Penn State B-Ball Thread!!!

[BPBlueSox]

Hell yeah! No one started it, so I guess I'll have to! :D

Schedule/Results:
11/18 at North Carolina L 55-85 (0-1, 0-0)
11/23 at Pennsylvania L 37-62 (0-2, 0-0
12/1 Yale L 68-84 (0-3, 0-0)
12/3 at Clemson L 70-79 (0-4, 0-0)
12/7 Pittsburgh L 60-82 (0-5, 0-0)
12/11 Temple L 65-63 (0-6, 0-0)
12/14 Northeastern W 79-67 (1-6, 0-0)
12/20 Bucknell W 59-55 (2-6, 0-0)
12/28 St. Francis (PA) W 74-55 (3-6, 0-0)
01/2 Robert Morris W 76-59 (4-6, 0-0)
01/4 Buffalo W 68-60 (5-6, 0-0)
01/8 at Indiana L 65-78 (5-7, 0-1)
01/11 at Michigan L 53-66 (5-8, 0-2)
01/18 Purdue L 78-82 (5-9, 0-3)
01/22 at Michigan State L 36-70 (5-10, 0-4)
01/25 Illinois 12:15 PM L 63-75 (5-11, 0-5)
01/29 Minnesota L75-76 (5-12, 0-6)
02/1 at Wisconsin L 55-86 (5-13, 0-7)
02/5 Iowa L 55-75 (5-14, 0-8)
02/12 Ohio State L 67-76 (5-15, 0-9)
02/15 at Iowa L 71-84 (5-16, 0-10)
02/19 Wisconsin W 58-57!!!! (6-16, 1-10)
02/22 at Minnesota L 62-77 (6-17, 1-11)
02/26 at Purdue L 55-79 (6-18, 1-12)
03/1 at Northwestern L 79-85 (6-19, 1-13)
03/5 Michigan L 62-78 (6-20, 1-14)
03/8 Indiana W 74-66 (7-20, 2-14)
03/13 Indiana (Big Ten Tourney) L 49-77 (7-21, 2-15)

[BPBlueSox]

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) Alex Wesby scored 19 points and David Hawkins hit two foul shots with 7.1 seconds left as Temple beat Penn State 65-63 Wednesday night.

The win was Temple's first of the season, despite coach John Chaney not being at the game. Chaney was released from Temple University Hospital after being admitted Sunday with pneumonia.

Temple (1-5) took the lead 47-45 and didn't trail the Nittany Lions (0-6) again after a lay-up by Antywane Robinson with 12:25 left.

Wesby scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half when the Owls went on a 20-10 run to increase the lead to 63-55.

The Nittany Lions scored only two field goals and two foul shots in the final five minutes. Temple switched defenses, frequently getting out of its matchup zone to defend Sharif Chambliss, who led Penn State with 18 points.

But Chambliss missed a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left that would have given the Lions a one-point lead.

Hawkins scored 19 points and had seven steals for Temple.

Box Score: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=223450213

[rfc17]

That was Temple's first win? theyve lost to some lousy teams too.

wasnt penn st in the tourney not too long ago?

[BPBlueSox]

Beat UNC to get to the Sweet 16 two years ago...and they lost to Temple then too...what a coinky-dink...

[GiveHyzduashot]

We are Penn State. :hmm:

Did you see Tate left the team??

[GiveHyzduashot]

BTW, PSU will be gunning for the worst start in the program's history Saturday against Northeastern.

Like I said, We are Penn State.

[BPBlueSox]

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) _ Brandon Watkins and Sharif Chambliss both scored 21 points as Penn State beat Northeastern, 79-67, Saturday.

Chambliss led a second-half comeback, scoring 19 points, including five 3-pointers, as Penn State (1-6) went on a 25-8 run. His two foul shots put the Nittany Lions ahead, 54-41.

Northeastern cut the lead to four points on a lay-up by Jamaar Walker with four minutes left, but the Huskies (2-4) couldn't get any closer.

Watkins scored 14 points in the second half and also finished with eight assists and five rebounds.

Northeastern started the game on a 21-8 run, but Penn State cut the Huskies' lead to four points at the half.

Penn State was 8-of-12 from 3-point range in the second half after not hitting any in the first.

Northeastern's Aaron Davis scored 18 points and freshman Jose Juan Barea had 17, but the Huskies hurt themselves on the foul line, shooting just 11-of-21 for the game.

Jan Jagla had 13 points for Penn State and freshman Robert Summers had a career-high seven rebounds. Penn State snapped a six-game losing streak, the worst start since 1931, when the Lions went 0-7.

[BPBlueSox]

Lots of winable games coming up here....Bucknell, St. Francis, Robert Morris and Buffalo...maybe we can get near the .500 mark before conference play starts.....

Hmm...seems even if we won all of those we'd have to be .500 in Big Ten play to be eligible for the NIT....yikes...

[GiveHyzduashot]

Woahhhh Dan, slow down here. This is Penn State mens basketball we're talking about. Temple was winnable and they lost, and yesterday afternoon the Lions darn near lost.

Frankly, I don't think this team will sniff .500 all year long.

I'm glad the guards played well. Watkins, Chambliss, and Riley are a big strength. Outside of that, there's not much to work with. Jagla has disappointed me immensely.

[rfc17]

i thought they had lost. i was watching some other game and saw on the ticker at the bottom at the screen they were losing at halftime. i figured they werent gonna come back.

they must have lit it up in the 2nd half.

[BPBlueSox]

I wouldn't say they lit it up. They let NEastern back within 4 with about 2 minutes to go. Real impressive...

