while the Hoyas are shooting 34.8 percent from the field.
53.1 to go first half
PSU 29 G-town 24
Just when I opened my big mouth . . . The Lady Lions just went on a mini 8-0 run to retake the lead. Four Rashida Mark foul shots and a pair of Meredith Monroe layups under the basket gave the Lady Lions the lead
Hafltime
PSU 31 G-Town 26
Good finishing two minutes of the half for Penn State give the Lady Lions a five-point lead at the break. More on the game in a moment, but first, it's time for the halftime mascot game and your lineups are:
White Squad
3wz's zippy the zebra
Ike the spike
Grimace
Twisty the Auntie Anne's soft pretzel
Diesel Dog from the Altoona Curve
Blue squad
Rita's Ice Guy
Hamburglar
Subway sub man
Nittany Lion
Blue wins the tip and the Nittany Lion goes drives for an easy layup, 2-0 blue.
Grimace misses the entire backboard at the other end and the Nittany Lion goes coast to coast once again, 4-0 blue.
Not much traveling being called here, the referee must be the mascot for Foot Locker.
Nittany Lion again with an easy layup, 6-0 blue.
Nittany Lion stuffs Ike the Spike, bad
Not much passing going on, almost as bad as And 1 streetball, but these mascots suck, so it's not as much fun.
Another easy layup for the Nittany Lion, 8-0 blue.
Followed by a steal and another layup for the Nittany Lion, 10-0 blue. I'm sensing a trend here.
Finally, a non-feline scores as the Sub Guy puts one in from about 2 feet away, 12-0 blue.
Can you say posterized? The Nittany Lion just dunked on Grimace and if you thought Vince Carter's dunk over that tall dude in the Olympics was impressive, wait until you see a mountain lion dunk on a giant ball of purple fur that loves milkshakes, 14-0 blue.
Ike the Spike scores to make it reasonable, 14-2 blue.
Nittany lion with another block as the zebra and ref are fighting at midcourt.
The Iceman cometh as the Ice Guy gets a bucket to make it 16-2 blue.
Grimace apparently doesn't like to dribble and is 0-for-10 from the field.
Ike scores again to make the game less of an embarrsement, 16-4 blue.
And finally, the Nittany Lion slams home a breakaway dunk at the buzzer to make the final 18-4 blue.
Nittany Lion stateline: 14 points, 2 blocks, 2 dunks
While the Nittany Lion was by far the best player on the court, the Collegian MVP is Grimace. The big purple dude just did his own thang and kept heaving up shots even though he couldn't hit the broadside of the backboard, literally. And he said "screw you" to the ref and refused to dribble, although maybe he couldn't because of the fact that his body is about seven or eight feet around and his arms are rather short. Whatever the reason, good on him and our MVP is Grimace.
Back to the real game
15:47 to go second half
PSU 33 G-Town 28
S-L-O-P-P-Y, there's no other way to descirbe this game. The teams have combined for 21 turnovers and 31.8 percent shooting from the field. And let me tell ya, it ain't exactly stellar defense, shots aren't falling and passes aren't crisp.
11:52 remaining second half
PSU 39 G-Town 32
The Lady Lions have opened up their lead and will have the ball after the break. Penn State is doing a good job of attacking the basket and getting close looks, because not much is falling from the outside.
7:39 remaining in the game
PSU 42 G-Town 37
I hate to keep harking on it, but this is an ugly game. No Penn State player has made more than three baskets from the field. Kam Gissendanner just registered her third double-double of the season. She has 10 points and 14 rebounds.
3:43 to go in the game
PSU 49 G-Town 41
Just as Penn State started to pull away -- an O'Rourke 3 at the 5:41 mark put the Lady Lions up by 12 -- poor shot selection started to hinder Penn State. Lady Lion coach Coquese Washington was visibly upset with the way her team was playing and called a timeout. Expect to see less running and a more deliberate tempo from the Penn State offense down the stretch.
Final
PSU 56 G-Town 47
Well it wasn't pretty, but it was a win for the Lady Lions. Penn State finished with 16 turnovers, only seven in the second half. The Lady Lions also shot a chilly 30.8 percent from the field. The two teams combined to shoot 13.7 percent from three, Penn State made three treys while the Hoyas only connected on one of their 15 attempts.