[rfc17]

well they did get like 50 points in the half or something......

besides, one win is maybe what they need to get over the hump and go on a big streak. but maybe not.....

[BPBlueSox]

That is true, they did get more than fifty points in a half. That is pretty amazing for this team...

I don't know, I think they could get on a little run here...these teams they are playing coming up all blow and all of the games are at home...God knows they need to get the wins they can now since they'll be a little tougher to come by when Big Ten play starts...

[BPBlueSox]

STATE COLLEGE (AP) _ Sharif Chambliss scored 10 of his game-high 15 points in the second half as Penn State defeated Bucknell 59-55 Friday.

DeForrest Riley scored 12 points and Jan Jagla had 10 points, seven rebounds and four blocks for the Nittany Lions (2-6), who won their second consecutive game after losing their first six.

Boakai Lalugba led the Bison (4-4) with 12 points.

Dan Blankenship hit a layup and was fouled with 10 seconds left, pulling Bucknell within two, but missed the ensuing free throw. Robert Summers hit two free throws at the other end to seal the win.

The teams combined for 48 turnovers, with Bucknell committing 15 of their 25 in the first half.

After a dunk by Lalugba opened the scoring, the Lions scored 14 unanswered points and led by as many as 17. But Penn State scored just four points over the last 3:42 of the half, allowing Bucknell to trim the deficit to nine.

Penn State, which led 33-24 at the break, won despite enduring two different five-minute stretches in the second half without a point and shooting just 28 percent from 3-point range.

[GiveHyzduashot]

I'm surprised Penn State won. I thought they'd lose.

From what I read, Jagla had a great game. If only he could play like that every game, he might be half decent. He has all the talent in the world, he just needs to get his head in the game and play smart.

[BPBlueSox]

State College, Pa. - December 28, 2002 - Senior Brandon Watkins (Bellwood, Ill.) and junior Sharif Chambliss (Racine, Wisc.) led Penn State to its third straight win, a 74-55 rout of visiting St. Francis of Pa. The duo combined for 36 of Penn State's 74 points as the Lions won three straight for the first time since February of 2001.

Chambliss and DeForrest Riley (Cincinnati, Ohio) each made three-pointers in the game's first minute and then the other three Penn State starters added buckets as Penn State opened up an 12-0 lead at the 17:17 mark and never looked back. After St. Francis' Steveroy Daley made a lay-up at the 16:49 mark, Penn State then went on another 16-8 run to lead 18-10 at the 10:37 mark. A continual barrage of three-pointers from Chambliss and fast break lay-ups from Riley and Watkins had Penn State up 52-20 at the half.

Chambliss ended the first half with 14 points, Watkins had 12 and five assists while Riley had seven and three assists. Freshman Rob Summers (Gahanna, Ohio) was once again solid in the half, scoring five points while classmate Aaron Johnson (Exton, Pa.) made his collegiate debut in the first half, scoring four points and grabbing two boards. As a team, Penn State held SFU to only .242 shooting (8-33) while hitting a torrid .656 from the field itself (21-32). The Lions had 11 assists on 21 made shots in the stanza and out-rebounded the Red Flash 22-17.

Penn State came out and iced the game in the second half by going on a 6-1 run to take a 37 point lead (58-21) at the 17:39 mark on a Watkins jump shot. St. Francis would toughen up, however, and limit PSU to only 16 points the rest of the way. Still, the Red Flash would never threaten, although they would cut the lead to 15 (67-52) when Darshan Luckey made two free throws at the 4:38 mark. But Watkins three-pointer on the next trip ended the SFU mini-rally and the Nittany Lions would coast to the win.

Chambliss ended the game with 19 points off six of 11 shooting, including five on nine three-pointers. The 6-0 guard also led Penn State with six rebounds. Watkins had 17 points, five assists and five boards while Jan Jagla (Berlin, Germany) had ten points. Riley ended the game with seven points. Not scoring in the second half, the freshman had his streak of four-straight double-figure games snapped. Luckey was superb for St. Francis, posting a game-high 25 points, but hitting only seven of 20 field goals. Luckey made 10 of 12 free throws and also had a team-high six boards. Erick Wills had ten points for the Red Flash as well.

The win improves Penn State's mark to 3-6 while St. Francis falls to 3-5. Penn State will host Robert Morris on Thursday, Jan. 2, at 7:30 p.m. St. Francis hosts Cornell on Monday, Dec. 30, at 7 p.m.

[GiveHyzduashot]

Just an anecdote ... I went to the Logan Valley Mall last night (it's the Altoona mall), and I was in the food court. Shortly after, I'd say six or seven players with Penn State attire on sat at a nearby table. All looked like basketball players, and after I saw "Penn State basketball" on a few shirts, it became obvious who those guys were. The only one I recognized for certain is Jan Jagla, but I think Chambliss was there too. Other than that, I didn't recognize anyone else (one was probably that Kevin Sommers guy, but I don't know for sure). I didn't talk to them or anything like that, but if I did, I would've said something like "Does Dunn really practice you guys as much as is reported (a few years ago, it was said Dunn practices the team more than he is allowed), because I've seen you play and you're not that good," so it's probably best I didn't. ;)

[BPBlueSox]

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) _ Brandon Watkins tied a career high with 24 points as Penn State beat Robert Morris 76-59 on Thursday.

Penn State (4-6) went on a 26-6 run over the first nine minutes of the second half to push its lead to 59-32 with 10:55 left.

The 59 points were a season-low for Robert Morris (3-5), which came into the game shooting just over 50 percent from the floor.

Watkins' 3-pointer with 15:10 left in the first half sparked a 19-2 Penn State run, which put the Lions ahead 23-6. For the game, Watkins was 10 of 13 from the floor, including two of two from 3-point range.

The Colonials outscored Penn State 20-10 over the final 7:05 of the first half to cut the halftime deficit to seven.

Jan Jagla had his fifth double-double at Penn State with 15 points and 12 rebounds. The Lions nearly doubled the Colonials in rebounds, finishing the game with a 34-19 advantage.

Robert Morris was led by Maurice Carter, who scored 20 points and added three assists

[BPBlueSox]

DUDE, you should've gone up to those fools and said something! What a missed opportunity...I know I sure would've! :D

[GiveHyzduashot]

Dan, I don't think anyone doubts you would've said something. ;)

They weren't there for that long ... by the time I put all my stuff down at a table and got my food, those guys were gone.

[GiveHyzduashot]

State's playing Indiana tough at the half ... 35-32 ...

[BPBlueSox]

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- Mike Davis wanted to see a little more intensity from his Indiana Hoosiers on Wednesday night. He got it -- in the second half.

Jeff Newton and Bracey Wright each scored 17 points, and Tom Coverdale added 14 as No. 15 Indiana pulled away from Penn State in the second half for a 78-65 victory in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

"In the second half, our intensity was really good,'' Davis said. "We came out and played extremely hard.''

For Indiana, it was not the easiest chapter in a series it has dominated.

The Hoosiers (11-2) won their third straight game, beat Penn State for the 12th straight time, and improved to 20-1 in the series. The Nittany Lions' only win came Jan. 27, 1996, and they are now 0-11 at Assembly Hall.

Davis, however, wasn't concerned about numbers or streaks; he just wanted the Hoosiers to start playing like they did before a two-game losing streak knocked them out of the Top 10.

During the first 20 minutes, the Hoosiers struggled with defensive breakdowns. In the second half, they played almost flawlessly and Davis was hopeful the game taught his players a lesson about what to expect the rest of the conference season -- no matter the opponent.

"I think they'll see the level of play, and that our level of play has to really step up,'' Davis said.

The Hoosiers got production in some strange ways, too.

Newton scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half, while Wright had only six in the first half. Newton also grabbed 12 rebounds.

George Leach, Indiana's other big inside contributor, was shut out in the first 20 minutes. But Leach got on track in the second half, scoring all eight of his points in the after halftime. He also finished with seven rebounds and four blocks.

To Penn State coach Jerry Dunn, it was another nightmare.

"I felt the difference was their inside play,'' Dunn said. "Leach and Newton did a good job for them, picking up some fouls on our guys, you're usually productive when that happens.''

But the Nittany Lions (5-7, 0-1) played well enough to have hope.

With Brandon Watkins able to go past Coverdale or spot up and Penn State shooting better than 60 percent in the game's first 10 minutes, the Nittany Lions appeared to have a chance to win their sixth in a row.

Then everything changed.

The Hoosiers intensity picked up, their defense was solid and the holes that Penn State was exploiting vanished.

Watkins finished with 21 points, three fewer than his career-high. The Nittany Lions' leading scorer Sharif Chambliss managed only 12 points -- four of those from the free-throw line -- and Penn State lost for the 16th consecutive time on the road.

"Sometimes he likes to gamble,'' Watkins said of Coverdale. "I used that to my advantage sometimes.''

The Hoosiers finally got a handle on Watkins and his teammates in the second half.

Indiana closed the first half on a 6-2 burst to take a 35-32 lead, then looked to Leach for help early in the second half.

His presence helped Indiana go on a 10-2 run early, and when the spurt ended with 11:34 to play, Indiana led 57-45.

"The key to my play is to stay intense the whole time,'' Leach said.

Chambliss answered with one of his two 3-pointers, but Indiana followed that with a 14-4 spurt to put the game away -- and let Davis walk away with a smile.

"We have to be prepared for that. What we did last year really set us up for these kinds of games,'' Davis said. "I think we'll learn that.''

[BPBlueSox]

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan keeps pretending it hasn't lost a game. The tactic is working.


LaVell Blanchard, one of four Wolverines scoring in double figures, had 15 points and eight rebounds as Michigan continued its remarkable turnaround with a 66-53 victory over Penn State on Saturday.


The Wolverines (9-6, 2-0 Big Ten) have won nine straight -- for the first time since the 1993-94 season -- after losing their first six games for the first time in school history.


When they hit rock bottom this season, coach Tommy Amaker told his players to erase the start from their memory.


"We took that to heart when he said that and it really opened everybody's eyes,'' said Bernard Robinson, who scored 13 points. "We wanted to start this thing over and how many times do you get to start over?''


On the dry-erase board in Michigan's locker room was written: 9-0, 2-0.


"We look at ourselves as being 9-0 as weird as that sounds,'' Amaker said. "They've seemed to rally around that.''


Michigan's Daniel Horton scored 13 points and Chris Hunter added 10.


Horton left the game for a few minutes in the second half when hurt his left (nonshooting) wrist, which has been bothering him for a couple of weeks. The freshman point guard is averaging 15.5 points and 4.5 assists.


"I'm very concerned,'' Amaker said. "It's something that hinders his ability to practice. He's not at 100 percent.''


Penn State (5-8, 0-2) has lost two straight after bouncing back from its 0-6 start. Brandon Watkins led the Nittany Lions with 16 points and Robert Summers had 10.


Michigan appeared to take control of the game with a 16-6 run to go ahead 48-35 with 9:52 left, but the Nittany Lions put up a fight.


They pulled within five twice before the Wolverines scored seven straight for a 61-49 lead with 2:06 left on Blanchard's 3-pointer.


"I thought LaVell's 3 was a huge shot,'' Amaker said of Michigan's only 3-pointer.