The Lady Lions won the battle on the boards and outrebounded Gerogetown 45-38. And once again Penn State made more free throws than its opponent attempted. Penn State shot 21-of-29 from the line, compared to the 10-of-12 effort from the Hoyas.
With the win, Penn State improves to 7-3 and the loss drops Georgetown to 5-2.
Quotes from the post-game press conferences:
Georgetown coach Terri Williams-Flournoy about her team's poor shooting night:
"I gotta be honest, I don't think it was anything they did defensively"
Stat of the Game:
Number of Scorers
Penn State: 8
Georgetown: 4
Washington said she was fairly pleased with her team's effort and said the Lady Lions played solid defensively. She said she was also happy her team was able to outrebound the Hoyas.
Regarding the offense, she said the Lady Lions were getting good looks, the shots, "They just didn't fall tonight," she said. Comments
December 9, 2007 at 12:49 PM
If you're a die-hard Penn State fan or a fan of blogs (which I assume anybody reading this is either of those things) then check out the Black Shoe Diaries. It's a blog devoted to all things Penn State. Although the name is clearly in honor of Penn State football, there is a substantial amount of basketball discussed there as well.
Here's the link
-Steve Comments
December 8, 2007 at 7:38 PM
Hey there Nittany Lion hoops fans. This is Steve and I'll be bringing the blog to you tonight for this historic matchup between Penn State and Seton Hall. I say historic because this is the first Penn State men's basketball game that will be broadcast by the Big Ten Network. Unfortunately that means that a lot of Penn State fans won't be able to watch.
We're about 10 minutes from tip-off here at the Bryce Jordan Center, and the student section is slowly filling up. Emphasis on slowly. At least right now, the crowd is not nearly as big as it was for Virginia Tech, and that's a shame because Seton Hall is, by all accounts, a better team than the Hokies. The Pirates have already beaten Virginia this year and their 7-1 start is their best since opening the 1992-93 season 14-1.
Jamelle Cornley has been warming up with the team, and he is listed on the scoreboard as a starter, but we still don't know how much he will play. The last we talked to Penn State coach Ed DeChellis on Thursday Cornley had not returned to practice.
Starting lineups:
Penn State:
G: Talor Battle
G: Danny Morrissey
F: Geary Claxton
F: Jamelle Cornley
C: Andrew Jones
Seton Hall:
G: Eugene Harvey
G: Jamar Nutter
F: Larry Davis
F: Brian Laing
C: Augustine Okosun
Okosun is the only player in that group taller than 6-foot-5 which allows Seton Hall to play its uptempo, pressing style. It's going to be interesting to see how Penn State handles it. Cornley is indeed in the starting lineup, so we'll see how that bruised knee holds up.
15:36 left in the first half
Seton Hall 15 PSU 10
So far, the Pirates have had no trouble playing their style, they already have two steals and are 3-for-3 from 3-point range so far. Most of Seton Hall's baskets have come in transition. The only thing keeping the Lions in this game is some good outside shooting, with Morrissey and Claxton both connecting from 3-point range. Claxton also had an electric slam off a missed Morrissey three.
11:56 left in the first half
Seton Hall 22 PSU 15
Jamelle Cornley has helped Penn State continue its hot outside shooting, nailing a three with 14:54 left in the half. Eugene Harvey is at the line to try and convert a 3-point play after this timeout.
Ed DeChellis will also be making a mass substitution, with Stanley Pringle, Mike Walker, D.J. Jackson and Brandon Hassell all coming in. Claxton is the only starter still on the court.
9:06 left in the first half
Seton Hall 25 PSU 22
Stanley Pringle has sparked a 7-0 run for the Lions, beating Seton Hall at its own game. Pringle's speed matches up well with the Pirates and I wouldn't be surprised to see him play the majority of the minutes at point guard tonight.
6:06 left in the first half
Seton Hall 37 PSU 26
Seton Hall has responded with a 9-0 run of its own. Geary Claxton remains on the floor and is leading the team with nine points on the night.
Seton Hall continues to torch the Lions from 3-point range. The Pirates are 6-for-8 from beyond the arc. Eugene Harvey is a perfect 3-for-3 from the field.
They're doing the kiss cam right now and some guy just got shut down. That's got to be embarrassing, the girl wouldn't even give him a peck on the cheek.