For the first time during the winning streak, Michigan was outrebounded. Penn State had a 42-35 rebound advantage, but shot 31.4 percent and suffered a huge disparity at the free throw line.


"We had a horrific night shooting,'' Penn State coach Jerry Dunn said. "When you couple not shooting well with not going to the line, that's tough to beat anybody on the road.


"They shot 37 (free throws) and we shot eight.''


Michigan made 25 free throws and Penn State made eight.


Michigan showed it could respond to an emotional win with another victory, after proving that an 0-6 start does not doom a season. The Wolverines overcame a 15-point deficit in the final minutes Wednesday to beat Wisconsin 66-65, and saw their fans rush the court for the first time since 1997.


"We certainly were emotionally drained,'' Amaker said. "I was very concerned that we would be flat, but we were able to turn it up at moments to make big plays.''


Even Dunn has been impressed with Michigan's turnaround.


"They've done an outstanding job,'' he said. "Those guys are playing with confidence, and they've got guys stepping up and making plays. LaVell Blanchard, Daniel Horton and Bernard Robinson are playing well, and one or two of their three or four big guys is making plays each night.''

[BPBlueSox]

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) _ Chris Booker scored 27 points and hit two free throws with 7 seconds left to lead Purdue to an 82-78 victory over Penn State on Saturday.

Brandon Watkins had a chance to tie the game at 80 with 8.6 seconds left, but missed his first foul shot. Watkins intentionally missed his second shot, hoping that Jan Jagla could tip the ball and give Penn State another possession.

But Booker got the rebound, was fouled and gave Purdue a four-point lead with his two foul shots.

Purdue (11-3, 3-0 Big Ten) led by 13 points with 17:57 left, but Penn State went on a 22-3 run to take its biggest lead, 57-51, on a Sharif Chambliss 3-pointer with 11:45 left.

Booker finished 11-for-12 from the foul line and had three 3-point plays in the second half. Willie Deane scored 21 points for Purdue, which led 42-35 at the half, and Kenneth Lowe added 11.

Freshman walk-on Aaron Johnson led Penn State (5-9, 0-3) with a career-high 20 points and 12 rebounds, including 7 offensive rebounds. Chambliss scored 19 points and was 8-for-8 from the foul line while Watkins finished with 15.





In reference to that thing with Watkins. Watkins makes the FT and the Lions are only down one...with eight seconds left. Foul. Purude makes both, you are still only down one possesion probably with about five seconds left. Noooooooooooo...Jerry Dunn has to be a moron an have Watkins intentionally miss it and have JAGLA try and get a rebound??? The guy can't get a defensive board let alone an offensive one! Jerry needs to be fired. I'm sick of his f'n stupidity.

[GiveHyzduashot]

The intentional missed shot was bad enough. But that wasn't even the worst.

Jagla should not have been lined up on the side where Dunn called for an intentional miss. He did not have a single offensive rebound the entire game, plus he was going against Booker, who was playing an outstanding game. On the other side, Aaron Johnson and his seven offensive rebounds was lined up alongside a player who averages 1.5 rebounds a game ... not defensive rebounds or offensive boards alone, 1.5 total boards. Seems to me there is a MUCH better chance to get the board on Johnson's side than Jagla's side. Poor coaching on everyone's part ... someone should have said something about it.

Aaron Johnson played one hell of a game though. To think he's only a freshman.

[BPBlueSox]

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) _ Chris Hill had 20 points and seven rebounds as Michigan State earned a much needed boost of confidence with a 70-36 win over Penn State on Wednesday night.

The Spartans (10-7, 2-3 Big Ten) had lost five of six. They will play at Michigan on Sunday after their most lopsided win of the season.

The Nittany Lions (5-9, 0-4) lost their fourth straight and were held to their lowest point total in 11 seasons of Big Ten play. Sharif Chambliss led them with 10 points.

Both teams got off to an awful start offensively. Michigan State was able to recover _ and made sure Penn State didn't.

The Spartans missed seven straight shots and 17-of-20 during one stretch before making six of their final nine before halftime. Penn State, which made just 23.4 percent of its shots, was stuck on 11 points for the final 4:42 of the first half and the first four minutes of the second.

The Spartans took control of the game with an 18-3 run over the final 7:21 of the first half to take a 27-11 halftime lead.

Michigan State turned the game into a rout by outscoring the Nittany Lions 14-5 to open the second half, and later with a 14-2 run to earn a 57-26 cushion.

Hill made his final six shots after missing four of his first five. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo brought him off the bench for the first time this season to provide a spark.

Michigan State's Aloysius Anagonye scored 11 points and Maurice Ager added 10.

[BPBlueSox]

11 points at halftime against a Michigan State team which has struggled this year. Impressive.

[GiveHyzduashot]

That offensive display for the first half was nearly as bad as a woman's basketball game.

Illinois Saturday ... another loss.

At least Summers and Johnson had double digit rebounds.

[BPBlueSox]

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Brian Cook, the Big Ten's leading scorer, didn't get to play much for (No. 15 ESPN/USA Today, No. 18 AP) Illinois on Saturday.

Turns out, the Illini didn't need him.


James Augustine had 19 points and 12 rebounds and Nick Smith added 10 points to lead Illinois to a 75-63 victory over Penn State.


"James had a heck of a game,'' Illinois coach Bill Self said. "James was great.''


The Illini (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten) had lost their last two conference road games.


The loss dropped Penn State (5-11) to 0-5 in Big Ten play, the worst start since joining the conference in 1992.


Illinois had to play most of the game without Cook, who came in leading the Big Ten with 22.6 points per game. Cook, who scored four of his 11 points late in the game, sat the last 9:55 of the first half after picking up a personal foul and a technical foul. He got his fourth foul with 12:06 to play and sat for almost nine minutes. Cook played just 17 minutes.


"With (Cook) out of the game, he's our main scorer, Nick and I had to both step it up,'' Augustine said. "Luckily, it was my game to shine.''


The Nittany Lions fought their way back into the game behind the inside play of Aaron Johnson, and a 3-pointer by Sharif Chambliss brought Penn State within 48-46 with 10:53 left.


Illinois went back up by six on baskets by Augustine and Dee Brown, and the game took a critical turn when the Illini came up with a loose ball and Sean Harrington hit a 3-pointer from the right corner for a 55-46 lead. Augustine would convert a three-point play as the Illini went on a 14-0 run to go up 62-46 with 7:31 left.


"What's encouraging to me is we did that without Brian,'' Self said. "We got ourselves in a jam without Brian, and we bailed ourselves out without Brian, and I think that's a positive.''


Penn State coach Jerry Dunn complained that Smith should have been called for a foul, saying he held Robert Summers while going for the loose ball.


"The Rob Summers play was really critical,'' Dunn said. "He grabbed his jersey, and that's something that should be recognized.''


Luther Head added 13 points for Illinois, and Brown had 11 assists.


Brandon Watkins led Penn State with 18 points, DeForrest Riley had 13 and Chambliss 11.


Fouls plagued the Illini throughout the game. Augustine fouled out with 5:23 left, and Smith played the last 5:58 with four fouls.


After hitting three early 3-pointers and taking an 11-9 lead with 16:11 left in the first half, Penn State's offense fell apart, going 11:23 without a field goal while Illinois went on a 24-3 run.


But Cook picked up the personal and technical and went to the bench with 9:55 left in the half. Watkins had two layups and a three-point play in the final minutes to pull the Nittany Lions with 38-29 at halftime.

[awefullspellare]

Originally posted by BPBlueSox
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) _ Chris Hill had 20 points and seven rebounds as Michigan State earned a much needed boost of confidence with a 70-36 win over Penn State on Wednesday night.

Wanna play Creighton :clap2: :clap2:

[BPBlueSox]

I saw yall squeaked out a win over that "powerhouse" TCU the other night...:D

[awefullspellare]

exactly we need some easy wins :clap2:

[BPBlueSox]

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) _ Rick Rickert was quiet for most of the game, except when it counted most.

Rickert hit four foul shots in the final minute as Minnesota beat Penn State 76-75 Wednesday night. His two foul shots with 51 seconds left cut Penn State's lead to one point, 75-74.

Minnesota (11-6, 3-3 Big Ten) then got the ball back and Rickert was fouled again by Jan Jagla, sending him to the line for the lead. Stepping calmly to the line, Rickert swished both foul shots to give the Golden Gophers the 76-75 win.

``The reason why Rick came to Minnesota is to be on the line like that,'' Minnesota coach Dan Monson said. ``I'd take Rick there as good as anybody.''

Up by six points, Penn State (5-12, 0-6) decided to try to run clock in the final five minutes, but it backfired. Minnesota's Jerry Holman had a layup that cut the lead to 73-69 and Michael Bauer hit a 3-pointer with 2:08 left to cut Penn State's lead to one.

DeForrest Riley scored for the Nittany Lions with 1:51 left to put them up 75-72, but it would be the last time Penn State would score. Jagla fouled Rickert twice in the final minute and Rickert was perfect 4-for-4 from the line.

``I haven't been shooting the ball well this year, but I fixed it,'' Rickert said. ``I was going to take it to the hole and try to score.''

Bauer led Minnesota with 20 points, 10 coming from the foul line. Rickert and Maurice Hargrow each had 13 points for the Golden Gophers and Jerry Holman added 10.

Brandon Watkins finished with 20 points for Penn State (5-12, 0-6) and Aaron Johnson had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Sharif Chambliss added 10 points.

Rickert had been having a tough time from the foul line. A 5-for-10 performance at Michigan State earlier this month couldn't have helped his confidence in this situation.

Even though Rickert has been shooting only 66 percent from the free-throw line, Bauer said the plan was to get him the ball. Whether it would be taking Jagla and scoring inside the lane, or hitting free throws, the Gophers were confident that their star player would come through when the game was on the line.

``Rick did a great job,'' Bauer said. ``He was struggling early in the year, but he stepped up and hit them on the line.''

[GiveHyzduashot]

We're leading the f'in nation in moral victores. :angry:

[BPBlueSox]

Link to the Boxscore:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=230320275

This game was too sickening to describe. It was like 69-22 Wisconsin at one point or something like that...

[BPBlueSox]

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) _ Chauncey Leslie scored 22 points and Sean Sonderleiter had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead Iowa to a 75-55 victory over Penn State on Wednesday night.

Brody Boyd scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half and Glen Worley finished with 10 for Iowa (12-6, 4-3 Big Ten), which went on a 19-2 run to finish the game as Penn State only scored one basket in the final 8:36. Leslie hit 9 of 10 foul shots as the Hawkeyes opened up a 20-point lead to end the game.

Sharif Chambliss had 18 points and DeForrest Riley had 11 points, all in the first half, for Penn State (5-14, 0-8). The Nittany Lions are still without a win in the Big Ten, their worst start since joining the conference in 1992-93.

Chambliss' 3-pointer with 8:36 left capped off an 11-1 run to cut Iowa's lead to 56-53, but it was the closest Penn State would get. Brandon Watkins and Chambliss scored all of Penn State's points in the final 12:04 and Jan Jagla was the only other Penn State player to score a field goal in the second half.