3:54 left in the first half
Seton Hall 42 PSU 33
Seton Hall hasn't gone cold from long range, and the way Penn State is defending the perimeter its no wonder. The Pirates are a red hot 7-for-10 on 3-point shots, and a lot of those attempts have been without much pressure from the Penn State defense.
Penn State's inexperience is also showing. On one drive, the Lions broke through Seton Hall's press beautifully only to have freshman Jeff Brooks brick a shot off the side of the backboard.
Halftime
Seton Hall 52 PSU 42
Penn State has kept it competitive. It looked like Seton Hall would pull away after the Pirates took a 50-35 lead with a 1:34 left, but the Lions battled back somewhat to keep their deficit at 10 in an extremely high scoring half.
Seton Hall has shot 19-31 from the field, so being down by 10 can't be considered a total disaster for the Lions. The Pirates' press has produced five steals, but to Penn State's credit those are their only five turnovers of the half.
Geary Claxton leads the Lions with 13 points, and Jamelle Cornley has returned nicely with 9.
Seton Hall has been paced by Jeremy Hazell who has 11, and Eugene Harvey and Brian Laing have chipped in 9 apiece.
As advertised, there is a mascot game going on right now. Loyal readers of this blog will remember that we noted the Nittany Lion's basketball prowess after the Dinner and Dunks event, and the Lions has dominated so far. He just stuffed the State College Spikes mascot. Subman from Subway is also having a solid game. Grimace from McDonald's needs to lay off the french fries, his ample frame is holding him back in this game. The Lion just threw down a dunk and his team is up 15-0.
15:30 left in the second half
Seton Hall 60 PSU 54
Danny Morrissey is filling it up from long range now. He is 5-for-6 from beyond the arc and now leads the Lions with 15 points. He just nailed a three to cut the deficit to six.
Jamelle Cornley is showing no signs of his injury, as he's got 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
Talor Battle is still stone cold from 3-point range. He is 0-for-3 from long distance and 0-for-4 from the field.
12:08 left in the second half
Seton Hall 62 PSU 58
Morrissey has gone cold from three, missing on his last three attempts. A lot of that is the fact that he isn't taking smart shots right now. Perhaps the coaching staff gave him a green light to shoot after his hot start.
Claxton and Cornley have scored a couple of nice buckets in traffic and Penn State has a chance to win this game. The crowd is getting into it and it should be a fun end to watch.
7:56 left in the second half
Seton Hall 67 PSU 60
Penn State has squandered some opportunities that would make this game closer right now. First, Geary Claxton went up for a dunk with one second left on the shot clock and wasn't able to get the shot off in time. Had Claxton simply released the ball for a layup, he could have gotten the points to go. DeChellis can chalk up struggles to the youth all he wants, but that mistake was on Claxton, the team's most experienced player.
On the next possession Stanley Pringle missed a layup in transition. Had the Lions gotten both of those buckets they would only be down three right now.
6:46 left in the second
Seton Hall 67 PSU 64
For all of Talor Battle's growing pains, he is a real exciting player. The freshman point guard just outran Seton Hall on a fast break and dunked the ball to make it a one possession game.
4:53 left in the second
Seton Hall 70 PSU 70
3-pointers from Claxton and Mike Walker have helped Penn State tie this game up. Penn State has an advantage down the stretch in the foul department. The Lions have only 3 team fouls while Seton Hall is already in the penalty with seven. Jamelle Cornley is the only Lion in foul trouble with three, while Brian Laing and Eugene Harvey have four apiece for Seton Hall.
1:05 left in the second
Seton Hall 75 PSU 75
Talor Battle may not be the most consistent player, but he has a knack for clutch plays. His 3-pointer just tied it up and broke and 0-for-4 streak from beyond the arc.
22 seconds left in the second
Seton Hall 75 PSU 75
Penn State has the ball and has just called a timeout. It looks like the Lions will hold for the last shot, so we will either see a Penn State victory or overtime here tonight.
End of regulation
Seton Hall 75 PSU 75
Penn State worked it inside to Jamelle Cornley for the last shot, but the big guy was heavily defended and couldn't get a decent shot off. Cornley made contact with some Seton Hall defenders on the play and just got up off the floor. DeChellis has to be worried anytime that happens to Cornley now with the season he's had so far.
Overtime is five minutes long. Penn State still has just four team fouls.