[GiveHyzduashot]

Dunn is losing control of this team REAL fast. I'm almost hoping he completely loses control so he doesn't have any leverage to come back next year.

I'm telling ya', Dan, the only reason I watch games anymore is because of Aaron Johnson.

[GiveHyzduashot]

Dunn is such a moron. I heard clips of his press conference on the news this evening.

He said he's not going to make wholesale changes because that shows signs of giving up. Hello! Penn State is 5-14 and 0-8. It's time to make wholesale changes. Something radical has to be done ... you can't run the same lineup out there for every game and expect something to just click 20 games into the season.

And if PSU hasn't given up, I'll never see a team quit. They almost had a win against Illinois I believe .... no buckets in the last 5:00. Had Iowa on the ropes at 59-56 ... 19-3 run to end the game. This team plays with no heart whatsoever. If Dunn thinks this team hasn't given up, he's fooling himself. The results speak for themselves.

[sil340]

i really think u all should stick to football and womens basketball, penn state is an embarrasment ot the big ten(eleven)

[GiveHyzduashot]

Northwestern is an embarrassment to the B10.

PSU hasn't been THIS bad for awhile. Usually they are, at the least, respectable.

[BPBlueSox]

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) _ Ohio State coach Jim O'Brien designed some new plays this week to try to get guard Brent Darby more shots. They worked against Penn State.

Darby scored 27 points and had seven assists as Ohio State beat the Nittany Lions 76-67 Wednesday night.

The new plays allowed Darby to drive the lane to look for his shot first. If Darby couldn't score, he could either find a teammate on the perimeter or dish it down low. More often than not, Darby got past his defender and had a layup.

``If I had it, I took it,'' Darby said. ``If I didn't, it went right into a play. I was able to get into the lane and finish sometimes.''

Penn State (5-15, 0-9 Big Ten) couldn't find a way to stop him. Darby scored 16 first-half points, and in the second half continued driving to the basket and getting layups.

``We need to get him more shots,'' O'Brien said. ``We tried to put in a couple different wrinkles where he can try to score.''

When he didn't score directly off the drive, Darby scored from the foul line, where he was a perfect 11-for-11.

``When he gets the basketball, he can put his head down and create off the dribble,'' Penn State coach Jerry Dunn said. ``He's probably the guy who gets the most out of his abilities in this league.''

Darby not only drove to the basket to score, but to find open teammates. He also made the Nittany Lions' defense collapse, leaving Sean Connolly open on the perimeter. Connolly dutifully knocked down three 3-pointers, finishing with 13 points.

When Darby couldn't find Connolly, Zach Williams and Shun Jenkins were lurking around the basket waiting for a pass or a rebound. They also produced, which was crucial in the Buckeyes' win, since starter Velimir Radinovic was in foul trouble all game and only played 7 minutes. Williams finished with 12 points, and Jenkins had a season-high 17 rebounds.

Ohio State (12-10, 5-6) outrebounded Penn State, 48-29, and the Buckeyes have Darby to thank. When he would drive the lane and draw a double team, it allowed Williams, Jenkins and others to get easy rebounds and putbacks.

``They're one of the better teams in the league getting things off the dribble,'' Dunn said. ``The first thing we wanted to do was take away his (Darby) 3-point look and then you have to guard him.''

[BPBlueSox]

7 MORE GAMES TIL A WINLESS BIG TEN SEASON! WOOOOOOO! :D :angry:

Hey, on the bright side, we have as many wins overall as UCLA does! Normally, I'd be thrilled with the thought of that!

[GiveHyzduashot]

I thought we would have a chance too. But when the team has two different stretches of 4:00 without any points, you're doomed.

8 games until the Jerry Dunn reign is over (one conference tournament game). He's already the losingest coach in PSU basketball.

[BPBlueSox]

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) _ For the first time all season, Glen Worley watched the first few minutes of Saturday's game against Penn State from the bench. The Nittany Lions might have preferred he stay there.

Worley, who had fouled out in four of the last six games, came off the bench and scored 15 points, grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds and blocked three shots in leading Iowa (13-8, 5-5 Big Ten) to an 84-71 victory.

Coach Steve Alford said the decision to sit Worley early wasn't about sending a message to the team's second leading scorer.

``It really wasn't so much punishment,'' Alford said after Iowa knocked off the Nittany Lions for the second time in 11 days. ``I told Glen today: Let's try something different, because you're too important to us.

``Then I told him 'as long as you're sitting next to me the first four minutes, you can't foul. I think he understood, and I thought he really came in and asserted himself right from the beginning,'' he said.

Worley, who committed just two fouls, took the change in stride.

``(Coach) told me why he did it and I understood it,'' Worley said. ``I just tried to come off the bench and contribute the best way I could.''

Penn State (5-16, 0-10) trailed from the start, but twice got within striking distance in the second half thanks to the outside shooting of Sharif Chambliss and DeForrest Riley.

Chambliss led the Nittany Lions with 16 points, and Riley added 15.

Riley brought Penn State to within six points early in the second half before Iowa rebuilt its lead. With 7:20 to go, Riley nailed another 3-pointer to cut Iowa's lead to 63-56.

But the Hawkeyes' Brody Boyd followed with a 3-pointer one possession later to ignite an 11-5 run over the next three minutes that put Penn State's hopes for a first conference win out of reach.

``A lot of things happened that we just couldn't control,'' said Penn State coach Jerry Dunn. ``We gotta give our kids credit. They kept fighting back in spite of the challenges and obstacles.''

Iowa was led by a balanced attack, with three other players scoring in double figures. Chauncey Leslie led all scorers with 18 points, Jared Reiner scored 14 and Jeff Horner added 12 points and eight assists.

Leslie, Iowa's leading scorer, left the game with four minutes left after reinjuring his right wrist. He was taken to the hospital for X-rays and his status for Wednesday's game against Indiana is uncertain.

Iowa shot 59 percent for the game; Penn State shot 41 percent. Iowa also held a lopsided advantage in fouls. The Hawkeyes shot 31 free throws, compared to just 12 for Penn State. The Nittany Lions also had two players _ Robert Summers and Jan Jagla _ foul out to just one for Iowa.

With Worley on the bench, Iowa opened with a three-guard lineup and jumped out to a 10-2 lead. Worley made his first appearance at the 16:30 mark and scored seven points in the next four minutes to help Iowa build an early 19-5 lead.

[BPBlueSox]

Do You Believe In Miracles? :D

(This win had better not save Dunn his job, by the way...)

State College, Pa. - February 19, 2003 - Junior Sharif Chambliss (Racine, Wisc.) and freshman DeForrest Riley (Cincinnati, Ohio) keyed a late-game Penn State run as the Nittany Lion basketball team grabbed its first conference win of the season, 58-57, over Wisconsin.

Trailing by eight (57-49) with just 1:42 to play, Chambliss and Riley would score the game's final nine points to help Penn State break its longest losing streak since 1992-93. Chambliss hit a step-back three-pointer at the 1:28 mark to cut the Badger lead to 57-52. A tenacious Penn State defense forced a UW turnover and Chambliss hit another three-pointer in transition to cut the lead to just two, 57-52, at the 0:46 mark.

Wisconsin, which entered the game atop the Big Ten standings, missed on its next trip down the floor and sophomore Jagla, who sparked Penn State in the first half, grabbed the game's critical rebound with 0:15 to play. Penn State immediately forced the issue, finding an open Riley streaking down the right sideline. Riley drove to the hoop for a good bucket and was fouled. After a time-out, Riley completed the three-point play and Penn State was up 58-57. Wisconsin's Kirk Penney missed a last second jump shot as time expired.

Chambliss ended the game with a game-high 16 points, hitting six of ten field goals, including four of six three-pointers. Riley had nine points, none bigger than the game-winning three-point play.

While Chambliss and Riley grabbed the late-game spotlight, it was Jagla who had Penn State in a position to win the game. The 7-0 forward led Penn State with 11 points in a first half that saw Penn State play inspired ball and go into the halftime locker room tied 28-28 with the Badgers. Jagla hit five of seven field goals, including one trey. Chambliss added ten points as Penn State was forced to play most of the half without starting point guard Brandon Watkins (Bellwood, Ill.). The senior was hit with two early fouls, so freshman Brandon Cameron (Gary, Ind.) stepped in to play solid with two assists and three rebounds in the half.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team leading by more than four points. Penn State got up 4-0 early on two Jagla jumpers for its biggest lead while Wisconsin led by three at varying points in the half. Penn State shot .423 from the field, hitting 11 of 26 shots in the stanza and out-rebounded Wisconsin 18-15. The Nittany Lions committed only six turnovers while Wisconsin committed only four in a well-played, hard-fought half.

Jagla ended the game with 14 points off six of 11 shooting, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Watkins had ten points and Aaron Johnson (Exton, Pa.) had seven points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Penn State shot .412 from the field (21-51) for the game and committed 14 turnovers, eight in the second half. The Lions played their best defensive game to date, holding Wisconsin to only .367 from the field (22-60). Each team had 34 rebounds, with Penn State having an uncharacteristically low five offensive boards. The Nittany Lions hit seven of 15 three-pointers and nine of ten free throws while UW was six of 18 from beyond the arc and seven for 11 from the stripe.

The win not only broke a 10-game losing skid, it broke a 14-game Big Ten regular season losing streak that dated back to a win over Iowa on Feb. 1, 2002. It is also Penn State's third straight win over Wisconsin in the Bryce Jordan Center.

Penn State is now 6-16 overall, 1-10 in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions will begin a three-game road swing at Minnesota Saturday night in a 9 p.m. contest. Wisconsin is now 18-6, 8-4, will visit Michigan State the same day.

[GiveHyzduashot]

I felt good about our chances last night when Jagla hit the first four points on decent shots. C'mon ... when he makes those shots, SOMETHING unusual is happening.

Seriously, Jagla played a very good game last night. It's amazing how being productive offensively can spill over to the defensive end, where he had his best rebounding game of the year, in my opinion. He's still only a sophomore, so he can still turn the corner.

Chambliss played well too.

Riley is a stud. Just wait until he's a junior or senior. He'll be one of the best players in the conference, for sure.

Good defensive effort last night ... all around, a good game. I think we outrebounded Wisconsin and the turnovers were limited, which I think was key since Watkins sat about the entire first half. Cameron did a good job filling in, but I dread the thought of him leading the offense next year.

[BPBlueSox]

Riley is a stud. Just wait until he's a junior or senior. He'll be one of the best players in the conference, for sure.

That's as long as he doesn't transfer...:D

[BPBlueSox]

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) _ Willie Deane scored 21 points as Purdue snapped a two-game losing streak with a 79-55 win against Penn State on Wednesday night.

The Boilermakers (17-8, 9-5 Big Ten) are assured of finishing with a winning record in conference play. After a 15-4 start, a national ranking and 13 straight wins at home, Purdue was in the Big Ten title hunt.

Three losses in four games dropped them out of the picture, but Purdue is likely headed toward its first NCAA tournament appearance in three years. The Boilermakers finish the season with games at Michigan State and Michigan before the Big Ten tournament in Chicago.