3:48 left in overtime
PSU 81 Seton Hall 77
Penn State now has its first lead of the game, and Talor Battle has been doing his best Steve Kerr impression, sinking three 3-pointers to score the Lions' last nine points. Pretty incredible considering how horrible he has been shooting the ball this season.
Penn State has done a great job slowing Seton Hall down this half. The Lions really are a different team at home.
2:28 left in overtime
PSU 83 Seton Hall 77
Talor Battle tried to score three points the old fashioned way after getting fouled on a drive, but he missed the free throw. I think Penn State fans are willing to give him a break, he has scored all of the Lions' points in overtime.
1:27 left in overtime
PSU 83 Seton Hall 82
The Pirates have rallied back behind a Jamar Nutter three and a couple of Brian Laing free throws. The Lions need to someone other than Battle to step up and score here.
29.5 seconds left in overtime
PSU 88 Seton Hall 85
A pair of Geary Claxton free throws and a jumper from Mike Walker have helped the Lions stretch the lead. Talor Battle just made a free throw and will shoot again after the timeout. All Penn State needs to do to win now is make its free throws.
Final Score
PSU 89 Seton Hall 86
Just as he did against Virginia Tech, Mike Walker missed two big free throws that kept it at a one possession game and gave Seton Hall a chance to tie it up. The Pirates missed and D.J. Jackson sank one free throw to make it a two possession game. The Lions hung on for a thrilling victory.
-Steve Comments
December 7, 2007 at 5:53 PM
I just got off the phone with Seton Hall's head coach Bobby Gonzalez, who is currently en route to State College for tomorrow night's game with Penn State, which is an 8 p.m. tip at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Here are some of the highlights from the interview:
On if he thinks Seton Hall's up-tempo style will present problems for Penn State:
"Not necessarily. We were fortunate to beat them last year."
Gonzalez also told me that Geary Claxton took he and his staff a little by surprise last year. He was surprised that Claxton, being from Connecticut, had not been recruited by the University of Connecticut, one of Seton Hall's Big East rivals. (Claxton was recruited by the Huskies, but they wanted him to attend a year of prep school before college).
Gonzalez on his strategy to defend Claxton after he scored 29 against the Pirates last year:
"Probably pray. We had no answers last year. I couldn't believe he was from West Haven, Connecticut. I think he's going to be in the NBA. What a sleeper guy."
Gonzalez said finding "sleeper" recruits is especially important at programs at the bottom of major conferences, like Seton Hall and Penn State.
"We're trying to rise up. You've got to try and get some Geary Claxton guys. If you can sign a guy like Geary Claxton maybe you can get the momentum to sign an All-American."
Some other items of note before tomorrow's game:
The weird 8 p.m. start time is to accommodate the Big Ten Network, which will televise the game. It's something we should get used to, because Penn State will be playing a lot of 8 p.m. Saturday and 9 p.m. weeknight games throughout the season because of the Big Ten Network.
I also noticed an ad encouraging fans to attend tomorrow's game in the print edition of the Collegian today. What caught my eye about it was that it advertised a mascot game at halftime. Last year, a giant submarine sandwich nailed a 3-pointer, which was pretty awesome. I can only hope the ad was right and that we will get to see mascots playing ball tomorrow.
Check the blog for live updates during the game tomorrow night.
-Steve Comments
December 7, 2007 at 3:27 PM
After writing my column comparing the Palestra and the Bryce Jordan Center, I got a few interesting e-mails from readers who pointed out that Penn State's Rec Hall was designed by Charles Klauder, who is also the architect of the Palestra. I mentioned that the Penn State student section chanted "We want Rec Hall" near the end of the game against St. Joseph's, but missed this obvious fact. My bad.
And now that I look closer, the similarities are striking. Here are some links to photos of the two buildings, courtesy of Wikipedia: Rec Hall ... and The Palestra. Inside: Rec Hall ... and The Palestra.
Thanks to the readers who pointed this out.
And if you're interested in reading a good piece about UPenn's historic gym, check out this Kieran Darcy story on ESPN.com's Page 2. It's really interesting and if you read the comments at the bottom you'll see that many people have fond memories of Philly basketball. Comments
December 6, 2007 at 4:13 AM
Almost forgot the best quote from Coquese Washington's Wednesday press conference. When asked by a reporter from Syracuse what the biggest transition has been since becoming a head coach Washington responded it was definitely her wardrobe. Flashing a bright smile (which the reporter couldn't see over the phone) she said people pay attention to what she wears now that she's the head honcho. Gotta love a coach with a good sense of humor.
- Wible Comments
December 6, 2007 at 3:29 AM
Well, the Penn State women's basketball world should be well-recovered from Sunday's upset against No. 11 Duke.
Now it's time to see if the Lady Lions can pack that momentum in their suitcases as they head north to upstate New York to take on Syracuse.
The Orange sport a nifty 5-1 record, but have done most of their damage against ho-hum competition. And by ho-hum, I mean Coppin State, Lehigh, Colgate, Louisiana-Monroe and Eastern Kentucky.
Not exactly a who's who of women's basketball powers, let alone a who's who of pretty much anything, except maybe quasi-cool nicknames? Colonels (what exactly is a Colonel?), Raiders, Mountain Hawks, Warhawks (as in we used to be called "Indians" but had to change our name because the NCAA made us even though we "only used the name respectfully" and several Native American tribes supported us, but the NCAA still didn't care and threatened us with sanctions and the like.), Eagles (kinda lacking after that super duper list.
Last year the Lady Lions pounded Syracuse in Happy Valley, but as Penn State has shown, especially against Old Dominion, the road is not very kind.
Making Thursday's game even more challenging is the fact that it's in the Carrier Dome, the same place Syracuse plays football, so yea, it's kinda big. In fact, it's the largest on campus basketball arena in the country.
The size of the dome makes shooting potentially troublesome because players' depth perception can be off.
The Lady Lions were scheduled to have an extra shoot-around Wednesday night to get adjusted to the arena.
In fact, the arena is so large when sophomore guard Meggan Quinn asked Lady Lion Sports Information Director Kris Peterson just how big the dome was Peterson replied, "It's where they play football, it'd be like playing a game in Beaver Stadium."
Also, with so much snow falling pretty much everywhere along the route to Syracuse, the trek could be tough. Perhaps the Lady Lions would have been better suited taking teams of sled dogs, but those tough upstate New Yorkers treat snow like the Irish treat whiskey, they can't get enough and brush anything less than three feet off as simply flurries.
With so many outside factors, Thursday game could be a tricky challenge, or the proverbial "trap game." But the Lady Lions definitely have more talent and should notched their second road victory of the season, which would equal their total from all of last season.
Well, I gotta go shovel myself out of my apartment so I can get to class. Enjoy the game, and hopefully I'll be talking to you sooner rather than later.
Stay safe, stay dry and stay classy
- Wible Comments
December 3, 2007 at 12:17 AM
Hear Penn State coach Ed Dechellis and St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli talk about Saturday's game.
Click here to download the mp3 file.
Comments December 2, 2007 at 9:45 PM
Good afternoon from the Bryce Jordan Center, and welcome to another installment of Penn State women's basketball. I'm Tom Copain, and I'll be taking through the action this afternoon, as Penn State basketball will be featured on national TV for the second time in a week. Wednesday night, the men's team hosted Virginia Tech, and today the Lady Lions get their chance against the No. 11 Duke Blue Devils.
Both Penn State and Duke will be looking to bounce back from losses earlier in the week as both squads take a 5-2 record into the game. The Lady Lions look to bounce back from their worst loss of the young season, a 77-49 defeat Thursday at Old Dominion where Penn State had more turnovers (30) then they did field goals (20).
The Blue Devils are at the end of a strenuous five game road trip that included the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, USVI. Duke has lost two in a row coming in, a 74-48 loss to Connecticut in the Paradise Jam final, and a 68-55 loss at Vanderbilt last Wednesday.
It's a good size crowd for the Lady Lions, especially considering the poor weather conditions around the area this weekend.
Starting Lineups
Duke
#15 Bridgette Mitchell - F
#30 Carrem Gay - F
#11 Chante Black - C
#2 Emily Waner - G
#4 Abby Waner - G
Penn State
#1 Tyra Grant - G
#3 Brianne O'Rourke - G
#5 Mashea Williams - G
#25 Kam Gissendanner - G
#24 Rashida Mark - F
15:39 left in the First Half - Penn State 9, Duke 7
After a slow start, the Lady Lions have come on strong and lead the Blue Devils early in what has been a bit of a sloppy game on both sides. Brianne O'Rourke leads Penn State with four points, but the Lady Lions continue to have problems early boxing out and rebounding. Duke is already in foul trouble, as Bridgette Mitchell already has two fouls and is sitting on the Blue Devil bench.
12:47 left - Penn State 17, Duke 10
The Lady Lions have gone on a mini-run and have opened up a seven point lead on the Blue Devils and gotten the crowd involved in the proceedings early. O'Rourke continues to lead Penn State with six points, tied for the game-high with Chante Black of Duke.
7:34 left - Penn State 29, Duke 18
Penn State has used strong shooting and capitalized off of Duke turnovers to build a double-digit lead. Penn State is shooting 50 percent from the field, including 75 percent from three.
The Lady Lions have also cut down on the turnovers, which was a major focus point after having 30 Thursday night. In fact they haven't committed one yet, while the Blue Devils have committed six.
3:59 left - Penn State 33, Duke 25
The Blue Devils have cut the lead down to eight thanks to six offensive rebounds and also a Penn State going cold from the field. Penn State continues to get balance offensively as it has all year. Eight points from O'Rourke, six from Tyra Grant, six from Gissendanner and also a combined nine points off the bench from Meggan Quinn and Janessa Wolff.
Halftime - Penn State 41, Duke 30
After Duke cuts the lead to six late, the Lady Lions score the last five points of the half on a three from Gissendanner and a late jumper from Williams to rebuild the 11-point lead at the half and leave to a standing ovation from the crowd here at the BJC.
The Lady Lions have come out with a much better performance than their last outing Thursday at Old Dominion, although the shooting has cooled down since the beginning of the game. Penn State struggled with rebounding and turnovers against Old Dominion Thursday night, and the team has improved on both so far today. The rebounds are 19-18 in favor of Duke, and Penn State has only turned it over five times to 10 by the Blue Devils.
16:45 left in the Second Half - Penn State 46, Duke 40
Once again, the Blue Devils continue to stick around, cutting the lead back down to six and forcing a Penn State timeout. The latest Duke run was sparked by Abby Waner who had a breakaway lay-up and also had two steals early in the half thanks to sloppy passing by the Lady Lions early in the half.
11:51 left - Penn State 58, Duke 53
Penn State has already committed four turnovers in the half, and Duke has fought back into the game thanks to Abby Waner, who has eight of her seventeen points in the half, and the Blue Devils are 3-4 from the three point line in the half. The last 12 minutes should be interesting considering the Lady Lions have had trouble closing teams out so far this season.
7:44 left - Penn State 62, Duke 63
Duke has finally clawed all the way back and taken the lead, mostly due to an opportunistic defense that has capitalized on seven Lady Lion turnovers in the second half and also shooting 83 percent from three in the second half. Abby Waner has 20 in the game, 11 in this half, while Brianne O'Rourke, Kam Gissendanner, and Tyra Grant have been pretty quiet in the half. Mashea Williams has kept the Lady Lions in it, scoring 12 of her 18 points in the second half.
3:06 left - Penn State 74, Duke 75
It's been back and forth the last four minutes. O'Rourke has picked it up as well as Williams, who has 16 in the second half and 20 for the game. Tyra Grant finally scored for the first time in the second half.
2:24 left - Penn State 76, Duke 75
This will probably be the last post of the afternoon. Tyra Grant has scored the last four points to put the Lady Lions ahead after being held scoreless for the whole half. Abby Waner has been held in check for the last few minutes for Duke, but Chante Black has picked up the pace inside, and she has 21 for the game. Comments
December 1, 2007 at 3:35 PM
This is Wayne, coming to you from the Palestra in Philly for PSU-St. Joe's in a non-conference game. The Nittany Lions and the Hawks are both coming off of exciting games, with Penn State knocking off Virginia Tech by 5 and St. Joe's losing in overtime to No. 19 Gonzaga.
Walking around the Palestra prior to the game was definitely a unique experience. There are pictures and boards talking about the history of the Big 5 (La Salle, Penn, St. Joe's, Temple and Villanova), Penn basketball, the Ivy League and great players and teams that have played here over the years.
Though not as big as the BJCm the Palestra is louder despite today's game not being a complete sellout. During pregame, the section of SJU fans and PSU fans shouted back-and-forth, with each cheer releasing a loud echo throughout the gym. There is a good number of PSU students who made the over 3-hour trip to Philly, and they are trying to be as loud as the much larger SJU section.
The game is about to begin in a little bit, so the starting line-ups will be known shortly.
On a side note, I say the over/under on the number of times the Hawk will flap his wings is about 4,000 times.
PSU: Geary Claxton, Jeff Brooks, Andruw Jones, Danny Morrissey and Talor Battle
SJU: Rob Ferguson, Pat Calathes, Ahmad Nivins, Darrin Govens, Tasheed Carr
SJU-11, PSU-5; 15:39 left in the first half
Two big blocks on the defensive end for both teams, with Brooks getting the latter one. Claxton continues to be the go-to man on offense, scoring all of PSU's points. The Lions have been sloppy thus far, turning the ball over too many times and have taken very tough shots so far. The Hawks have struggled with turnovers, too, but have been able to hit their shots and get easy buckets down low.
SJU-14, PSU-8; 11:58 left in the first half
Brandon Hassell has entered the game, but his presence hasn't been much of a factor yet. Stanley Pringle and Mike Walker also entered the game. Penn State has rebounded well offensively, but St. Joe's has been just as strong with blocking put-back attempts. The Lions are still looking for a player not named Claxton to score.
SJU-22, PSU-16; 6:48 left in the first half
Jones' bucket marks the first points from someone other than Claxton--the lack of balance could be a problem considering Claxton has picked up two fouls already, as has Jones. Claxton was taken out at the 9:39 mark, and it will be intersting to see how long he will sit. PSU the deficit down to 1 before the Hawks went on a quick spurt highlighted by a Calathes 3-pointer.
SJU-26, PSU-23; 3:28 left in the first half
Claxton is still on the bench. The Lions have been very strong on the offensive glass, and that strength has led to foul trouble for SJU, as the Lions are now in a one-and-one situation at the foul line. The officials have been calling a very tight game so far. Battle has struggled with his shot, but he continues to be a thief, stealing the ball and putting good pressure on the ball handler. The game has picked up a little bit offensively, as the teams are starting to exchange buckets.
PSU-28, SJU-28; halftime
Battle hit another running layup, which was very similar to the one he made late against Va Tech. He then made a big steal near the end of the half. Other than that, the game has been dominated by good defense, and some tough shooting. The Lions are shooting just 34.4% and the Hawks are at 34.5%. PSU had 11 turnovers and SJU has 8. Lion forward Jamelle Cornley has yet to enter the game.
High scorers of the half:
PSU: Claxton, 10 points
SJU: Nivins, 11 points
Other scores around the Big Ten:
Northwestern beat Savannah State, 68-58; Minnesota beat UC Riverside, 75-38; and Purdue leads Indiana State late, 63-56
SJU-39, PSU-35; 15:54 left in the game
The scoring pace has picked up here in the second half, as both teams are starting to attack the basket. The officials continue to call a tight game. PSU had a lead briefly a couple of times early, but the Hawks have come out firing in this half.
SJU-48, PSU-39; 13:13 left in the game.
Claxton picks up his third foul as the Hawks are beginning to put some distance between the teams. Calathes' three-point play gave SJU its biggest lead of the game at 9. Govens' 3-pointer ended a mini PSU run to put the lead back to 9. The Lions continue to turn the ball over--three times in the second half.
SJU-53, PSU-42; 11:06 left in the game
Penn State has really struggled lately offensively. Claxton's shots aren't falling, and Cornley has yet to check into the game. The Hawks are starting to heat up from beyond the arc.
SJU-63, PSU-46; 7:29 left in the game
The Lions are still struggling to score, and SJU has really blown by Penn State with back-to-back three pointers to push the lead to 19. It's hard to believe that PSU once led by 2 this half.
SJU-73, PSU-54; 3:13 left in the game
The Hawks have really dominated this half. They are shooting much better this half, and have hit four 3-pointers, which have often times come in pairs. Claxton has tried to life the team by hitting a 3, but he picked up his fourth foul just as quickly.
SJU-79, PSU-67; final
Good late game run by the Lions to make the score closer, but there just wasn't enough time. The offense took to long to get going in the second half, and much of the run happened after Calathes and Nivins left the game. Cornley did not play at all in the game. Comments