They had no problems Wednesday against Penn State (6-18, 1-12). Purdue made eight of its first 14 shots and raced to a 29-9 lead. Penn State had six turnovers in the first six minutes and 14 in the first half which led to 13 points for Purdue.

The Nittany Lions didn't reach double digits until 13 minutes into the half, as the Boilermakers took a 39-19 lead into halftime.

A 3-pointer by Sharif Chambliss, he led the Nittany Lions with 21 points, pulled them to 54-41. But Melvin Buckley and Deane answered with 3-pointers and the rout was back on.

Eleven Boilermakers scored. That balance allowed only one other player to reach double figure _ Chris Booker had 10. They shot 51 percent from the field.

In the final home game of the season _ Purdue finished 14-1 at Mackey Arena _ the Boilermakers only drew 10,827 fans, which kept them among the bottom of the Big Ten attendance rankings.

[BPBlueSox]

A few more losses for PSU that I didn't feel like putting up recaps or box scores or anything for...I've been busy anyways...

85-79 loss at Northwestern...pathetic.

78-62 loss at BJC to Michigan...ridiculous.

This team blows. But haven't we all figured that out already?

We are Penn State! :D :barf:

[GiveHyzduashot]

You're slacking, Dan. Don't you realize the site-wide interest in Penn State mens basketball? ;)

[Tigers#1]

I think it was the Sporting News, where i read that Penn State is considering hiring that little, 27 year old Wojoheiczkkndgs(how ever you spell it) assistant coach from Duke. I guess he's from around Pennsylvania, and is a good recruiter, and would bring in fans.

[BPBlueSox]

I think it was the Sporting News, where i read that Penn State is considering hiring that little, 27 year old Wojoheiczkkndgs(how ever you spell it) assistant coach from Duke. I guess he's from around Pennsylvania, and is a good recruiter, and would bring in fans.

Thank GOD. :D

[GiveHyzduashot]

I've also heard St. John's coach Phil Martelli or something is at the top of the list for PSU.

I'd like WoJo being the head coach. I think he could teach a lot about the game because he wasn't the most skilled player and the game didn't just come to him .... and plus, how many coaches could he bring in who are affiliated with Duke? How bad could that be?

Martelli wouldn't be bad either ... I think he's a pretty good coach.

We'll probably lose out on both and hire from within. :banghead

[BPBlueSox]

State College, Pa. - March 8, 2003 - The Penn State Nittany Lion basketball team used a 25-point out-burst from sophomore Jan Jagla (Berlin, Germany) and hot outside shooting from junior Sharif Chambliss (Racine, Wisc.) to down visiting Indiana 74-66 on Senior Night in the Bryce Jordan Center. The win was only the second for Penn State over IU in school history.

Jagla led Penn State to an early 18-8 lead at the 14:42 mark, scoring all 10 of his 10 first half points in that span. But Indiana's Marshall Strickland and Bracey Wright scored 12 and nine points respectively to allow IU to take a slim 35-32 lead into the halftime locker rooms. Chambliss had 11 points in the half, including three treys.

Penn State shot only .344 from the field in the half while IU hit .519, but the Nittany Lions out-rebounded Indiana 19-17 and committed only five turnovers in the first stanza.

A tight game got even tighter as the second half began as Penn State would use a Chambliss three-pointer at the 16:11 mark to cut the Indiana lead to one, 40-39. The teams would trade buckets until freshman Aaron Johnson (Exton, Pa.) would make a lay-up, get fouled, and convert the traditional three-point play to tie the game at 42-42 with 15:19 to play. After Indiana's Jeff Newton would make one of two free throws, Robert Summers (Gahanna, Ohio) would make a lay-up to give Penn State a 44-43 lead. It was a lead that the Nittany Lions would never relinquish.

Senior point guard Brandon Watkins (Bellwood, Ill.) was injured, bruising his tail bone with 4:55 to play and would not return in the game. But the Lions were not to be denied as Penn State would push its lead to as many as ten, leading 70-60 with 2:18 to play. Indiana would cut the lead to four, 70-66, at the :50 mark on two Kyle Hornsby free throws. But the Lions would score the game's final four points to post the final score.

Jagla ended the game by hitting eight of 12 field goals, including a three-pointer, and eight of ten free throws for a career-high 25 points. He also led Penn State with eight rebounds. Chambliss was superb, hitting eight of 11 field goals and five of six treys for 22 points. Johnson had ten points and eight rebounds as well. Watkins had a team-high six assists in the game, to go along with six points and two steals. Classmate B.J. Vossekuil (Orange Park, Fla.), also playing in his final game in the BJC, had three points and three rebounds.

Penn State would shoot a sizzling .560 from the field in the second half and .439 for the game. Indiana cooled down considerably in the second stanza, hitting only .269. IU hit .396 for the game. Penn State out-rebounded the Hoosiers 36-35 and committed a season-low eight turnovers.

Penn State is now 7-20 overall and ends the season with a 2-14 Big Ten mark. Indiana ends the regular season 18-11, 8-8 in conference play. Penn State will carry the No. 11 seed into the 2003 Big Ten Tournament this coming week and will battle either Indiana or Minnesota in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. If Minnesota wins at Illinois in tomorrow's game, Penn State will play the Gophers. If Illinois wins, then the Lions will get an immediate rematch with Indiana. The tournament first round game is set for Thursday, March 13. Game time in Chicago's United Center is set for 5:05 Eastern.

[BPBlueSox]

7-21 two years in a row. We are Penn State!:hmm:

[GiveHyzduashot]

I'm glad Penn State went out in style. Finished the season just like they've played all year. :hmm: