UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Fresh off its third ranked victory of the season
over Wisconsin on Saturday, the Nittany Lion basketball team (12-8, 5-4) heads
to Illinois (14-7, 4-4) for a 9 p.m. tipoff (Big Ten Network) in Assembly Hall
on Tuesday night.
Led by a veteran senior class, the Nittany Lions have evolved into a
confident basketball team during the month of January.Despite trailing by double digits in
the first half against Wisconsin on Saturday, Penn State played with poise, and
the Lions were never fazed by the deficit.Talor Battle's 20 second half points carried the Nittany
Lions in the second half, but it was a complete team effort in the four-point
win over the Badgers.
With four wins in its last six outings, Penn State heads to snowy
Champaign for the second meeting of the season with the Illini.
RPI Update
After being ranked 49th last week, Penn State checks in at No. 46 in the
RPI and No. 6 in strength of schedule this week.Additionally, the Nittany Lions received 14 votes in the AP
Top 25 this week.Penn State
is tied for first in the Big Ten and fifth nationally with three victories over
ranked teams this season.
Battle Steps Up
Talor Battle's contributions to the Penn State basketball program have
been truly incredible.The senior
guard is on track to be ranked in the top 15 of 13 major statistical categories
when he leaves the University Park campus.Saturday's 22-point effort added another chapter to a long
book of clutch performances against a ranked team.Battle has now scored in double figures in 17 consecutive
matchups against ranked teams.Scoring 20 points in the second half was impressive from Battle, but how
he managed the game was tremendous on Saturday afternoon.For his efforts last week, Battle was
named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday.
Coach DeChellis Press Conference
Coach Ed DeChellis met with the media on Monday afternoon to discuss the
Nittany Lions as they head into their road trip to Illinois.With a short turnaround, Penn State
practiced live for 30 minutes on Sunday afternoon, in addition to watching
film.
Coach DeChellis said the biggest difference he has seen with the team in
the past month is the confidence level.He said they are playing like they believe they are going to win.With a defensive minded approach, the
Lions enter a nine-game season.Coach DeChellis said every game is of equal importance, and they are all
big from here to the Big Ten Tournament.
VIDEO: Players Previewing Illinois
GoPSUsports.com caught up with Jeff Brooks and Talor Battle prior to
Monday's practice.
Heading on the Road
We will be joining the Nittany Lion hoops team on its trip to
Illinois.Stay tuned for coverage
with the team over the next couple days.Additionally, the live in-game blog will be up and running from Assembly
Hall on Tuesday night in Champaign.The Lions will leave at 5:30 p.m. on Monday to beat the inclement
weather heading into the Midwest.Keep
it right here as the Lions take on the Illini.
By Kelsey Detweiler GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - There's something special about Big Ten duals in Rec
Hall. For big matches like these fans pack the stands with rally towels, WE ARE
t-shirts and digital cameras charged and ready. Two referees gather around the
middle of the floor as all the lights around the gym go down and only the
Nittany Lion emblem on the middle of the blue and white mat is illuminated.
Sunday's dual between the top-seeded Nittany Lions and the No. 8 Iowa Hawkeyes
was one of the most anticipated Big Ten wrestling matches of the 2010-'11
season. Penn State entered the dual with a program-best record start to their
season at 13-0, and the Hawkeyes came to Rec Hall on an unbeaten streak of
72-consecutive dual wins.
However, only one of the two teams could keep their winning status alive. With
a final score of 22-13, Iowa spoiled the No. 1 Nittany Lions undefeated season
and in turn earned its 73rd consecutive dual win.
In front of a sold out crowd of 6,686 in Rec Hall, the Hawkeyes started things
off early as they captured wins in the opening three bouts of the dual.
Reigning national champion Hawkeye Matt McDonough made a statement at the very
start of the dual as he pinned Nittany Lion Nate Morgan at 125, who was making
his 2010-'11 season debut on the mats. No. 2 McDonough delivered six takedowns,
five of which Morgan was able to escape from to make the score 13-5 before
McDonough turned Morgan on his back and forced his lower body upright to win by
fall.
Iowa picked up its first six dual points in less than five minutes of
wrestling, but Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson said that he didn't think
the loss did enough damage to count the Nittany Lions out completely.
"I think they expected that," said Sanderson. "You
know when you have a defending national champion there [McDonough] I know as a
team we were hoping that Nate wouldn't get pinned obviously but McDonough's a
tough kid and he's going to pin a guy. I don't think that was a huge surprise."
What came next, however, was not expected. The Nittany Lions only won four of
the nine bouts that followed the opening match-up. What's more is that three
ranked Penn State wrestlers were upset by lower-ranked Hawkeyes.
At 133, No. 5 Nittany Lion Andrew Long fell to No. 10 Hawkeye Tony Ramos in a
3-2 decision. One bout later, Iowa's All-American Montell Marion upset Penn
State's No. 5 Andrew Alton at 141 in an 11-9 decision. After just three bouts, the
Nittany Lions found themselves behind the Hawkeyes in a dual score of 12-0.
Before the two teams headed to intermission, Penn State answered back with two
hard fought wins from Frank Molinaro at 149 and David Taylor at 157. Molinaro
notched four takedowns in his match against Iowa's Mark Ballweg to win by
decision with a score of 10-3 while Taylor rendered four takedowns and a
reversal of his own over Hawkeye No. 14 Derek St. John to earn a major with a
score of 12-4.
With a dual score of 12-7 in favor of Iowa going into the break, the Nittany
Lions knew that their heavier weights were going to be the deciding factor in
the match. However, Penn State came up short winning only two of the next five
bouts. While No. 2 Ed Ruth secured a victory at 174 over Iowa's Ethen Lofthouse
with a 10-3 decision and No. 5 Nittany Lion Cameron Wade inched past Hawkeye
Blake Raising with a score of 1-0, Penn State wrestlers Jake Kemerer, Quentin
Wright and Justin Ortega were not so fortunate.
Sanderson said that his team was going to have to really wrestle their best
after the intermission if they were going to come out on top, but the fire that
they needed never came.
"I knew we were in trouble and that we needed a little magic or something,"
said Sanderson. "We needed something to happen, but you know we didn't create
any magic and that's what we needed. We needed something at 184 obviously.
Quentin's an All-American and we needed him to go out there and give us his
best effort."
The Penn State head coach said that he knew Sunday's match was not going to be
as easy of a win as everyone expected it to be.
"We knew Iowa was good," said Sanderson. "I mean especially in a dual meet they're
solid from top to bottom. They're good kids. A lot of those kids have a history
of wrestling each other and even if we were ranked ahead of them, their history
they were still back and forth so I mean that's a good, good team."
"They're just tough kids you know," said Sanderson. "It's tough to turn a good
wrestler. You've got to be creative, you've got to be mean and they're
obviously well-coached. They know what they're doing. They come in here and
they're ready for each individual."
Although coach Sanderson and his top-ranked Nittany Lion were indeed upset by
the No. 8 Hawkeyes, he said that this does not mean that anyone should count
his team out in the grand scheme of things. Sanderson said that this match will
be used more as a motivation to be better, work harder and get back to
business.
"It's just a great learning tool for us," said Sanderson. "Nothing teaches you
a lesson more than losing because it just shoves everything right in your face
so now we'll see how we respond."
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 31, 2011 10:44 AM
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By Kyle G. Arslanian, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State Lady Lions defeated rival Ohio
State Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center by a final score of 80-71.The game featured some of the Big Ten's
best talent at point guard and center.The duo of Alex Bentley and Nikki Greene, who faced off with their
Buckeye counterparts; point guard Samantha Prahalis and center Jantel Lavender,
fueled the Lady Lions.
Bentley took the game over for Penn State; the sophomore tallied a team high 21
points with seven assists, while playing 35 minuets.Ohio State's Prahalis is widely considered to be the best point
guard in the conference, but Sunday, Bentley showed she should considered one
of the best as well.
So far this season, Bentley is far and away the conference leader in assists
with 126 and has the best assist to turnover ratio in the conference at
1.9.She has also cut down on her
overall turnovers, with just 68 compared to Prahalis' 77 in five less games.
Bentley is the centerpiece of a Penn State offense that has been nearly
unstoppable so far this season, averaging just over 80 points per game.Her passing ability, coupled with
scoring touch allows her to control and manage any game.
"I thought this is probably one of the best games Alex has played since she's
been here in terms of managing the game, managing the floor, managing the pace,"
said head coach Coquese Washington."She did a really good job of knowing when to push, when to slow it up,
when to use clock, when to score quickly, when to attack and when not to. This
is one of the best jobs she's done."
For Bentley, the numbers are there, and now the results are falling into
place.The sophomore guard has her
offense running like clockwork and her team sitting in first place in the Big
Ten.It's hard to quantify who is
the best player, but it's safe to say that Bentley is proving it would be
difficult to pick a clear cut favorite this season.
Center Nikki Greene served notice of her own Sunday when she matched up with
senior center Jantel Lavender.A
quick glance at the final stats will show that Lavender had a game high 26
points, but that doesn't tell the whole story.Lavender never dominated the game as she is known to
do.Greene beat her to the boards
more often than not and recorded the only double-double of the game with 10
rebounds and 12 points.
Defending Lavender is always a challenge and she is going to get her points,
she is the conference's leading scorer; but Greene came in ready to step up to
the challenge.
"Playing against her, it was a lot physically," said Nikki Greene. "It was a challenge, but then it was a
good experience because she is one of the best post players in our
conference.I came in thinking that
I wasn't going to pick up dumb fouls. I can't go for everything that she tries
to throw at me. I came in just trying to defend."
While Greene acknowledges that Lavender is one of the best post players in the
Big Ten, she wants to be recognized in the same category.She made a statement to that effect
with a huge block on Lavender that got the crowd fired up with just under six
minuets to play.
"I know that she likes to sprint the floor.They do the whole post running the lane," said Greene."I didn't want to let her get that again
because she's known for doing that, so I just went for the block. I wanted to
just get the crowd involved and just show everyone the Big Ten has another post
player."
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 31, 2011 10:12 AM
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By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - To say that the Penn State men's volleyball team gets
along would be a complete understatement.
Anyone who watches head coach Mark Pavlik's Nittany Lions on the court this
season will agree that the chemistry on this team of talented athletes is
something that shines through in every play that they make. Even Coach Pavlik
said that this year's team is unlike any other he has seen before.
"This team is unique," said Pavlik. "They're learning where that line is to
being cooperatively competitive and being highly cooperatively competitive.
This team, even though it's relative youth, they've found a very comfortable
balance in that."
The No. 9 Nittany Lions used the strong connection that they have with one
another to cruise to a 2-0 weekend at Rec Hall. On Friday night, Penn State
defeated No. 14 Loyola, 3-1. Saturday night the Nittany Lions followed in fine
fashion with a three-set sweep over the Lewis Flyers. At the end of this
weekend, the ninth-ranked team improved its record to 6-1 overall this season.
Penn State opened up its first weekend in the main gym of Rec Hall with a 3-1
win over the Loyola Ramblers. The Nittany Lions came out a bit flat in their
first set of the evening on Friday night, dropping the first game to the
Ramblers 21-25. Loyola junior outside hitter Mike Bunting led his team to a
.571 hitting percentage with eight kills in the first set, topping Penn State's
.400 hitting performance.
But the Nittany Lions answered back with a commanding 25-16 win in set two and
left the courts before intermission feeling confident in their play.
Sure enough, Penn State dominated in set three 25-20 and then closed out the
evening with a 29-27 win in the fourth set.
The Nittany Lions relied on their offense on Friday evening as three players
tallied double-digit kills. Red-shirt junior outside hitter Joe Sunder led the
team with 28 kills while freshman outside hitter Jace Olsen notched 15 and
red-shirt freshman outside hitter Scott Kegerreis recorded 14 of his own.
On Saturday night, the Penn State team faced a hard-hitting and undefeated
squad as the then 6-0 Flyers came out swinging. However, the Nittany Lions
handed Lewis its first loss of the season as they swept the match winning three
sets to none.
In a back-and-forth match where every point of every set seemed to be crucial,
the Nittany Lions showed their home crowd that they were not only powerful
offensively but defensively as well.
Sunder had a match-high 18 kills against the Flyers and Olsen and Keggereis
followed him again, each nabbing eight of their own. But by the end of the
night, the defensive play of the Penn State team really shined.
The ninth-ranked Lions put up 5.0 total team blocks and dug up 35 balls
altogether. Senior libero Dennis Del Valle always seemed to be in the right
place at the right time as he led the team with 10 digs, followed by Olsen who
added seven of his own.
All in all, the Nittany Lions were happy with the way that they played and even
happier to back on their home court. After the match on Saturday night, Olsen
said that he was especially excited to step into the main gym of Rec Hall.
"It was my first match in here last night and it was sweet," said Olsen.
"Especially with the crowd, it was not so packed like [South Gym] but it was a
lot of fun. The atmosphere of Rec Hall is so prestigious coming in from all
over the place. You hear about this coming in from freshman year of volleyball
in high school and finally playing here was pretty awesome."
Coach Pavlik said that he was pleased with the way his team played overall, and
that he saw an improvement from Friday night into Saturday.
"I thought tonight our passers were a little bit more consistent earlier and I
thought we were able to get into more of a rhythm offensively," said Pavlik.
"Probably just as important, our servers didn't miss and I thought our block
and our defense was able to get into a pretty good rhythm for them. We kind of
had a good feel for what Lewis wanted to do and we were in some pretty good
spots defensively early and I just thought as the game wore on we got real
comfortable with what they were doing."
Olsen attributed the Nittany Lions' comfortable composure and confident
presence on the court to the dynamic personalities that the team has this
season.
"You can see the different personalities throughout our team," said Olsen.
"Dennis is usually talking on our side of the net and then I'm talking on the
other side of the net and then you've got guys like Joe who just bring it with
their hits and everything and it's pretty sweet when you get us all together.
It's a good time and it seems to be working."
Next weekend, No. 9 Penn State will welcome two West Coast teams to Rec Hall in
its second weekend of play at home. The Nittany Lions host UC Irvine at 7:30
p.m. on Friday night and Cal State Northridge at 7:30 the following evening.
By Jeff Sattora, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A banner dropping ceremony for the Penn State
women's 2010 Triple Crown helped set the tone for great weekend for both the
men's and women's track teams at the Penn State National Invite.
The ceremony, which recognized the 2010 women's cross country, indoor track,
and outdoor track teams for winning Big Ten Championships really meant a lot to
the athletes and coaches involved.
For Coach Sullivan it gave her a chance to enjoy the moment and what they have
been able to accomplish.
"I always tell the kids you have to enjoy the moments when they're presented
because you don't know when the next one is going to be" Coach Sullivan. "This
was a great reward, it's really pretty cool to see that many banners at once.'
For star sprinter Shavon Greaves, the ceremony had somewhat of a different
meaning.
She talked about what it meant to her, saying, "It definitely motivated me, and
I hope it motivated the team".The
ceremony also was about leaving her mark and legacy on the program.
"Ever since I came in as a freshman we have won the Big Ten Championship,"
Greaves said, adding how she wants to leave her senior year ending just the
same as the last three and she hopes this ceremony can help motivate the team
to get there.
Multiple strong performances helped to surround the ceremony for the Lions to
make this a great weekend for Penn State track.
The invite, consisting of over 40 teams from up and down the east coast, included
some of the top talent in the nation.
Coach Sullivan was very happy with her team's performance, especially against
this kind of competition, "the kids rose to the occasion and took advantage of
it" she said.
Both squads stepped up with great performances all over the facility for the
Lions.Ryan Foster was one of the
top performers on the day for Penn State, finishing 3rd overall in the mile
race as well as breaking the school record by three seconds with a time of 3:58.49,
automatically qualifying him for the NCAA Championships.
Coach Sullivan mentioned Foster's name right off the bat when talking about the
day's top performers, saying "3:58 in the mile is a phenomenal run; I was tremendously
impressed with him".
Foster was not the only Penn State athlete to post an NCAA automatic qualifying
time over the weekend, as Casmir Loxsom and Greaves joined him in that category.Loxsom ran a strong 1:47.36 in the 800
meter and Greaves sprinted her way to a 23.18 in the 200 meter run.
Greaves was happy with her performance overall on the weekend saying that
"overall, I felt great", mentioning how she is at a faster time this year then
she was at this same point last season.
She also talked about how she thinks the team is at a great spot at this point
in on the schedule.
"Overall our team is looking great," Greaves said, adding that she thinks the
team is where they need to be at this point in the season, and ready to focus
and "dial in" for the championship meets.
Greaves talked about keeping up persistence and their motivation level to help
them as the season goes on.
"We need to use our PR's and competition and motivation to go back to practice
and go back to the drawing board and keep working harder," she said.
The track team and coaches are clearly confident at this point in the season
with so many top performances.They are continuing to work hard and hoping to make Saturday's banner ceremony
a little more common.
By Will Donley, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - This spring, seniors John Nichols and
Alex Garrity look to assume leadership roles in the goal and at the midfield,
respectively.Their impact on the
team, however, may never be visible on the field.
Nichols is the second goalie on the team's depth chart, and
Garrity is continuing to fight back from a knee injury that has sidelined him
for over a year.Still, the team's
younger starters are deferring to Nichols and Garrity for leadership and advice.For the Nittany Lions to have any
success this season, it is imperative that these two seniors pass on the
experience they have gained over the past three seasons.
Senior Spotlight:
John Nichols
Quick Hits
Whether as the starting goaltender or back up, Nichols (Myersville,
Md.) figures to compete for time in the net this spring for the Nittany
Lions.An experienced goaltender,
he has developed his skills in goal as a back up for the past three
seasons.Nichols saw action in
three games as a freshman while playing behind All-American goalie Drew
Adams.He recorded four saves and
gave up two goals in nearly seven minutes of play.As a sophomore, Nichols backed up Adams, again.He played in one game, recorded one
save and did not give up a goal.Last season, Nichols saw significant time in four games and recorded 19
saves.
A four-year starter for Middletown High School, Nichols
earned all-league honors each season.He led his team to three league titles, and he was named Defensive
Player of the Year.As a senior,
Nichols was named captain of his team.
Nichols is an Information Sciences and Technology
major.His brother Chris played
football at Army.
Moment To
Remember
Nichols came off the bench to record a career high nine
saves in a loss against Delaware in Penn State's final regular season game a
year ago.
What To
Watch For This Season
Nichols will continue to compete for time as the Penn State
starting goaltender.As the only
senior goaltender, it will be up to him to pass on his experience to the team's
younger goalies.
Quotable
On the team's dynamic:
"These guys are some of the greatest people I've ever known,
and I have never laughed so hard with a group of friends."
Senior Spotlight: Alex Garrity
Quick Hits
During his career as a Nittany Lion, Garrity (Rutledge, Pa.)
has earned playing time at the offensive and defensive ends of the field as a
midfielder. As a freshman, he
played in ten games and picked up five ground balls.Garrity played in all 14 games for the Nittany Lions during
his sophomore season.He scored
three goals and scooped up 12 ground balls.Last season, Garrity was sidelined with a knee injury that
he sustained during fall ball.
Garrity was a two-time captain at Strath Haven High
School.A four-year letterman, he
tallied 122 goals and 148 assists during his high school career.Garrity also lettered in soccer and was
a member of the National Honors Society.
Garrity is an actuarial science major.His sister Emily plays lacrosse for the
University of North Carolina.
Moment To
Remember
Garrity's first quarter goal against Hobart College in 2009
helped the Nittany Lions defeat their ECAC rival at Jeffrey Field.
What To
Watch For This Season
Alex is still battling a knee injury he sustained more than a
season ago.Still, expect him to
be instrumental in the development of the young Nittany Lion midfielders.
Quotable
On his role this season:
"I expect...to be a motivator, as well as a senior example to
the team of what a Penn State lacrosse player looks and acts like."
Will
Donley, Senior Attackman, Penn State Men's Lacrosse Team, GoPSUsports.com
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 30, 2011 12:25 PM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Welcome inside Rec Hall for GoPSUsports.com's
live blog from today's dual between the No. 1 Nittany Lions (13-1, 2-1)
and the three-time defending national champion and No. 8 Iowa Hawkeyes (11-0-1, 3-0).
Take a look back at Iowa's upset victory over the top-ranked Nittany Lions inside a sold out Rec Hall.
Sold Out Crowd Seated and Ready
The highly anticipated clash between the top-ranked Nittany Lions and
Iowa Hawkeyes has been circled for months.The sold out crowd began filing in two hours prior to the
first bout.With 15 minutes on the
clock prior to the bout, there was not a seat to be found inside Rec Hall.Sitting mat-side, the atmosphere is
electric leading up to the 125-pound match.Every inch of the track circling the top of the building is
packed with people."Pack the
track" is alive and well inside Rec Hall this afternoon.Stay tuned as we await the first bout
of the afternoon.
125 - McDonough Tallies a Pin for
Iowa
No. 2 Matt McDonough took control of the 125-pound in the first period
against Nittany Lion freshman Nate Morgan, who made his dual-match debut on
Sunday afternoon.McDonough used
four takedowns to build an 8-3 advantage after three minutes of wrestling.From there, McDonough tallied a victory
by pinfall at the 4:16 mark in the match.The sophomore handed the Hawkeyes a 6-0 lead in the match.
133 - Ramos Edges Long
No. 5 Andrew Long and No. 10 Tony Ramos from Iowa wrestled to a 0-0 tie
after the first period, but Long tallied an escape within the first 10 seconds
of period two to claim a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard.Long was aggressive throughout the first four minutes of action,
but Ramos claimed the first takedown of the match off the left edge of the
mat.Long answered with an escape
point to square things heading into the third.One escape from Ramos was all the Iowa freshman needed in
the final period to claim a slim 3-2 advantage on the final scoreboard.Ramos and Long battled for seven
minutes, but Long's shot attempts fell short.Iowa built a 9-0 lead following the 133-pound battle.
141 - Alton Upset by Marion
The Nittany Lions got a boost in the first period from No. 5 Andrew
Alton at 141.Alton has been
tremendous in his first season in Penn State blue and white.Alton tallied a takedown and a
three-point near fall late in the first period.The Lion freshman was moments from tallying a pinfall
victory before Montell Marion managed to slip free off the mat.Alton's 5-0 lead was quickly trimmed
down to 5-4.Marion stayed on the
attack in the final two periods en route to a 10-9 upset victory for the
Hawkeyes.Alton snagged a 9-8 lead
in the final minute of action with an escape, but a late takedown from Marion
and the riding point handed the Hawkeyes a 12-0 advantage in the overall match
score.
149 - Molinaro Downs Mark Bellweg
to Put the Lions on the Board
No. 5 Frank Molinaro took control of his bout with Iowa's Mark Ballweg
in the opening period.Molinaro
snagged a 2-0 with a takedown in the first period.He also controlled the riding time from the opening whistle.Molinaro also added two more takedowns
in the second period and one in the third on the way to Penn State's first
victory in the match.The Nittany
Lion junior moved to 20-2 on the season with a 10-3 victory.Molinaro's victory gave the Lions a
nice boost leading into the final bout before the final match prior to
halftime.
157 - Taylor Battles to Victory
Over St. John
The Nittany Lions tallied their second victory of the afternoon following
a hotly contested affair between No. 3 David Taylor and No. 14 David St. John.The score was really never in doubt for
the talented Nittany Lion freshman, but several attacks from the Iowa freshman towards
Taylor's face turned the bout into a heated seven minutes of wrestling.Nonetheless, Taylor registered three
takedowns, a reversal and a dominant effort in riding time en route to a 12-4
victory.Taylor's major decision
trimmed Iowa's lead to 12-7 heading into the halftime break.Give Taylor credit for battling to a
much-needed dominant victory despite being poked in the eye several times
against St. John.The Lion
freshman is now 26-0 on the season.
165 - Jenssen Downs Kemerer
No. 14 Aaron Jenssen ousted Nittany Lion Jake Kemerer by a 6-2 margin at
165 pounds.Jenssen mustered
takedowns in the first and third periods on his way to the decision.Kemerer battled Jenssen for seven
minutes, but the Hawkeye senior dictated the riding time and benefitted from
two key takedowns to tally Iowa's fourth victory of the afternoon.Iowa's lead on the scoreboard was 15-7
after six bouts.
174 - Ruth Topples Lofthouse
Freshman Ed Ruth sliced Iowa's overall match lead down to 15-10 with a
10-3 decision over No. 13 Ethan Lofthouse from Iowa.Ruth's aggressive style built a 4-1 lead for the Lion
freshman after one period.From
there, Ruth added two more take downs on his way to seven-point victory.Ruth has been impressive throughout his
first season on the mat for the Nittany Lions.Ruth's overall match record is a stout 24-1 this season.
184 - Wright Falls to Gambrall in
Upset
Despite Ruth's victory at 174, No. 16 Grant Gambrall from Iowa quickly
halted the Nittany Lion momentum with a 8-3 decision over No. 6 Quentin Wright.Wright trailed throughout the bout after
Gambrall posted a first period takedown.From there, the Iowa sophomore utilized a significant advantage in
riding time to claim the Iowa victory.With two bouts to go, Iowa built an 18-10 on the scoreboard.
197 - Lofthouse Downs Ortega
No. 14 Lue Lofthouse clinched the overall match victory for the Hawkeyes
with a 17-6 major decision triumph over Justin Ortega at 197.The match turned in Lofthouse's favor
for good when he tallied an escape and a takedown in the final seconds of the
first period.From there, Lofthouse
cruised to the victory to put the Hawkeyes up 22-10 in the overall match.
285 - Wade Clips Raising, 1-0
No. 5 Cameron Wade and Iowa's Blake Raising wrestled two scoreless
periods in the heavyweight bout on Sunday afternoon.Wade got on the board with an escape point early in the
third period, which set the score at 1-0.That would be all Wade needed to claim a slim victory against the
Hawkeyes.With Wade's victory, the
Nittany Lions claimed four bout victories in the 22-13 match victory for the
three-time defending champion Iowa Hawkeyes.
Final Thoughts
The top-ranked Nittany Lion wrestling team came into Sunday's bout with
No. 8 Iowa with aspirations of snapping the Hawkeyes' 72-match unbeaten streak,
but the three-time defending national champions built an early cushion on the
way to an overall victory on the scoreboard.You can point to the first three matches for the Hawkeyes on
Sunday afternoon.Iowa set the
tone with a pin at 125 and then two upset victories at 133 and 141.Penn State rallied with wins at 149,
157 and 174, but the fast start from Iowa was the difference on Sunday
afternoon.Penn State's first loss
of the season sends the Lions into a road weekend at Michigan State and
Michigan.Give a tip of the cap to
the 6,686 fans that helped create an incredible atmosphere for wrestling inside
Rec Hall.The Lions will return
home to face Illinois on Feb. 11.
By Kyle G. Arslanian, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State Lady Lions (17-5, 6-2) will face
off against rival Ohio State (13-7, 4-4) Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan
Center.Sunday's game comes on the
heels of a thrilling down to the wire victory over Illinois when senior Julia
Trogele scored a layup with less than 10 seconds remaining to give Penn State
the 67-65 victory.The Lady Lions
will look to carry over the momentum from the big win into a strong performance
against the 24th-ranked Buckeyes.
From Three
If an identity had to be given to the Penn State offense, it would be
that they like to shoot 3-pointers and are quite good at it, the best in the conference
to be precise.The Lady Lions hit
3-pointers at a 44 percent clip; the Buckeyes do not.Ohio State sits in the cellar of the Big Ten when it comes
to three point shooting percentage at 28 percent.Looking more closely, Ohio State has attempted 333 three
point field goals, 21 less than Penn State's 354.The Buckeyes are not afraid to shoot from beyond the arc;
they just don't always make the shot.That will leave a lot of rebounding opportunities for The Lady Lions,
who lead the conference in that category.
Character Test
Starting Sunday, The Lady Lions will begin a stretch of games that will
certainly test what the team is made of.Over the next two weeks, Penn State will face the toughest competition
that over a span of 12 days, starting Sunday with Ohio State, Penn State will
face the toughest competition that The Big Ten has to offer.The team will play 24th-ranked Ohio State,
Michigan, 18th-ranked Iowa and 10th-ranked Michigan State.This stretch could make or break the
season Penn State.Coming away
victorious in these matchups would be huge for the Lady Lions' hopes of playing
in the NCAA tournament on home court come March.The upcoming road games at Iowa and Michigan will also be
very important as the Lady Lions have had some trouble in road games, all but
one of their losses have come away from The Bryce Jordan Center.
Double-Double
Double-Up
Coming into the season, senior Trogele had logged
four career double-doubles.So far
this season, Trogele has matched her career mark with four double doubles in
the 2010-'11 campaign; her fourth coming Thursday against Illinois when tallied
19 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.This season, The Lady Lions are finding offensive success everywhere
they look, so it comes as no surprise that the team's only senior is doing so
as well.With many scoring
threats, teams are forced to give someone good shots and opportunities to make
an impact and Trogele has done the most with her opportunities so far this
season.With four double doubles
and counting, Trogele has proven she is yet another member of the Lady Lions
that the opposition must account for.
Crowded At the Top
Following their victory at Illinois Thursday, the
Lady Lions find themselves in a four-way tie for first place in the Big Ten.
Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan and Wisconsin all have records of 6-2 in
the conference.Penn State will
try to thin the crowd in the coming weeks when they face off against Michigan
and Michigan State and establish themselves as the best team in the
conference.Currently at 17-5,
Penn State holds the second best overall record in the conference, trailing
only 18-3 Michigan State.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Welcome to the GoPSUsports.com in-game blog for
the Nittany Lion basketball team.
Penn State (12-8, 5-4) tallied its third victory over a ranked opponent on Saturday with a 56-52 victory over No. 17 Wisconsin (15-5, 5-3) inside the
Bryce Jordan Center.Take a look back at the big victory in front of a tremendous crowd in the BJC on Saturday.
Starting Lineups
Penn State: G -
Battle, G - Frazier, F - Jackson, F - Brooks, C - Jones
Wisconsin: G - Josh Gasser,
G - Tim Jarmusz, G - Jordan Taylor, F - Jon Leuer, F - Keaton Nankivil
First Half:
10:19: Wisconsin 17, Penn State 5
Before we get into the first few minutes of the ballgame, give a tip of
the cap to the crowd in the Bryce Jordan Center this afternoon.The Nittany Nation is still filing into
the arena.It is a superb turnout
from the students and a great atmosphere for basketball.The Badgers scored the first six points
of the ballgame, but Jeff Brooks picked up right where he left off on Wednesday
night with a leaner in the lane, which resulted in an old-fashioned 3-point
play.Nonetheless, Wisconsin has
played just how we expected in the early going.The Badgers have used every ounce of the shot clock on
nearly every possession, and they are shooting 67 percent.Penn State is ice cold on the offensive
end of the floor, shooting just 2-of-9.Additionally, the Lions are not rebounding the basketball.Wisconsin has used an 8-0 run to build
the current 12-point lead.
6:42: Wisconsin 22, Penn State 11
Wisconsin is red hot from the field as the first half wears on.The Badgers have made 10 of their 16
field goal attempts.Jon Leuer (8)
and Jordan Taylor (9) are a combined 8-of-11 from the floor.Meanwhile, the Lions are still ice
cold, shooting just 4-for-14 in the first 14 minutes of action.The Lions can ill afford to let the
deficit stretch any further.Wisconsin's
tempo makes every possession critical on offense.The Lions must start making shots to be in a position to get
back in the ballgame.
3:49: Wisconsin 24, Penn State 17
David Jackson has injected some life into the Jordan Center with
back-to-back 3-pointers.The pace
has also picked up, which is what the Nittany Lions need moving forward.Jackson's two 3-pointers capped an 8-2
run from the Lions, which has trimmed the Badger lead down to seven.The final 3:49 is big for the Nittany
Lions.Penn State needs to keep
the margin within striking distance at halftime.
0:00: Wisconsin 29, Penn State 20
The Nittany Lions clawed within four after a Jermaine Marshall
old-fashioned 3-point play set the score at 24-20.After a blocked dunk attempt from Brooks, the Lions had an
opportunity to draw closer.Jackson spotted up for a wide open 3-pointer at the top of the key, but
the shot sailed long off the iron.Instead of it being a one-point game, the Badgers retained possession
after a defensive rebound.From
there, Wisconsin scored the final five points of the half to claim a 29-20
advantage at the break.The Lions
managed just 33 percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes, compared to
Wisconsin's 54 percent.Wisconsin
has been very efficient on both ends of the floor.The first four minutes out of the break are critical for
Penn State.
Second Half:
15:56: Wisconsin 31, Penn State
26
The Nittany Lions have answered the bell out of the locker room with a
6-2 run.After Battle knocked down
a jumper just inside the foul line, a Tim Frazier hustle play and wrap-around assist
triggered a two-handed flush from Andrew Jones.The dunk has drawn the Lions within five on the
scoreboard.Intensity on the
defensive end of the floor is the key for the Nittany Lions getting back into
the ballgame.Also, Battle is
trying to shake a slow shooting start.The Lions need him to step up.
11:23: Penn State 35, Wisconsin
35
The roof is blowing off the Jordan Center as the teams sit on the bench
during the second media timeout of the half.Three baskets from Battle, including a 24-foot 3-pointer and
a clutch lay-in from Frazier has drawn the Lions even with the Badgers on the
scoreboard.Penn State has turned
up the wick on the defensive end of the floor.A note on the Badgers - Leuer is the only Wisconsin player
to score this half.Penn State
must keep up the intensity on defense to keep the 14,292 fans on their feet.
3:56: Penn State 46, Wisconsin 42
After trailing by as many as 13 points in the first half, the Nittany
Lions claimed their first lead of the ballgame at the 10:51 mark with another
3-pointer from Battle.The big
stage lights are on and the senior guard from Albany is giving the 14,000 fans
their money's worth in the second half.He has scored 15 of his 17 tallies in the last 15:44.Trailing by two (42-40), Battle called
for the basketball on the right wing with Badger forward Keaton Nankivil
defending him.The senior willed a
clutch 3-pointer through the twine to put the Lions up one.On the ensuing possession, Brooks
buried a 3-pointer in front of the Penn State bench to hand the Lions a
four-point edge.Defensive
intensity remains the key for Penn State.
0:00: Penn State 56, Wisconsin 52
The Talor Battle story continues.The bigger the stage, the bigger No. 12 seems to play.For the 17th straight game Battle scored
in double figures against a ranked team.On Saturday, the Albany native poured in 20 of his game-high 22 points
in the second half.But it was
more than just his scoring.Battle
pulled down a pair of huge rebounds and accounted for a pivotal assist to Jones
at the 1:16 mark.Wisconsin would
get as close as three in the final minute, but Battle iced the game at the foul
line.Brooks finished with 12 and
Jackson added 10 points in the victory.But it was again a complete team effort from the Nittany Lions on
Saturday night.The big story of
the second half was Penn State's defense.The Lions held the Badgers to just 23 points in the final half.
Final Thoughts:
The Nittany Lions walked off the floor in the Jordan Center with their
third win over a ranked team in span of three weeks.Like they did on Wednesday night against Iowa, the Lions
found themselves in a double-digit deficit in the first half.Additionally, Penn State started just
2-of-9 from the floor.Nonetheless, this group of Nittany Lions has a unique fiber.The Lions never panic when they face a
deficit and have played the last six games like they are not going to be
denied.Beating a third ranked
team in the Jordan Center gives the Lions a huge confidence.Battle said after the game that the
team joked at the half that they did not shoot well at all in the opening 20
minutes and were still within striking distance.It speaks volumes about the maturity level of this group of
seniors.Despite facing a
nine-point hole at the half, Penn State showed no signs of panic and battled to
another crucial victory.With the
win, the Lions are now in tie for fourth place in the Big Ten with a 5-4 record
in conference.Wins will continue
to come if the Lions give the type of effort they gave on Saturday against the
17th-ranked Badgers.Next up is a
trip to Illinois, and the in-game blog will hit the road with the Lions on
Tuesday night in Champaign.See
you there.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion basketball team (11-8, 4-4) plays
host to the 17th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers (15-4, 5-2) in a crucial Big Ten
showdown inside the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. (Big
Ten Network).
To get ready for the game, here are five things to watch for as the
Lions take on Wisconsin.
Start Fast
The Nittany Lions fell into an 11-point deficit in the first half
against Iowa.Penn State erased
the Hawkeye lead in the final three minutes of the opening 20 minutes, but it
cannot be understated enough that it is critical for the Lions to start fast
against Wisconsin.The Badgers are
a superb defensive team, allowing their opponents to shoot just shy of 40 percent
from the field and score 56 points per game.An early deficit against the Badgers will be very difficult
to overcome with the pace at which Bo Ryan teams like to play at.The Lions need a boost from Talor
Battle in the early minutes, but not just scoring.Battle's distribution of the basketball will be key in
getting the rest of the lineup involved early.
Defend for 35 Seconds
Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan is 232-86 at Wisconsin for a reason.The Badgers play fundamentally sound
basketball for 40 minutes.It is
rare to see a Wisconsin team beat itself.Opponents must make the plays necessary to beat them.In other words, the Badgers are not
going to turn the ball over and be out of position on either end of the floor.Additionally, they will not take
ill-advised shots early in the shot clock.Playing defense for the entire shot clock duration is
crucial for the Nittany Lions.
Quality Looks on Offense
Because Wisconsin likes to eat all 35 seconds off of the shot clock
during its offensive possessions, it adds extra value to Penn State's offensive
possessions.The Nittany Lions
must use its possessions wisely and efficiently to put points on the
board.Moving the basketball with
crisp passes and setting effective screens will play a big role in Penn State's
ability to create quality shots on offense.It is easier said than done against Wisconsin, but it is of
the utmost importance to find easy ways to score on Saturday.
Rebounding, Rebounding,
Rebounding
Rebounding is a staple in the Penn State gameplan every night.Through seven Big Ten games, Wisconsin
has been out-rebounded by its opponents, which is rare for a team ranked in the
top 20.Nonetheless, Penn State
will again need to work hard on the glass to put itself in a position to knock
off a third ranked team in the Bryce Jordan Center this month.The Nittany Lions have done a superb
job rebounding in the past five games.Penn State was +15 on Wednesday night against the Iowa Hawkeyes.Keep an eye on how effective the Lions
are keeping Jon Leuer and Keaton Nakivil from controlling the rebounding
numbers.
Dictate the Tempo
Penn State needs to stick to the game it has played in its past five
outings.Jeff Brooks said after
the Iowa game that the Lions should be approaching games with the mindset that
they are going to dictate the tempo of their opponents.We could not agree more.Tim Frazier and Battle will push the
ball and look for scoring chances in the transition game when they present
themselves, but the Lions will again look to play their game.It is going to take a valiant effort
form all five players in the starting lineup to knock off the Badgers.Battle and Brooks were tremendous on
Wednesday.We look for both to
play aggressive again on Saturday.
It is a big game for both teams in the Bryce Jordan Center.See you at 4 p.m.
ByKelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State wrestling
team tops the charts as the No. 1 collegiate team in the nation. With a 13-0
record this season, the Nittany Lions are off to the best start in the
program's history of more than 100 years.
Penn State took the top spot over now No. 2 Cornell in the most recent USA
Today/NWCA Coaches dual meet poll with 275 points. The Big Red follows close
behind with 263 points of its own.
This Sunday, the top-ranked Nittany Lions head into one of the most anticipated
duals of the season against No. 8 Iowa. The Hawkeyes are 9-0-1 overall this season
and 2-0 in the Big Ten.
The three-time defending national champion Hawkeyes have a lot going for them
more than halfway through the season. With last week's 33-3 win over Ohio
State, Iowa holds a dual streak of 71 consecutive matches without a loss. The
Hawkeyes took nine of their ten bouts against the Buckeyes and recorded three majors
and a fall.
Both teams boast a relatively young roster, each complete with eight
individually ranked wrestlers. For Iowa, defending national champion and
sophomore Matt McDonough starts things off ranked No. 2 at 125.
At 133, redshirt freshman Hawkeye Tony Ramos comes in at No. 10 with a record
of 12-3 overall and a 6-0 dual record. Sophomore Mark Ballweg is No. 15 at 141,
leading the team with 48 dual meet points scored.
Redshirt freshman Derek St. John holds the No. 14 spot in the nation at 157 and
ties with McDonough and Ballweg for a team best ten dual wins. Veteran grappler
and 165-pound senior Aaron Janssen is also ranked No. 14, boasting an 18-5
record overall this season.
At 174, Iowa red-shirt freshman Ethen Lofthouse has the No. 13 ranking and is
12-4 overall. Sophomore Grant Gambrall leads the Hawkeyes with six major
decisions this season and is ranked No. 16 at 184.
Rounding out the squad of ranked wrestlers is senior Luke Lofthouse, who ranks
No. 14 nationally at 197. Lofthouse is 12-4 overall this season and has notched
a team-high 41 career dual starts for the Hawkeyes.
In head coach Cael Sanderson's first season with the Nittany Lions, Penn State
fell to the then No. 1 Iowa wrestling team with a dual score of 29-6. This
year, Sanderson and his group of young and talented wrestlers are looking for a
different outcome.
The Nittany Lions are coming off of a winning weekend, topping then No. 22 Pitt
and No. 20 Indiana.In its
most recent match against the Hoosiers, Penn State won eight out of ten bouts
to finish off the day with a dominating score of 36-8. In all, eight of these
winning match-ups, none of the Nittany Lions allowed a single takedown.
Needless to say, the team is wrestling with a purpose.
Veteran and solo senior Brad Pataky is ranked No.
11 at 125 and is 7-2 overall this season, looking for his second Big Ten
victory this year. At 133, No. 5 sophomore Andrew Long is getting along just
fine in his first few weeks as a Nittany Lion and has built a solid 6-0 mark.
True freshman Andrew Alton holds the No. 5 spot
at 141 and boasts an impressive 24-2 overall record, and an undefeated 2-0 mark
in Big Ten duals this season. Alton currently leads the Nittany Lions with 16
falls for the 2010-2011 season.
At 149, junior Frank Molinaro sits at No. 5 with
a 19-2 record overall and a notable 9-0 dual record this year. The two-time
All-American is also 2-0 in Big Ten match-ups this season.
Freshmen David Taylor and Ed Ruth hold the top
national rankings for Penn State more than halfway into the season. Taylor
holds a team best record of 25-0 at 157 and is ranked No. 3 at his respected
weight. The undefeated Nittany Lion also holds a team-high of ten technical
falls and eight majors.
With the highest national nod in the group, No. 2
Ruth is 23-1 overall at 184 and unbeaten in Big Ten duals this season.
Quick-footed Ruth boasts a squad best 64 dual points and eight dual reversals.
Redshirt sophomore Quentin Wright is making a
nice return from an early season shoulder injury as he maintains the No. 6 spot
at 184 and holds a 10-2 record overall. Redshirt junior Cameron Wade is ranked
No. 5 at heavyweight and is off to his best career start with 21 wins and just
three losses. The 285-pound wrestler is also undefeated in Big Ten match-ups.
Of the 10 Nittany Lions that will be starting on
Sunday, only three wrestled against the Hawkeyes last season. Not one of the
three wrestlers that did compete earned a victory over Iowa.
In front of a sold out crowd, Penn State plans to
go hard for seven minutes and work towards another Big Ten victory.
Head coach Cael Sanderson said that Sunday's
success will be determined not by the numbers or final outcome, but by the
looks on his Nittany Lions' faces.
"You've got to be ready to go any time and we're
ready," said Sanderson. "We're not looking at the wins and losses we're looking
at the way we're competing and the attitude and the facial expressions and the
hustle, that's what's important to us."
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 28, 2011 11:05 AM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion men's basketball team (11-8, 4-4)
will be looking to make it two straight victories on Saturday afternoon when it
welcomes the 17th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers (15-4, 5-2) for a 4 p.m. tip inside
the Bryce Jordan Center.
GoPSUsports.com invited Talor Battle and several members of the Nittany
Nation to join the Next Game Primer video scouting report.Take a look at this special edition
primer for the clash with Wisconsin in the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday.
By
Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Bump, set, spike, dive - Penn State volleyball returns
to the main gym of Rec Hall this weekend as the men's volleyball team faces two
non-conference foes.
The No. 8 Nittany Lions will open with a Friday night matchup against No. 15
Loyola at 7 p.m. Penn State is 7-7 all-time against the Ramblers, and Loyola
captured wins the last two times the teams met.
At 7 p.m. on Saturday evening, Penn State will then take on the Flyers of Lewis
in yet another non-conference event. The No. 18 Flyers are on a 5-0 hot streak
to begin their season.
No. 15 Loyola
The Ramblers are 4-0 this season under Loyola's most winningest men's
volleyball coach Shane Davis, who captured his 150th career win this past week.
The team is deep in experience this year as it has returned ten letterwinners
to the roster, but the Ramblers have also added seven new faces to their 2011
roster.
Standing at 6-foot-6, junior opposite hitter Domenic Dewaele leads Loyola with
a commanding average of 5.17 kills per set, followed by junior outside hitter
Mike Bunting with a 3.73 average. Look for redshirt senior and setter Mike Hutz
to be controlling the offense as he has recorded 147 assists already this
season for an average 12.25 assists per set.
On defense, freshman
opposite hitter Torey Darin leads the Ramblers with an average of 1.50 digs per
set while Hutz is averaging 1.25 of his own. Freshman middle hitter Tim
Frydendall has been solid to start this season as well, posting 9 total blocks
already for an average of 1.12 blocks per set. The height of this Loyola men's
team is a force to be reckoned with as the team has tallied and average of 2.31
blocks per set.
No. 18 Lewis
The Flyers are coming off a rewarding sweep over Lindenwood last week and have
earned an undefeated 5-0 mark to start the season. Lewis is 7-15 all-time
against the Nittany Lions, and has not defeated Penn State since 2004. The
Flyers are a young team this season, carrying nine freshman and four sophomores
on their 2011 roster.
So far this season the
Flyers are out-hitting their opponents .339 to .168. Four of the starting
players for Lewis are hitting .500 or better. Red-shirt freshman outside hitter
Michael Adams and red-shirt freshman BJ Boldog share an average of .500, just
below red-shirt junior middle blocker Aaron Flick who boasts an impressive .509
hitting percentage. However, still better year and leading the team in
offensive power is sophomore middle blocker Rudy Brynac with an average of
.571.
Boldog will be setting for the Flyers as he has already racked up 172 assists
for an average of 10.75 assists per set.
With only one member of
the team standing shorter than 6-foot-3, the Flyers have started to rely
heavily on their big blocking. Four Lewis players are averaging .50 blocks per
set or better, led by red-shirt junior middle blocker Matt Gallik with an
average of .79 blocks per set. Gallik has already notched 11 total blocks
including two solo blocks.
No. 8 Penn State
Our Nittany Lions are off to a good start as well with a 4-1 record overall,
dropping only their first match to UCLA when they began play in Honolulu this
season. Since that loss, Penn State has been on a 4-match winning streak and is
hoping to take home two more this weekend to put the streak at 6.
Led by recently named
Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the week Joe Sunder, the Nittany Lion
offense is becoming stronger and stronger each week. Red-shirt junior and
outside hitter Sunder has already tallied 103 kills this season for an average
of 5.42 kills per set. The next closest teammate behind Sunder is sophomore
opposite hitter Tom Comfort with a 2.79 average.
Redshirt junior setter
Edgardo Goas will be controlling the Nittany Lion offense as he has assisted
his teammates 206 times this season for an average of 10.84 assists per set.
Last week, Goas was named the EIVA Tait Player of the Week.
Goas also leads Penn
State with 22 digs for an average 1.15 digs per set this season. The Nittany
Lions average 1.74 blocks per set, but they are making good progress. Freshman
outside hitter Nick Turko has contributed to 8 total blocks for an average of
1.00 blocks per set, and sophomore middle hitter Ian Hendries has established
himself with 12 total blocks for an average of .86.
The Nittany Lions are
heading into their second week of play at home and are looking to make things
happen. Come out and watch No. 8 Penn State as they take on these two non-conference
opponents.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Tim Frazier's season stat line does not do his
play on the court justice.
The sophomore point guard from Houston, Texas, has established himself
as a lock down defender on the ball, but Frazier brings much more to the
starting lineup than stout defense.
Frazier and Talor Battle share the bulk of the ball handling duties for
the Nittany Lions, but he has become an orchestrator of the Penn State
offense.He registered a career-high
eight assists against Purdue.He
tallied a career-high eight rebounds against Illinois.Frazier then scored a season-high 11
points at Ohio State, not to mention going a combined 8-for-9 from the field at
Ohio State and at Purdue.
In Wednesday's victory over Iowa, Frazier only attempted two shots, but
his old-fashioned 3-point play early in the second half was a clutch sequence
that put the Lions up by five.He
added six assists and four rebounds to the final box score, as well.
The numbers are not eye-popping, but Frazier plays his role on this
Nittany Lion basketball team to perfection.The Texas native understands that he doesn't need to take 15
shots or score double figures every night.
With Battle, Jeff Brooks and David Jackson all averaging double figures
in conference play, Frazier relishes in the opportunity to impact the game in a
variety of ways.You take for
granted that he is only a sophomore handling the basketball for a lineup
featuring four seniors who have played a lot of basketball together in the past
three seasons.
Frazier looks more comfortable with each passing game.He plays with great energy every
night.Frazier hustles to loose
balls and works hard on every defensive possession.He is quick on his feet and contests for rebounds in amongst
the forwards on the floor.
His hot shooting performances in Columbus and West Lafayette gave the
sophomore a great deal of confidence.Seeing the ball go through the net in a ballgame does a great deal for a
player's psyche.
"When you get on a streak and you start making shots, it definitely
makes you feel a lot better about the next one that leaves your hand and you
believe it is going to go in," Frazier said.
Moving forward, Frazier will be a big piece in what Penn State is looking
to accomplish this season.What No.
23 brings to the floor with his defense is huge for the Lions' success during
the stretch run of the season.Add
in Frazier's ability to step up on the glass, find open players and provide
timely scoring, and the sophomore will continue to grow as the floor general
for s senior-laden group of Nittany Lions.
Next up is a stout test against No. 17 Wisconsin on Saturday night in
the Bryce Jordan Center.
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 27, 2011 10:45 AM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Lady Lions (16-5, 5-2) travel to Illinois
(7-13, 2-5) on Thursday night looking to sweep the Illini in the season series.
Penn State picked up an 83-62 win over the Illini just 11 days prior to
the second meeting of the season.Illini
forward Karisma Penn is the top player on the scouting report for the Lady
Lions.Penn leads the team in
scoring (17.2 points), rebounding (10.5 rpg), blocks (2.5 bpg) and steals (2.3
spg).
Penn's presence in the post is something Lady Lion center Nikki Greene
is well aware of leading up to Thursday's clash in Champaign.We spoke with the Texas native earlier
this week for her thoughts prior to the Illinois game in the latest Lady Lion
video profile.
Greene pulled down 20 rebounds in Penn State's victory over Indiana on
Sunday afternoon.She is becoming
more confident on both ends of the floor as the season wears on.Watch to hear more from No. 54.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Welcome to the GoPSUsports.com in-game blog for
the Nittany Lion basketball team.
Penn
State (11-8, 4-4) ousted Iowa (8-12, 1-7) by a score of 14 points inside the Bryce Jordan Center on a snowy night in Happy Valley. Take a look back at the victory.
Starting Lineups
Penn State: G -
Battle, G - Frazier, F - Jackson, F - Brooks, C - Jones
Iowa: G - Bryce
Cartwright, G - Matt Gatens, F - Eric May, F - Melsahn Basabe, C - Jarryd Cole
First Half:
11:22: Iowa 16, Penn State 9
The Hawkeyes have taken advantage of five Penn State turnovers in the
early minutes en route to building a seven-point lead.The Nittany Lions are still shaking off
the rust from a week off following the Purdue game.It is nice to see Talor Battle active early on the offensive
end of the floor.Battle drained a
foul line jumper in the early minutes, and is headed to the line after the
media timeout after scoring on a layup.Jeff Brooks added another play to his highlight reel with a towering
block in the early going.Nonetheless, the Lions need to play much crisper to avoid any more of a
hole in the first half.
7:52: Iowa, 21, Penn State 15
Brooks snapped a two-minute scoring drought with a 3-pointer on the left
wing, which trimmed Iowa's lead to 21-13.After Billy Oliver drew a charge on the other end of the floor, the
officiating crew tagged Iowa coach Fran McCaffery with a technical foul.Battle took advantage of the call and
drained a pair of free throws to slice Iowa's lead down to six.The Lions still need to find more flow
on the offensive end of the floor.
2:15: Iowa 28, Penn State 22
Brooks has single handedly kept the Nittany Lions within striking
distance with his play on the offensive end of the floor.After burying a fadeaway jumper along
the baseline, Brooks drained a step-back 3-pointer to pull the Lions within six
on the scoreboard.Penn State
needs a strong finish to the first half on the defensive end of the floor.Another thing to keep an eye on is the
foul situation.Battle and David
Jackson have two fouls apiece, while Billy Oliver has three.
0:00: Penn State 29, Iowa 28
After a sluggish start, the Nittany Lions turned up the wick in the
final 3:32 of the first half.Brooks' five straight points kick-started a 12-3 run to close the half,
including 10 straight tallies.Cammeron Woodyard knocked down a jumper at the elbow before an acrobatic
finger roll from Battle and a foul shot pulled the Nittany Lions within
one.One possession later, Tim
Frazier found a streaking Jones for a two-handed flush, which gave the Lions
their first lead since it was 5-4 at the 16:37 mark.Battle and Brooks head into the locker room with 10 points
apiece.The Lions gained a lot of
confidence in the 10-0 spurt that closed out the half.
Second Half:
15:38: Penn State 37, Iowa 33
The Nittany Lions have pushed the one-point halftime lead up to four in
the first 4:22 of the second half.Battle, Brooks and Jones each have baskets, but Frazier etched his named
into the scorebook with a superb hesitation move before laying the ball in
while getting fouled.Frazier has
quietly played a very solid game tonight at the guard position.The Texas native has five assists and
four rebounds to go along with his basket.He will be at the line when play resumes after the media
timeout looking to extend the Penn State lead.
11:25: Penn State 45, Iowa 39
The lead continues to grow in the Jordan Center.Penn State's play on the offensive end
of the floor has gradually improved since the slow start.Leading by seven, the Lions had two
different opportunities to push the margin to nine, but failed to do so.Nonetheless, a deep 3-pointer from
Battle has set the score at 45-39.The game has the feel that the Lions are on the brink of breaking things
open.Penn State needs to keep up
the intensity on the defensive end of the floor.
3:55: Penn State 52, Iowa 45
The Nittany Lions are allowing Iowa to hang around as the game heads
into the waning moments tonight.Penn State has 14 turnovers tonight, including several unforced.The Lions' lead grew as large as nine
with 8:56 to play, but Iowa is still within striking distance.A Brooks floater has the margin at
seven with fewer than four minutes to go.
0:00: Penn State 65, Iowa 51
The night belonged to a pair of seniors.Battle and Brooks scored 23 and 22 points, respectively in
Wednesday night's victory.The duo
combined for 13 of Penn State's final 15 points over the last 6:39 of
play.When you have four senior
starters in the lineup, you expect them to step up in clutch moments.Battle and Brooks carried the Lions to
the double digit victory.Brooks
finished one off his career high point total.Battle's old-fashioned 3-point play with 2:36 to play iced
the victory.Additionally, the hot
shooting from the senior duo triggered Penn State's third straight game of
shooting north of 50 percent, something the Lions had not done in three
straight Big Ten games since 1999.Iowa managed just 37 percent shooting in the setback, and the Lions
again won the rebounding edge (30-21).
Final Thoughts:
You can point to the final 3:32 of the first half as the turning point
of tonight's ballgame against Iowa.The Nittany Lions started slow and trailed by as many as 11 in the first
half before a 12-3 spurt to close the opening 20 minutes.Andrew Jones' dunk in the final minute
of the first half put the Lions on top into the break.Iowa made the first basket of the
second half, but that would bed the last time the Hawkeyes led.Battle and Brooks carried the bulk of
the scoring load.Both seniors
combined for 45 points on 17-of-30 shooting to lead Penn State.Andrew Jones turned in another solid
performance with nine points and 10 rebounds.It was not 40 minutes of crisp basketball from Penn State,
but the Lions pulled away late to claim the 14-point victory.Next up is a critical showdown with No.
17 Wisconsin on Saturday
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion basketball team (10-8, 3-4)
returns to the Bryce Jordan Center on Wednesday night for the season's only
meeting with the Iowa Hawkeyes (8-11, 1-6).
To get ready for the game, here are five things to watch for as the
Lions take on Iowa.
Continue Cleaning the Glass
Penn State's rebounding surge in the past four games has played a big
role in how the Lions have played.Rebounding and defense are the two keys to Penn State's success in the
Big Ten.In the past four games,
the Lions have out-rebounded Michigan State, Illinois, Ohio State and Purdue by
a +8 margin.That trend needs to
continue again tonight against Iowa.Andrew Jones, Jeff Brooks and David Jackson match up well with the
interior players from Iowa.Execution on the glass is a crucial area to watch.
Turn Up the Wick on Defense
Going hand-in-hand with rebounding is Penn State's ability to play sound
on the defensive end of the floor.Under first year head coach Fran McCaffery, the Iowa Hawkeyes like to
play at a fast tempo.When the
Hawkeyes force a missed shot on the defensive end of the floor, they take off
into the open floor.The Nittany
Lions have been very solid on the defensive end of the floor during the Big Ten
season, but Iowa's fast tempo will be a challenge.Keeping the Hawkeyes from scoring easy baskets is another
key area to watch in the Jordan Center.
Battle Shooting
Talor Battle had two uncharacteristic shooting performances in the games
at Ohio State and Purdue.The
senior guard shot just 3-for-19 from 3-point range in his past two
outings.He is poised for a big
night against the Hawkeyes.Penn
State is at its best when Brooks, Frazier, Jackson and Jones all contribute on
the offensive end.Nonetheless,
Battle needs a good shooting night to get back on track.We expect No. 12 to play with a purpose
against the Hawkeyes.Also, keep
an eye on Brooks and Jackson on the offensive end of the floor.Both players were terrific at Purdue last
week and have been playing with a great deal of confidence shooting the
basketball.
Bench Production
You can't ask for much more out of Penn State's starting lineup.All five starters have given Coach
DeChellis superb production on offense in the past four games, and the Lions
need that trend to continue.However, additional scoring output from another source off the bench
would lighten the burden on the starting five.Whether it is Billy Oliver, Jermaine Marshall, Cammeron
Woodyard or Tre Bowman, the Lions want to see additional scoring from the
bench.The starters have logged significant
minutes in the past four games.The week off rejuvenated the starters, but production off the bench is a
going to be key moving forward.
Take Care of the Ball
Keeping turnovers to a minimum is always critical leading up to a
game.It is especially true on
Wednesday night when the Lions take on a team that likes to run in transition.When Iowa forces a turnover, it takes
off into the open floor and likes to score quickly.Battle and Frazier need to manage the basketball throughout
the shot clock to ensure that the Lions can dictate the tempo of the
ballgame.Lewis Preston told
GoPSUsports.com on the Next Game Primer that the Lions will take advantage of fastbreak
opportunities when they exist, but they will stick to the tempo Coach DeChellis
likes to play at.Playing
efficient basketball with very few turnovers is going to be a key area to keep
an eye on for the Nittany Lions on Wednesday night.
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 26, 2011 11:41 AM
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By Jeff Sattora, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A week off from competition did not change much for
the Penn State men's and women's teams in the National and Big Ten track
rankings, which were released Monday.
The men's squad started the week with seven athletes or relays in the top 20
nationally, including two, Owen Dawson in the mile and the 4x400 relay team of Lionel
Williams, Brady Gehret, Casimir Loxsom, and Aaron Nadolsky ranked in the top
five.
The women on the other hand had five athletes or relays ranked in the top 20
nationally.That included star
sprinter Shavon Greaves ranking that high in two individual events and one
relay.
The Nittany Lion men are currently ranked 10th in the nation in the latest polls by the United
States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA), while the
women are currently 20th in their weekly national ranking.
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 26, 2011 10:39 AM
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By Will Donley, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With Penn State's first scrimmage against Johns Hopkins
University less than two weeks away, each player is starting to find his niche
within the team. While some
players are stepping up to fill new positions, seniors Greg Brown and Colton
Vosburgh look to resume the roles that have made them significant components of
the Nittany Lion lacrosse team for the past three seasons.
Senior Spotlight: Greg Brown
Quick Hits
A senior long stick midfielder, Brown (Doylestown, Pa.) figures to be a key
component in Penn State's defensive efforts this spring.He saw action in nine games as a
freshman, grabbing one ground ball.As a sophomore, Brown played in three games and picked up two ground
balls before succumbing to an ankle injury.Last season, he appeared in 12 games, scooped up six ground
balls and added a shot on goal.
Brown was a two-time captain of the Central Bucks West High School lacrosse
team.As a senior, he was selected
as an Academic All-American for his work on and off the lacrosse field.Brown also lettered in soccer.
Brown's parents and sister all graduated from Penn State.He will continue the family legacy and graduate
with a degree in finance this May.
Moment To Remember
Brown recorded his first shot on goal and picked up a ground ball in a loss to Duke
University last season.The Blue
Devils went on to win the National Championship.
What To Watch For This Season
Watch for Brown to contribute at the offensive end of the field this spring.With the Nittany Lions expecting to
push the pace of the game this season, Brown's smooth stick skills will make
him dangerous in transition.
Quotable
On what his lacrosse career has meant to him:
"The chance to play the sport I love in college has been extremely rewarding
and worthwhile.It's an outlet for
my energy, and I have developed an appreciation for the history of the game and
its meaning."
Senior Spotlight: Colton Vosburgh
Quick Hits
This spring, Vosburgh (Kennett Square, Pa.) looks to resume his role as a
potent scoring threat at the midfield for the Nittany Lions.As a freshman, he played in six games
and scored one goal.Vosburgh
burst onto the scene as a sophomore, scoring 10 goals and adding seven assists
to help the Nittany Lions to a 9-5 finish.Last season, he continued his offensive successes, tallying
eight goals and four assists.
A four-year letterman at Unionville High School, Vosburgh was an All-American
selection his senior year.He was
a four-time all-league pick, finishing his high school career with 173 goals
and 77 assists.Vosburgh also
lettered in football and helped lead Unionville to three consecutive undefeated
regular seasons.
Vosburgh's father played lacrosse and football at the University of Delaware.He is a management major in the Smeal
College of Business.
Moment To Remember
Vosburgh returned home to Philadelphia, Pa. in 2009 and tallied one goal and
two assists in a win against Villanova University.
What To Watch For This Season
Look for Vosburgh to continue his offensive successes while running on Penn
State's first midfield line.Watch
for him to use his size and strength to exploit the opposing teams' smaller
defensive midfielders.
Quotable
On what Penn State means to him:
"It's become a symbol of pride and recognition for me."
Will Donley, Senior Attackman, Penn State
Men's Lacrosse Team, GoPSUsports.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After defeating Pitt and Indiana, the top-ranked
Nittany Lion wrestling team (13-0) returns home on Sunday for a clash with No.
8 Iowa (9-0-1) in front of a sold out Rec Hall crowd.
Leading up to the highly anticipated Iowa dual, GoPSUsports.com caught
up with associate head coach Cody Sanderson for the latest edition of This Week
in Penn State Wrestling.
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 25, 2011 11:51 AM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion men's basketball team (10-8, 3-4)
returns home on Wednesday night for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff (BTN) against Iowa
(8-11, 1-6).
Leading up to the game, GoPSUsports.com added a few new wrinkles to the
Next Game Primer video scouting report.Take a look at this special edition primer for the clash with Iowa in
the Bryce Jordan Center on Wednesday night.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion basketball team (10-8, 3-4) returns
to the Bryce Jordan Center on Wednesday night for the first time in two weeks
when it meets Iowa (8-11, 1-6) for a 6:30 p.m. (BTN) tip.
After the heartbreaking setback at Purdue, the Nittany Lions are eager
to play in front of the home crowd.The clash with Iowa kicks off a week of two critical games in the Bryce
Jordan Center for Penn State.The
Lions also play host to Wisconsin (15-4, 5-2) on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.
Climbing Up the RPI
Since the Big Ten season began, the Nittany Lions have gradually climbed
up the RPI rankings.Penn State
was ranked No. 77 in the Jan. 6 RPI.This week, Penn State ranks No. 49 in the RPI and No. 5 in strength of
schedule.Additionally, the Lions
received one vote in the Associated Press poll again this week.In all, six teams from the Big Ten
occupy a spot in the AP Top 25 this week.Ohio State leads the group ranked No. 1 in both the AP and ESPN/USA
Today Coaches Poll.
Defending the Home Court
After playing in front of hostile crowds at Value City Arena and Mackey
Arena, the Lions have the luxury of playing at home for two crucial games this
week.Coach DeChellis and the
Lions understand the importance of winning home games in the Big Ten.The Lions are 2-1 this season in
conference home games.It cannot
be stated enough.The Lions thrive
off of the boisterous students in the Nittany Nation.Make plans to attend Wednesday's game against Iowa.
Coach DeChellis Press Conference
Head coach Ed DeChellis met with the media again on Monday afternoon for
his weekly press conference in the Bryce Jordan Center.He said that it was very important for
the squad to get a couple days off after battling five straight ranked
opponents.After the Purdue game
on Wednesday, the Lions did not practice on Thursday.They returned to the gym on Friday before a day off on
Saturday.The team resumed Iowa
preparations on Sunday.
Coach DeChellis was pleased with how the Lions played during the
five-game stretch of ranked opponents.He is looking forward to a challenging game with Iowa on Wednesday night
in the Jordan Center.Iowa likes
to play fast with an up tempo offense and multiple looks on defense.The Hawkeyes scored 91 points in their
victory over Indiana on Sunday afternoon.As Coach DeChellis said, the Iowa clash is the most important game on
the schedule because it is the next contest on the docket.You cannot look past any team on the
schedule in the Big Ten.
VIDEO: Players Previewing Iowa
We talked with Jeff Brooks and Tim Frazier prior to Monday's practice to
get their thoughts on the team's weekend off and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
By Jeff Sattora, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For many people there is an expression that goes,
"the third time is the charm", but don't tell Penn State Junior and track
runner Caitlin Lane that.After
the last home Penn State track meet, the number one is looking pretty like a
pretty good charm for her.
Lane is now No. 1 in the Penn State record books, beating the indoor track
1,000 meters record on January 15th at the Nittany Lion Challenge.Her new record setting time of 2:45.95
is nearly three seconds faster than the old record of 2:48.21 set by Briene
Simmons in 2007.
The number one fits her in another way as well, as this was her first time
running the 1.000 meters in her career.The coaches had faith that Lane could be successful in that distance.
"I hadn't thought about the 1,000 at all", she said. "Coach brought it up the
week before the race and I thought it was a great idea. "
As soon as Lane was told she would be in the race the record and that time were
in the front of her mind.
Lane said that she knew the 2:40s were within in reach especially with the kind
of shape she was in and as hard as she was working.
"I would have been kind of disappointed if I hadn't gotten the record, because
it wouldn't have been anywhere near what I wanted to run" she said.
Anytime as a runner you don't run where you know you are capable it is a
disappointment, and that is what Lane knew she would have felt if she had not
been in at least in that 2:45 range.
Penn State is a very proud athletic school, not only overall but just as much
in the track community and that fact is not lost on the school's newest record
holder.As a track record holder
at Penn State Lane will get her name up on the wall with all the other records,
for as long as it stands.And will
always be able to say she was the best in school history at the 1,000 meter
run.
The first word Lane used to describe being a record holding Nittany Lion was
"incredible" and that word surely fits.
"I've always wanted to have my name up on that board, and to have my family and
friends congratulating me, it's just a great feeling," she said.
Not only are her family and friends congratulating her after the fact about her
great race, many of them got to see her accomplish the feat on race day,
getting to break the record on the Penn State campus, at home at the Horace
Ashenfelter III Indoor Track.
Catlin was very appreciative of the home environment.
"It was really exciting to have the home crowd behind me with my teammates
cheering me on the turn," Lane said."I feel like it definitely would have felt different to do it somewhere
else, to break the record at home was definitely special."
Looking back over her career Lane has been successful at every level she has
competed at.The All-Region Cross
Country runner this past fall was one of the most decorated high school runners
in New York State history.
Her junior and senior high school cross country seasons ended on a perfect note
in New York State at the state meet where she finished in first place in the Class
C race both years.She also went
on to be a two-time participant in the Footlocker National Cross Country
Championships in California.
She was also a very decorated track athlete as well, finishing sixth in the
mile at the prestigious Millrose games in Madison Square Garden.The games, run by U.S. Track and Field
bring some of the best runners in the county all to one place to race.
Knowing how great of a runner Lane is it really shows how much this record
means to her when she puts it in perspective with the rest of her
accomplishments.
Although Lane said setting a school record at Penn State is still registering
and hasn't totally hit her yet, she did say it was "definitely near the top,"
and "probably in the top one or two for me" in her career accomplishment
rankings.Looking at the career
she has had, hearing that statement really puts this record in perspective.
Any runner with that kind of career up to this point is often going to have a
plan and have an unwavering desire to execute that plan and Lane is certainly
no different.She describes her
running style as "determined" and says how she always has a plan on race day.
"I don't like to lose," she said. "I
don't like to sit and kick, I like to go out there and I always have a strategy
and I'm always wanting to go out there and run better."
Getting better is clearly something she has in mind not only for herself, but
the team as a whole as the season progresses.
"I push myself every run and every workout because I want to keep going and I want
to get better," she said.
That type of attitude is not only going to push her, but her teammates as well
who have high expectations for this year's squad.
"I definitely think a Big Ten Championship is in our reach.We don't want to place anywhere else,
we want to be on the top again."Lane confidently said, adding how the whole team's workouts have been
great and how excited she is to see what this team can do.
With the way Lane is running and the confidence she has this early in the
season, there is nowhere to go but up for her and the rest of a talented
squad.
By Kyle G. Arslanian, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State Lady Lions have gotten outstanding
play from several different players this season, whether it is Alex Bentley,
Zhaque Gray, or Maggie Lucas; someone usually steps up and has a big game.
It comes as no surprise that when the team needed it, Mia Nickson stepped in
and was ready to fill that role.Nickson dominated the game against the Indiana Hoosiers Sunday with an
impressive performance; she finished the game with 25 points and 17 rebounds
while her high-energy play set the tone for the rest of the team.
Nickson has been on the verge of a breakout performance for a couple of weeks,
and she put it all together in the 82-69 victory over Indiana.Her energy has often buoyed the lady
lions and kept them in games all season.
"I don't know if I did anything differently," said Nickson."I just thought that the way they were
playing us allowed the paint to be a little more open than usual. One-on-one in
the block, coach says let's take advantage of it. I think we did that today."
Second on the team in rebounding, Nickson has a penchant for grabbing
offensive rebounds and it showed Sunday when the rest of the team had an uncharacteristic
shooting day.Of Nickson's 17
rebounds, 14 of those were on the offensive boards.
"Mia thinks every shot is going to be a miss," said Coach Washington. "Not all of our team thinks that. She
thinks every shot that goes up is going to be a miss so she's putting herself
in position to get an offensive rebound, if it goes in, great.But she thinks that every shot that
Maggie, Alex and Nikki take, she thinks they are going to miss and she does a
great job at trying to figure out where it's going to come off and go crash."
Nickson's attitude towards rebounding on the offensive end of the court
gives the rest of the team the confidence to shoot the ball, it also takes
pressure off the other players knowing if they miss, there is a good chance Mia
Nickson will grab the offensive rebound.
"It's so comforting. When you know it doesn't have to fall all on the shooting
you have great post players that can get those rebounds," said Lucas."They were grabbing our rebounds and
putting them right back in. Mia just took over tonight she took over, that's
all you can say about that game."
All season long, Nickson has played a high-energy game with a lot of
intensity.Sunday against Indiana
was no different.She logged a team-high
33 minutes, while only picking up one foul.Nickson's ability to play with such energy and stay out of
foul trouble is very important to the success of the Lady Lions.
"We really needed her out there, especially with Julia (Trogele) being in
foul trouble and Nikki (Greene) kind of getting in foul trouble early in the
second half," said Coach Washington."We needed her presence and stability down there, and she gave it to
us."
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 23, 2011 12:27 PM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Welcome to the GoPSUsports.com in-game blog for
the Lady Lion basketball team.
The Lady Lions (16-5, 5-2) returned home on Sunday for a clash against the
Indiana Hoosiers (8-12, 2-6) inside the Bryce Jordan Center.Take a look back at Penn State's 13-point victory over the Hoosiers.
Starting Lineups:
Penn State: G -
Bentley, G - Gray, F - Nickson, F - Trogele, C - Greene
Indiana: G - Alisha
Goodwin, G - Whitney Lindsay, G - Jori Davis, F - Danilsa Andujar, F - Aulani
Sinclair
First Half:
11:49: Penn State 15, Indiana 10
The Lady Lions opened the game with five consecutive missed shots.Penn State went on to start the game
2-of-9 from the floor before it caught fire from the field.With a steady offensive start, Indiana
built a 6-2 lead, but the Lions had seen enough.A hard fought offensive rebound and put-back from Mia
Nickson kick-started a 9-0 spurt.Maggie Lucas drained a 3-pointer on the next possession to put the Lions
on top.Nikki Greene has been
active in the early going with six rebounds.The Lions are controlling the paint in the early going.
0:00: Penn State 40, Indiana 30
The Lady Lions headed into the locker room with a 10-point lead after a
late surge in the first half.An
Alex Bentley 3-pointer and a physical post move from Nickson in the final
minute fueled a 5-0 run.It was a
strange opening half of play.Despite shooting 15-of-37 from the field, Penn State has a double digit
cushion.Indiana did a nice job
making timely baskets to stay within striking distance, but Penn State is in
control.Nickson leads the Lions
with 10 points.Lucas drained a
trio of long balls for nine points.Greene pulled down nine boards in the first half.The Lions will be looking to play a
crisper second half after committing nine turnovers in the opening 20 minutes
of play.Nonetheless, it is good
to be up 10 after playing a half of basketball that was not perfect.
Second Half:
11:56: Penn State 49, Indiana 47
Like the first half, Penn State opened play ice cold from the
floor.The Lions made just one of
their first nine field goal attempts.At the other end of the floor, Indiana was aggressive from the opening
whistle.The Hoosiers used a 10-0
run in the opening minutes to get right back into the game after the Lions built
a 12-point cushion.Penn State
pushed the lead back to five on two different occasions, but Indiana has done a
nice keeping the margin within five.The pace has become a little ragged for both teams on the offensive end.Getting quality shots in the final 12
minutes of action is key for both teams.
0:00: Penn State 82, Indiana 69
Sunday afternoon proved to be a day to remember for Lady Lion forward
Mia Nickson.As we talked about
throughout the first half, Nickson was aggressive from the opening whistle
forward.Her stat line speaks
volumes about the type of day Nickson had.She finished with 25 points and 17 rebounds on 9-of-16
shooting.She finished one point
shy of a career high.Seventeen rebounds was a career-high.With the
Lions leading by two at the 5:21 mark, Nickson registered a crucial three-point
play to put the Lions up five.The
old-fashioned 3-point play turned the momentum in Penn State's favor for good.The Hoosiers got as close as three, but
the Lions executed down the stretch.
Final Thoughts:
It wasn't the prettiest of basketball in the Bryce Jordan Center on
Sunday afternoon, but the Lady Lions improved to 16-5 on the season with a
gritty performance.Both teams
combined for 46 personal fouls.Neither team shot north of 37 percent.Nickson's huge afternoon led the way for the Lady
Lions.Lucas finished with 16
points.Bentley added 15 in the
victory.Greene pulled down 20
rebounds on Sunday afternoon, marking the first time since 1987 that a Penn
State player tallied 20 boards.The 13-point victory sends the Lions into a road trip to Illinois.It is always positive to win by double
digits on a day when a team shoots just 35 percent from the field.With that the Lions shift focus towards
the trip to Illinois.
By Kyle G. Arslanian, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State Lady Lions will host Indian Sunday
at the Bryce Jordan Center.Penn
State enters play in third place in the tightly packed Big Ten standings, with
a 4-2 mark in the conference and 15-5 record overall.The Lady Lions are coming of a road loss to Purdue and will
look to rebound against the Hoosiers.Penn State allowed Purdue to shoot 43 percent from the field Thursday,
up from their season average of 38 percent.The Lady lions will look to hold the Hoosiers down
defensively so their high-powered offense can take control of the game.There are several keys to Sunday's 2 p.m.
game that will ensure victory for Penn State.
Don't Change the Offense Penn State has been winning games on both ends of the court, but their
offense has been something special so far this season.The attack has been fairly simple all
season; the team gets solid interior play from center Nikki Greene and forwards
Mia Nickson and Julia Trogele and excellent perimeter shooting from Zhaque Gray
and Maggie Lucas.Maggie Lucas
continues her torrid start to her Penn State career as the teams leading scorer
and biggest shooting threat this season.Lucas has set the freshman record for three point field goals made in a
season with 66 only 19 games into the season, she has added to that total with
69 triples so far.The record was
previously held by Lady Lion legend Kelly Mazzante who set it with 65 three
pointers in 29 games. The Lady
Lions are ranked 13th in the nation with 81 points scored per game
and first in three point field goal percentage.
Greene Light While Penn State has gotten contributions from several players this season,
Nikki Greene has flown under the radar.Greene, who has started every game for the Lady Lions,
leads the team in rebounding, blocks and contributes 9 points a game. Her
presence in the middle opens things up for Penn State's outside shooting
game.On defense, she makes
players think twice before driving into the lane.In Thursday's game against Purdue Greene became the seventh
player in Lady Lion History to reach 100 blocks for her career.Her continued solid play will be
integral to the teams success Sunday and for the rest of the season.
Defend Home Court The Lady Lions will look to continue their success at the Bryce Jordan
Center against Indiana where they are 10-1.The Penn State faithful have supported the Lady Lions all
season, home game attendance averages 3671 per game.A good home court advantage is invaluable, especially during
big games.If the Lady Lions keep
defending their home court during the regular season, they could be defending
it come tournament time when The Bryce Jordan Center will host the first and
second rounds of the NCAA tournament March 19-22.
By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 2 Penn State wrestling team defeated No. 22
Pittsburgh as the Nittany Lions won eight of their ten bouts on Friday night in
front of about 5,500 faithful spectators that gathered in Rec Hall. Penn State
posted a 30-7 win over the Panthers and held on to their undefeated status as
the team improved to 12-0 this season.
Friday night's dual with Pitt was significant for a few key reasons. For
one, it was the first time the Nittany Lions had been back in action since they
faced Michigan almost two weeks ago. It was also the first time that newly
recruited Andrew Long was wrestling in Rec Hall as a member of the Penn State
squad. Quentin Wright made his return to the mats as well, as he had been
sidelined due to a shoulder injury that occurred more than a month ago.
As the introduction music began and the public address announcer came on
the microphone, the Nittany Lions huddled into their corner of the wrestling
mat and did what they do at every home dual. The group of athletes came
together to get each other pumped up for the night ahead of them, looking more
like a group of best friends than simply a mass of college wrestlers.
The Nittany Lions had a rough start to the night as senior Brad Pataky
was out of the starting lineup, forcing senior Eric Caschera to take over at
125 for his first time this season. Caschera fell behind Pittsburgh's Anthony
Zanetta 1-2 in the first period and after two tough Zanetta takedowns in the
second period Caschera found himself trailing 2-7. Zanetta dealt the Lion
senior three more takedowns in the third period and rode out the remaining time
to earn a major decision of 5-14.
Despite the quick lead taken by the Panthers, sophomore Andrew Long
stepped up next on the mat to make an impressive Rec Hall debut.
The recently rostered Nittany Lion took an early 4-1 lead in the first
period, dealing Pitt freshman Shelton Mack two takedowns. Long chose down to
start the second period and quickly escaped, following with two more takedowns.
At the start of third period, Long led Mack 9-2 and continued to dominate by
handing out three more takedowns to win the bout by a major decision of 17-5.
Long said that he was nervous to go out in front of the Penn State crowd
for the first time, but was reassured once he actually stepped onto the mats.
"It was a lot of fun," said Long. "It was real enjoyable. Walking out
there I got a really good vibe and the guys, they were having so much fun that
it was hard not to enjoy it out there. The fans are great here."
Long's teammate and red-shirt sophomore Quentin Wright also entered back
onto Penn State's home mats for the first time in more than a month. Wright
suffered a season-hindering shoulder injury back in the first week of December
during the Nittany Lion Open, and the dual against Pitt was his first in Rec
Hall since then.
Wright won by a hard-fought 12-7 decision over Pittsburgh's Max
Thomusseit, but was a noticeably different wrestler. Sporting a black shoulder
brace, the All-American seemed a bit reserved in his attack. Nonetheless, the
Nittany Lion faithful were happy to see Wright back on the mats and
congratulated him on his victory. Wright handed Thomusseit his first loss in
his last six bouts.
Long said that he impressed with Wright's match, and was happy to share
the returning moments with him on Friday night.
"Now that I think about it [Quentin and I] were both starting back in
for the first time so it was kind of a good experience to be able to share with
somebody and know that you're not the only one and he probably feels the same
way," said Long. "It's just working towards our goal and getting better as a
team and staying on top."
Redshirt junior and No. 6 heavyweight Cameron Wade turned a few heads as
well as he dominated Pitt's No. 3 Ryan Tomei in a tight 3-2 decision. Wade
notched a pivotal bout in the first period, which proved to be instrumental in
his win. During the second period, the two wrestlers juggled control and the
score remained just 2-0. Wade chose down to begin the third period and earned
another point after a timely escape to make it just 3-0. Tomei made a presence
too little too late as he recorded a takedown in the remaining seconds of the
match, but Wade controlled for the remainder to get the win.
After his match, Wade said that he was really only happy with two-thirds
of his performance.
"I mean the first two periods I thought I wrestled real well," said
Wade."I was controlling and I
scored off a nice little scramble and then I rolled him real hard on top, just
not letting him escape a couple times he could've gotten out. I felt great the
first two periods and then the third period I just kind of had a little mind
fart, I don't know what the heck happened but it's not how I wanted to end the
match. It's always good to have a win but it's not how you want to end a match."
Wade said that as a team, the Nittany Lions were not as dominant as they
should have been. He explained that the Penn State wrestlers are looking for
more than winning records.
"We know that we can wrestle better," said Wade. "I mean we ended up
getting what eight out of 10 matches but right now at this stage we're not
trying to judge ourselves on winning matches we're trying to judge ourselves on
fighting for the whole seven minutes. It's just little things we have to just
keep working on."
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Watch head coach Cael Sanderson, junior Cameron
Wade and freshman Ed Ruth talk about the 30-7 win over No. 22 Pittsburgh on
Friday night.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Welcome inside Rec Hall for GoPSUsports.com's
live blog from Friday's dual between the No. 2 Nittany Lions (12-0, 1-0)
and the 22nd-ranked Pitt Panthers (8-6).
Take a look through all 10 bouts following Penn State's 30-7 victory.
125 - Caschera Falls to Zanetta
Senior Eric Caschera stepped in for 11th-ranked Brad Pataky for a
matchup with Pittsburgh freshman Anthony Zanetta.The Panthers got on the board early with a major decision
(14-5) victory from Zanetta over Caschera, who wrestled at 125 for the first
time during the dual season.Zanetta
tallied six takedowns en route to the victory.The Panthers lead the match 4-0 leading into the 133-pound
bout.
133 - Long Posts Dominant Victory
Fifth-ranked Andrew Long wasted little time building an early lead
against Pitt freshman Shelton Mack.Long tallied a pair of first period takedowns to build a 4-1
advantage.The Nittany Lion
sophomore stayed aggressive in the second period by adding two more takedowns
to his point total.Long did a
nice job wearing down Mack on the way to a 17-5 major decision.The sophomore remains unbeaten in a
Penn State singlet with a 5-0 start to his Nittany Lion career.Long's victory set the overall match score
at 4-4.
141 - No.5 Alton Controls No. 7
Nauman
In the first of two matchups between ranked foes, fifth-ranked freshman Andrew
Alton battled seventh-ranked Tyler Nauman from Pittsburgh.Alton built a 4-2 lead after the first
period, thanks to an aggressive start.Alton's lead grew to 7-3 after a strong second period.The Lion freshman did a nice job
attacking throughout his bout with Nauman. Although Nauman earned an early
escape point in the third period to make it 7-4, Alton secured riding time and
closed out the bout 8-4.
149 - Molinaro Outlasts Johnson
No. 5 Nittany Lion Frank Molinaro got off to a quick start as he
recorded an early takedown against Pittsburgh's Dane Johnson in the first
period. The Lion junior chose down at the start of the second period, and made
his escape to lead 3-0. The two wrestlers lunged back and forth at one another
for about a minute more until Molinaro earned a takedown with just 15 seconds
to go in the second period. Johnson looked tired at the start of the third
period as he was called for stalling, but managed to escape for a point of his
own. After another Molinaro takedown and a last escape effort from Johnson,
Molinaro secured riding time to win 8-2.
157 - Taylor Moves to 24-0 with
Technical Fall Victory
Head coach Cael Sanderson enjoys seeing his wrestlers attack for seven
minutes.Lion freshman David
Taylor, who is now 24-0 on the season, is a living example of what Coach
Sanderson wants to see.From the
moment his bout started with Pittsburgh's Donnie Tasser, Taylor was looking to
score points.The Ohio native
registered five takedowns in the first period alone.He added four more in the second and one takedown and one near
fall in the third on his way to another impressive technical fall victory.Taylor's 26-11 triumph set the
scoreboard at 15-4 heading into the halftime break.
165 - Headlee Hands Pitt a
Victory
Freshman Jake Kemerer battled Ethan Headlee in the 165-pound bout.Headlee claimed an early 3-0 lead on the
Nittany Lion freshman after one takedown in the first period.As Kemerer tried to move in for an
attack, Headlee used his long frame to keep things neutral.The Pitt junior remained steady and
clinched the riding time point on the way to a 4-0 decision over Kemerer.With the scoreboard reading 15-7, the
match turned to 174 pounds.
174 - Ruth Earns Pin Against
Vaughan
Like David Taylor, redshirt freshman Ed Ruth went right to work when the
whistle blew.The second-ranked
Nittany Lion jumped out to a 6-2 edge following a trio of takedowns.However, Andy Vaughan battled back with
three separate escape points and a takedown to trim Ruth's advantage to
6-5.Ruth came right back with a
two-point reversal and a takedown to head into the second period with a 10-6
lead.Ruth's aggressiveness has a
knack for wearing down his opponents.The freshman controlled the final two periods before tallying a pinfall
victory at the 5:45 mark.Simply
put, Ruth's superb conditioning outlasted Pittsburgh's Vaughan in the final two
periods.Ruth, who is 22-1, now
has nine pins on the season.With
the pinfall, the Lion lead grew to 21-7 on the scoreboard.
184 - Wright Posts 12-7 Win in
Return to Lineup
Sixth-ranked Quentin Wright has been working relentlessly to get back on
the mat after injuring his shoulder at the Nittany Lion open in December.That showed in the opening minute of
his return to the mat against Pittsburgh's Max Thomusseit.Wright registered a takedown and three
near fall points to quickly grab a 5-0 advantage.From there, though, Thomusseit battled back to set the
scoreboard at 7-5 in the final minute of the second period.A crucial reversal from Wright in the
waning moments of the second handed the Nittany Lion a four-point cushion
heading into the third.Thomusseit
would get as close as 9-7, but Wright walked off the mat with a 12-7 victory in
his return to the starting lineup.It was a strong performance from Wright, who is now 9-2 on the
season.Penn State claimed a 24-7
lead on the scoreboard heading into the final two bouts.
197 - Ruggear Fends Off
Sorrentino for 4-2 Win
Freshman Nick Ruggear and Phil Sorrentino from Pittsburgh engaged in a
tight, low-scoring bout at 197 pounds.An early takedown from Ruggear put the Penn State freshman up 2-0, but a
pair of escapes from Sorrentino in the second sent the duo into the third
period knotted at 2-2.Ruggear
wrestled very smart in the third period, and the freshman fended off a late
charge from Sorrentino for a tight 4-2 victory.A third period escape and the riding time point was the
difference in the final two minutes.Ruggear is 14-6 this season.The victory put the Lions up 27-7 on the overall scoreboard.
285 - Wade Downs No. 3 Tomei
The final bout of the evening pitted sixth-ranked Cameron Wade and
third-ranked Ryan Tomei from Pittsburgh.Wade used a crucial takedown late in the first period to build a 2-0
cushion.From there, the
heavyweights battled into the third.Leading 3-0 in the third, Wade yielded a late takedown, but held on for
a superb victory over the third-ranked wrestler in the nation.Wade's victory set the final score at
30-7.
Final Thoughts
The Nittany Lions moved to 12-0 on the season with another dominant
victory against rival Pittsburgh on Friday night.Before we get into the bout, the Rec Hall crowd was
tremendous.Penn State wrestling
has become the hottest ticket in town.The capacity crowd overflowed onto the track encircling the top of the
bleachers.With the Iowa dual
already a sellout, it is going to be an electric atmosphere on Sunday
afternoon.The Nittany Lions
claimed eight victories on the mat, including one pin, one technical fall and a
major decision.Credit Wright for
his efforts in a return to the starting lineup, but Ruth again stole the
spotlight with his pinfall in the third period at 174 pounds.Ruth is a relentless competitor on the
mat, and his 22-1 record illustrates that.Also, Wade captured a strong victory in the heavyweight
bout.Coach Sanderson was
straightforward in saying that the Lions need to compete better for seven
minutes on the mat.Nonetheless,
it is nice to see room for improvement after a 30-7 victory.
By Will Donley,GoPSUsports.com
Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - In the past four years, Penn State men's lacrosse fans
have had the opportunity to watch some of the most talented lacrosse players in
program history. These players
included All-American goalie Drew Adams and Academic All-American Andrew
Mackrides.
Even though these players have graduated from Penn State, talented lacrosse players
still remain. Nittany Lion
lacrosse fans need to look no further than this year's senior class for the
next crop of lacrosse greats.
Senior Spotlight: Billy Lloyd
Quick Hits Lloyd (West Chester, Pa.) figures to lead a young Penn State midfield
this spring.Recruited as an
attackman, Lloyd netted three goals and added an assist working behind the goal
as a freshman for the Nittany Lions before moving to the midfield prior to the
2009 season.Since then, he has
scored two goals and added four assists.
Lloyd attended Unionville High School where he was a three-time captain
and three-time All-League selection.He also lettered three times for the Unionville football team as a standout
defensive back and kick returner.
Lloyd is a marketing major in the Smeal College of Business.His sister, Melissa, is a freshman
goalie on the Penn State women's lacrosse team.
Moment To Remember
Lloyd scored back-to-back goals in a game against Villanova
University during his freshman season in 2008.
What To Watch For This Season
Lloyd looks to be a key figure in the Nittany Lion midfield this spring.His work in the offseason has helped
cement him as one of the team's top offensive midfielders. Lloyd's slick stick skills and quickness
have him poised for a breakout season.
Quotable
On being one of two seniors in the offensive midfield rotation:
"We just hope that we can lead by example and work hard every day."
Senior Spotlight: John Brelus
Quick Hits
Brelus (Columbus, Ohio) enters his fourth season as a defender for the Nittany
Lions.During his freshman season,
he saw time in four games for the Penn State defense before being sidelined
with an injury.Brelus was also sidelined
with a leg injury in 2009.Last spring,
he saw action in a mid-season game against St. John's University, picking up
one ground ball.
Brelus earned All-American honors as a senior in 2007 at Worthington-Kilbourne
High School. He was a three-year letterman and earned All-Conference and
All-State honors during his time at Worthington-Kilbourne.Brelus helped lead his team to three
conference titles and two Ohio final four appearances.
Brelus is a marketing major in the Smeal College of Business
Moment To Remember
Brelus returned home to Columbus, Ohio as a freshman in 2008 and made an
appearance in a non-conference game against Ohio State.
What To Watch For This Season
This spring, Brelus looks to crack Penn State's starting line-up as a close defenseman.His strong stick skills, though, may earn
him a spot on the Nittany Lion man down defense.
Quotable
On his Penn State career thus far:
"I have enjoyed my time here at Penn State playing lacrosse and all of the guys
on the team and the relationships that I have built with them."
Will Donley, Senior Attackman, Penn State
Men's Lacrosse Team, GoPSUsports.com
By Alexis Morgan, GoPSUsports.com
Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Swish.... a basketball passing through a net echoes
throughout an empty gym. A lone player practices quietly, shooting shot after
shot without a break: no coaches, no teammates, no distractions. It's just
Maggie Lucas, a basketball, and an innate drive to help the Lady Lions win
every time they step onto the court.
To say freshman Maggie Lucas loves the game of basketball would be an
understatement. She picked up a basketball at the age of four and has since
blossomed into the star player we see today. The McDonald's High School
All-American is no stranger to receiving awards. As a senior in high school,
Lucas led Germantown Academy to its second state title. She ended her career
with 2,197 points. All her hard work and dedication paid off when she was
offered a scholarship to Penn State.
Recruited by Coach Washington was a dream come true for Lucas, who
wanted to play college ball for a team like Penn State that had a program with
the ability to win a Big Ten title and a National Championship.
"It's the potential that a program like this has," Lucas said."We have such great players in the
program right now: Nikki (Greene), Alex (Bentley), Zha Zha (Gray). I think you
hear these names, see the numbers they have been putting up and how well we've
been meshing, why wouldn't you come to a program like this?"
"We have a great coach, a great leader," she said. "All those things really
drove me to this place, I wouldn't have chosen anywhere else."
Washington and Lucas kept in communication before Lucas came to Happy
Valley.
"We talked on the phone all the time," Lucas said. "She always gave me advice
about how to improve my game. She always talked to me about how to be a better
person, as well as a better player. I have a chance to learn from a great
leader, a great role model."
Before the season started Coach Washington explained how Lucas' first
semester was important to prepare for basketball at the collegiate level.
"Maggie has made a huge impact in the short time she's been on campus,"
Washington said. "Number one is her work ethic."
Lucas lives and breathes basketball from the moment she wakes up. After
classes she heads straight to the gym two-and-a-half hours before practice to
shoot around and work on ball handling.
A magnificent shooter, Lucas shoots 400 baskets a day before practice. She is
usually by herself in the gym staying focused on the game ahead. The 3-point
phenom ends every practice with a half-court shot.
"My work ethic is something that does set me apart from a lot of
players," Lucas said. "If you talk to the best players, they're always the
one's who work hard. I'm just trying to follow their example.When you do the work, you usually get
rewarded."
Growing up with two older brothers helped Lucas to become a better
basketball player.
"It'd be me and my dad verses my two older brothers," Lucas said."It was always just so competitive.
We'd come in with bloody knees, all scraped up.My mom would say, 'This is the last time! You guys can't
play together anymore,' but we'd always just keep playing."
Lucas appreciates the support of her brothers and her parents. She said
her parents have helped her mature into the person and player she is today.
"They'll do anything for me. I try and follow their lead and learn from
the examples they've set my whole life," she said.
There is one other special person who inspires Lucas daily.
In high school, the Germantown Academy played at a tournament in Florida. The
tournament manager's daughter, Andrea, and Lucas made an immediate connection.
Lucas explained Andrea's physical disability, saying she has had many heart
surgeries at just 10 years old.
"I stay in touch with her a lot. Andrea inspires me because she's so young and
has dealt with so many obstacles. There's not many people who can really
inspire you and push you to work harder," Lucas said emotionally.
"When I look at someone like her, she hasn't had everything go her way," she
said. "You have to work hard for people who don't have the chance like I have."
Lucas is grateful to talk with Andrea any chance she can.
"She called me the night after the Iowa game, I didn't have the best shooting
night that game," she said."I was
so excited about the win and it just topped off my night that she called me and
we got to talk for a little while."
A humble person off the court translates to an amazing player on the
court.
The 2010 Philadelphia Inquirer Southeastern Player of the Year was just named
Big Ten Freshman of the Week for a record breaking sixth time in her first
season at Penn State. Although she does not start, the 5-foot-9 guard is
averaging a team high 16.7 points per game.
As the Lady Lions grabbed the top spot in the Big Ten with a win over Illinois
Sunday, Lucas had a career record-breaking day. The McDonald's three-point
contest winner surpassed the freshman three-point record scoring six times from
beyond the arc.
The Lady Lions continue to be No. 1 in the nation in three-point field goal percentage
as Lucas has totaled 69 three-pointers. Scoring 22 points against Illinois,
Lucas also passed the 300 point plateau in her college career.
"Maggie's confidence and her ability to make shots are very high," Coach
Washington said. "[Baskets she makes] give our team the kind of confidence we
need to finish."
Illinois head coach, Jolette Law, told the team during preparation for
the game to make sure they knew where Lucas was at all times.
"Maggie Lucas is one of the best players in the country," Law said.
Lucas' quick release and sharp-shooting has garnered the attention of
many head coaches.
After the Lady Lion victory over Minnesota, head coach Pam Borton said,
"I think she is one of the best shooters I've seen in a long time, especially
as a freshman."
"I just love her mentality. Obviously, she can shoot the basketball,
with no fear or hesitation," Borton said.
Not only are coaches impressed by Lucas' ability, but her teammates are as
well.
"Maggie always gives us a spark off the bench," teammate Alex Bentley
said.
Captain Julia Trogele has been a role model that embodies the spirit of
Lady Lion Basketball allowing Lucas to develop and mature as a player.
"She's like my little sister," Trogele said."She's grown up a lot and is able to listen to advice in a
positive way and apply it accordingly. I love playing with someone as talented
and disciplined [as her]."
Only halfway into the season, Lucas' hard work ethic is shown through her
success wearing the Lady Lion uniform. Her commitment to the program and
dedication to the game may be the key the Lady Lions need to win a Big Ten
Title and maybe, just maybe, a National Championship.
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 21, 2011 12:36 PM
|No Comments|No TrackBacks
By Kaitlyn Knopp, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The gymnastics event referred to as "still rings" is
reserved solely for men, and as explained on livestrong.com, is a competition that "requires extreme upper-body
strength and precise control of the shoulders and arms."
For Scott Rosenthal, the Clearfield High School valedictorian, and former
local Gemini Gymnastics team competitor, the strength part of still rings was
no problem.
"Originally, seeing Scott in high school, he was the strongest guy I'd ever
seen - strength wise," said Nittany Lion's men's gymnastics coach Randy Jepson,
sitting in his office which resides directly beside the gymnast practice room.
"We really needed to work on basic control and form with Scott."
Rosenthal came to the Nittany Lion's gymnastics team as a freshman walk-on
in 2010. He went on to post six top three finishes in still rings, as well as
capture two title wins in the seven meets he competed in last year, not
including the Big Ten Championships, all under Jepson's training.
"Scott is a really hard working kid," Jepson said, smiling from his desk
over which dozens of glinting gymnastic trophies sit. "That work ethic is
really showing now."
This year, as a sophomore on Penn State's No. 7 ranked team, Rosenthal went
to the first meet this season versus No. 15 Army, and scored a career-high 15.400
on still rings, securing him first place, as well as the title Big Ten Gymnast
of the Week.
For this local gymnast success, he said he had wanted to come to Penn State
since a young age, and loves his team.
"The gym I came from before, I was the oldest guy," Rosenthal said. "The
next person closest to my age was eight years younger. I have 20 guys here my
age - it's great."
Rosenthal said he didn't come onto the team with a scholarship, but it
doesn't change how much he enjoys competing on the team.
"The biggest thing I'm happy with is my performance," Rosenthal said. "As a
freshman, I was the strongest guy here ... but I didn't have the finesse. I
couldn't really compete."
The way the gymnast said he cleaned up his form, was by observing winning
still ring gymnasts and Olympians, then "emulating their style." Rosenthal's
improvement led him to secure the nation's 2010 No. 9 ranking as a still rings
competitor his freshman year.
He said it took a lot of commitment to develop and hone his style, but it
has more than paid off.
"I like working hard and seeing results, and that just feeds itself,"
Rosenthal said.
Rosenthal started gymnastics at 6 years-old, and has continued ever since. He
said being so close to his hometown means he bumps into old friends and gym
mates often, and he has lots of support when he competes.
"They all say how proud they are of me," Rosenthal said.
Rosenthal's most dedicated fans, though, are none other than his parents
Sheldon and Desiree Rosenthal.
"They come to every meet, home and away," Rosenthal said, explaining that even
meets in held in different states do not stop them from coming to cheer their
son on.
Rosenthal is not only a stellar athlete - he is also a scholar. In 2010 he was
named CGA First Team All-American Scholar Athlete, which requires a 3.80 - 3.89
GPA.
The advice this athlete and intellect gave was nothing of books and how to's
though. Standing in practice gear, about to start another workout where he
would be concentrating on enhancing his already improved form, his only remark
was one that supported his team and his dedication to his sport.
By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - More than halfway through the season, head coach Cael
Sanderson leads his No. 2 Penn State team into another weekend of tough
competition. Starting with a home dual against No. 22 Pittsburgh on Friday
night at 6 p.m., the meeting between the Nittany Lions and the Panthers will be
broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
The Nittany Lions are 11-0 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten, following closely
behind Cornell for the top ranking in the country. Eight of the ten probable
starters for the Penn State roster are nationally ranked, and two of those
eight wrestlers have not lost a bout this season.
At 125, No. 11 senior Brad Pataky has returned to the mat after a
preseason ACL injury and has built a 7-2 record thus far. Sophomore Andrew
Long, who is the newest addition to the Nittany Lions, sits at 133 and is
ranked No. 5 in his class. Long is one of the two wrestlers who is currently undefeated,
holding a record of 4-0.
The bout at 141 will be one to watch as No. 5 freshman Andrew Alton, who
is 22-2 this season, squares off against Pittsburgh's No. 7 redshirt junior Tyler
Nauman. Also ranked No. 5 in his weight class, Penn State's junior 149-pound
Frank Molinaro will be at it again as he looks to improve his 17-2 mark this
season.
True freshman David Taylor has continued to dominate his opponents as he
is currently 23-0 and holds the No. 3 spot at 157. Taylor leads the Nittany Lions
with nine technical falls and seven majors this season.
At 174, freshman Ed Ruth has the team's top ranking at No. 2 nationally and
boasts a 21-1 record.
Hometown favorite and redshirt sophomore Quentin Wright is expected to return
to the mat Friday night, as well. Wright has been out since the first week of
December when he suffered a shoulder injury during the Nittany Lion Open. The
184-pound grappler still holds his No. 6 ranking and a 19-3 record this season.
Either freshman Nick Ruggear or redshirt freshman Andrew Church will start at
197. Ruggear has notched a
13-6 record this year. The Panthers are strong at 197 as junior Zac Thomusseit
is ranked No. 11 and is 20-3 overall.
The heavyweight match between No. 6 red-shirt junior Cameron Wade and
Pittsburgh's No. 3 redshirt senior Ryan Tomei will be one to watch as Wade
holds a notable 19-3 record overall and Tomei is one step ahead at 20-3.
Penn State sits just 11 points behind No. 1 Cornell in the dual meet
Coaches Poll. For now, the Nittany Lions have a solid grip on to the No. 2
ranking.
Nittany Lion veteran Pataky is in what is most likely his sixth and
final year as a Penn State wrestler, and he said that he is continually
impressed with the accomplishments of his fellow teammates.
"It's incredible," said Pataky. "One day after another you look in the
room at two guys going at it and they're just getting better and better. You
don't get to see that a whole lot in your life. It's a great situation and it's
very fortunate that we were able to get a hold of Coach Sanderson to come out
here and get us to where we are right now and in such a quick amount of time
that he's been here."
Pataky said that with the help of the coaching staff and Sanderson's
tough mentality, the Penn State wrestlers have been able to meet their goals
and enjoy themselves at the same time.
"At the end of the day it's just giving your all out there and letting
the chips fall," said Pataky. "Having Coach Cael's mentality about giving your
all for seven minutes and knowing that you gave your all out on the mat, that's
all you can ask of yourself. It's a good philosophy and it's also fun. He
points out that every day you should be having fun - don't worry about the ups
and downs but make sure you're having fun."
After Friday night's dual with Pitt, the Nittany Lions will travel to
Bloomington, Ind., to meet Big Ten competitor Indiana on Sunday at 2 p.m. Penn
State reigned victorious in their first Big Ten dual this season, and hopes to
finish with the same outcome their second time around.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - If JaJuan Johnson's final 17-foot jumper bounces
off the iron or the ball that was called out of bounds on Tim Frazier was
called out on E'Twaun Moore with five seconds to play, the Nittany Lions would
be enjoying their day off with a third victory over a ranked opponent in the
past 12 days.
But the ball bounced in No. 13 Purdue's favor and the Boilermakers
escaped with a one-point victory in front of a boisterous Mackey Arena crowd on
Wednesday.You never like to pin
the outcome of a ballgame on one play in the waning moments, but the harsh
reality of Big Ten basketball is that every single possession is critical in
deciding a game.
The Lions are a bounce or two away from back-to-back victories at then
No. 2 Ohio State and No. 13 Purdue.Instead, Penn State has two road losses by a combined four points.It's easy to say that games are not
decided on the last play of the game; rather the outcome is a product of the
collection of plays over the course of 40 minutes of basketball.
For the Nittany Lions, though, two plays in the final seconds decided
both the setback to the Buckeyes and Wednesday night's heartbreaker at Purdue.
It is a tough pill to swallow for the Lions, who are off until Wednesday
when they welcome Iowa to the Bryce Jordan Center.But you cannot understate the competitiveness the Nittany
Lions have brought to the floor in four straight games against ranked
opponents.
For the second straight game, the Lions shot better than 50 percent from
the floor against a team ranked in the top 15.Purdue had been holding its opponents to 31 percent shooting
this season.The Lions shot 52
percent from the field in Mackey Arena on Wednesday night.
Penn State has shown a great deal of resiliency in the past two road games,
battling back from 10 down in Columbus and 14 down in West Lafayette before the
nail biting losses.On the glass,
the Nittany Lions out-rebounded Michigan State (40-36), Illinois (33-28), Ohio
State (29-17) and Purdue (30-19) by a combined 132-100 margin in the last four
games.
All five starters logged 37 minutes or more on Wednesday night at
Purdue.The six-day layoff comes
at a very good time for the Lions to regroup and refocus on a critical two-game
stretch at home against Iowa and Wisconsin.
With two huge home games next on the schedule, the Nittany Lions need
the loyal fan base to pack the Jordan Center next week.The Nittany Nation needs to turn out in
huge numbers in the BJC.A great
crowd can play a big role in the outcome of a game, so get to the Jordan Center
next week.
The fine line between a win and a loss in the Big Ten is very thin.Although the Lions fell agonizingly short
in their last two outings, look forward to the final 11 games of the regular
season.
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 20, 2011 10:38 AM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Lady Lion basketball team (14-4, 4-1) will
meet Purdue (12-6, 3-3) on Thursday night inside Mackey Arena (7 p.m.).
Junior guard Zhaque Gray has played an instrumental role in the Lady
Lion offense since the season began.She ranks in the nation's top 10 of 3-point field goal percentage (.457)
while averaging 11.1 points per contest.Gray has drilled 43 shots from behind the arc, which ranks second on the
team behind freshman Maggie Lucas.
GoPSUsports.com caught up with the junior guard for this week's Lady
Lion Video Profile.Gray talks
about the hot shooting start to her season and sheds some light as to who would
win a game of HORSE between her and Lucas.
By: Will Donley, GoPSUsports.com
Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Junior attackman Matt Mackrides and sophomore midfielder
Danny Henneghan were named to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Preseason
All-Conference team.
Mackrides, a standout attackman from Newtown Square, Pa., was second in the CAA
with 2.77 goals per game a season ago.He was fourth in the CAA with 3.38 points per game.Mackrides leads all returning Penn
State players with 36 goals and 44 points.
Henneghan (Beverly Hills, Mich.) was named to the CAA Preseason All-Conference
Team as a face-off specialist. He
figures to fill the void left by the graduation of his brother, Charley, who
was named to the All-CAA First Team as a face-off specialist a year ago.
Henneghan is the only returning Nittany Lion with significant experience at the
face-off.Last season, he won 19
of the 38 face-offs he took and was third on the team with a .500 winning percentage.Henneghan also tallied a goal and an
assist during his freshman season.
The Nittany Lions are ranked No. 6 in CAA in the Preseason Coaches Poll and
begin their season Feb. 19 against Binghamton University.The team opens up CAA play March 19 at
Massachusetts.
Will Donley, Senior Attackman, Penn State
Men's Lacrosse Team, GoPSUsports.com
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 19, 2011 12:41 PM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion basketball team (10-7, 3-3)
travels to No. 13 Purdue (15-3, 4-1) on Wednesday for an 8:30 p.m. tip at
Mackey Arena.
To get ready for the game, here are five things to watch for as the
Lions take on the Boilermakers.
Crash the Boards
The glaring numbers on the stat sheet from Penn State's first meeting
with Purdue were in the rebounding column.The Boilermakers used a 46-31 edge on the boards en route to
an 83-68 victory on the scoreboard.Since that game on Jan. 5, the Nittany Lions have been +7 on the glass
against Michigan State, Illinois and at Ohio State.Penn State's record is 8-2 this season when it wins the
rebounding edge.Quite simply, the
Lions must rebound the basketball to be in a position to win in West Lafayette.All five Penn State players need to crash
the boards.The Lions will need to
put a body on Purdue center JaJuan Johnson during every possession.
Avoid Foul Trouble
Similar to the rebounding numbers, Purdue took advantage of 41 trips to
the foul line in the first meeting between the two foes.Coach Lewis Preston said earlier this
week that the quantity of free throws Purdue attempted was a byproduct of the
Lions' defense.Playing crisp
defense without fouling is going be critical inside Mackey Arena.The Boiler offense runs through
Johnson.Jones will be guarding
the Purdue big man throughout the evening, and he must play physical defense
without fouling.If the Boilers
visit the foul line 41 times at home, it will make things very difficult for
the Lions to be in a position to win.
Match the Intensity
Coming off two straight losses, Purdue is going to be an angry
basketball team when it takes the floor against Penn State.The Nittany Lions are expecting the
Boilermakers to come out of the locker room with a purpose.Purdue is looking to start fast and
build a cushion in the first half.Like the Lions did in Columbus to start the second half, they need to
match that intensity level and weather the Purdue runs.Look for E'Twaun Moore, who finished
with just four points in the first meeting, to establish his offensive game in
the first half.Again, the Nittany
Lions need to withstand Purdue's energy and swing back with efficient defense
and sound rebounding.
Quality Shots
Purdue has limited its opponents to just 31 percent shooting this
season.Matt Painter's teams
always play physical defense.Coming off of two losses, you can expect a physical effort on the
defensive end of the floor from the black and gold.That being said, Penn State did a superb job finding good
looks on the offensive end of the floor in Columbus.It will be difficult for the Lions to again shoot 56 percent
from the field, but taking good shots is very important against Purdue.Settling for jump shots throughout the
game plays right into the hands of the Boilers.Offensive execution is key in Mackey Arena, and Talor
Battle, Jeff Brooks, David Jackson and Andrew Jones all need to be near double
figures.
Take Care of the Ball
A sequence of turnovers in the opening minutes of the second half at
Ohio State quickly put the Nittany Lions in a double-digit deficit.Keeping the turnovers to a minimum
against good teams in the Big Ten is an absolute must for the Nittany
Lions.It is especially true on
the road.Purdue will make the
Lions pay for turnovers and turn the miscues into points inside Mackey
Arena.Battle and Tim Frazier need
a crisp night of ball handling at the guard positions.Creating open looks and taking care of
the basketball is easier said than done against a team like Purdue, but the
Nittany Lions must stay sharp on the offensive end of the floor.Nonetheless, this game is going to come
down to defense and rebounding for Penn State.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Following a weekend off, the second-ranked Penn
State wrestling team returns home on Friday night for a match against
intra-state foe No. 22 Pittsburgh inside Rec Hall.The Lions will also travel to Indiana on Sunday afternoon
for their first Big Ten road dual of the season.
Leading up to the Pitt dual, GoPSUsports.com caught up with head coach
Cael Sanderson for the latest edition of This Week in Penn State Wrestling.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion men's basketball team (10-7,
3-3) wraps up a stretch of five consecutive games against ranked foes at No. 13
Purdue (15-3, 4-1) on Wednesday night (8:30 p.m. on BTN) inside Mackey Arena.
Before the team boarded the plane for West Lafayette, GoPSUsports.com
caught up with assistant coach Lewis Preston for a video scouting report of the
Boilers.Take a look at what Coach
Preston has to say about the Lions' second meeting with Purdue on Wednesday
night.
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 18, 2011 10:05 AM
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By Will Donley, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Lacrosse is one of the nation's
fastest growing team sports.The
secret is out: lacrosse is a faced-paced, exciting game.Here in Centre County, things are no
different.Local boys and girls
are picking up lacrosse sticks and falling in love with this sport.Centre County Lacrosse is the local
organization that gives these kids the opportunity to learn about and play the
game of lacrosse.
The Penn State men's and women's lacrosse teams hosted a
clinic on Sunday, January 16th.More than 100 aspiring lacrosse players from Centre County Lacrosse flooded
Holuba Hall on Penn State's campus for two hours of fun and instruction.
In order to accommodate for the differences between the two
sports, the field was split in half: one side for the women and one side for
the men.More than 70 boys, ages 7
to 16, picked up their lacrosse sticks and raced to the men's side of Holuba
Hall.
After a quick stretch led by some of the freshman on the Penn State men's
lacrosse team, the kids were split up into 10 different groups and assigned to
one of 10 different stations.Each
station was taught by Penn State lacrosse players and was designed to practice
a different lacrosse skill.
Kids raced around cones at a station designed to practice
footwork, and kids battled each other for loose balls before taking shots on
goal at a station designed to reinforce the importance of scooping up loose
balls.At a station entitled "Beat
the Baucum," the kids shot on sophomore goalie Connor Baucum.Baucum stood in goal while each player
took his turn to try and shoot the ball into the net.Even Penn State coach Jeff Tambroni got in on the action
when he raced against some of the kids at an obstacle course station that
incorporated a variety of important lacrosse skills.
It was important to each member of the men's and women's
lacrosse programs to meet and learn a little bit about each young player who
attended the clinic.As lacrosse
players and Centre County residents, both the collegiate and local players have
a strong interest in the growth of lacrosse in this area.Penn State coaches Jeff Tambroni and
Missy Doherty echoed that enthusiasm when they thanked the kids for their
participation and invited each one to come to a Penn State lacrosse game this spring.
Will
Donley, Senior Attackman, Penn State Men's Lacrosse Team, GoPSUsports.com
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 18, 2011 10:00 AM
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By Will Donley, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - My name is Will Donley.I am a senior attackman on the Penn
State men's lacrosse team from Pittsburgh, Pa.Growing up in a part of the country that is known more for
its football than its lacrosse, I did not start playing lacrosse until I was in
the fifth grade.I quickly fell in
love with the game, and I have dedicated much of my free time since that point
to developing my lacrosse skills.
After garnering some success at Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School, I was
offered the opportunity to play college lacrosse at different colleges all over
the east coast.In the end, I
chose to attend and play lacrosse for Penn State University.
In fact, choosing to attend Penn State was not a difficult decision at
all.Like most "Penn Staters," my
Penn State experience has been nothing short of a family affair.My parents, Bill and Maggie, graduated
from Penn State in the late 1970s.My older sister, Emma, attended Penn State and graduated in 2009.My younger brother, Peter, plays
lacrosse at Susquehanna University, but he, too, loves Penn State and always
looks forward to attending football games in the fall.Interestingly enough, I am not the
first member of my family to earn a varsity letter.My mother was a varsity cheerleader during her time here at
Penn State.
I am a journalism student scheduled to graduate this May.I am also minoring in Spanish and
Business.Apart from practice and
class, I am the lacrosse team's representative to the Student Athlete Advisory
Board (SAAB).I enjoy getting
involved with SAAB's efforts to raise money for THON and volunteering for other
philanthropic opportunities throughout Centre County.If the time allows, I also enjoy spending time fly fishing
on one of the region's countless trout streams.
I will always be thankful for what the game of lacrosse has done for me.I have travelled to places all over the
country for summer lacrosse tournaments.Too, I had the luxury of meeting and playing with some of the country's
best young lacrosse players when I was invited to try out for the U.S. Under-19
World Team.Most importantly, I
have been given the opportunity to attend and play lacrosse for the greatest
university in the world: Penn State.
With the beginning of our season a little over a month away, I am excited to
share any insights into our practices, players and preparations.As the season gets underway, I will be
offering previews and reviews of our games.As a member of the team, I look forward to offering an
inside look into the world of Penn State men's lacrosse.
Will Donley, Senior Attackman, Penn State
Men's Lacrosse Team, GoPSUsports.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After battling the new No. 1 team in the nation
to a one possession game on the road, the Nittany Lion basketball team (10-7,
3-3) heads to 13th-ranked Purdue (15-3, 4-1) on Wednesday night for an 8:30
p.m. tip inside Mackey Arena.
With just one game this week, Coach DeChellis said that the team is
solely focused on the Boilermakers.
"This is a big week, since we only have one game, Purdue, so we can
focus on that & then get some time off," he said.
The two teams met on Jan. 5, with Purdue using a big night on the boards
to tally an 83-68 victory over the Nittany Lions.Since that game in the Jordan Center, Penn State has played
with a great deal of confidence.
Building on a Strong Week
In a span of eight days, the Nittany Lions knocked off two ranked foes
and went toe-to-toe with the current No. 1 team in the nation on its home floor
in front of a sold out crowd.Coach
DeChellis and the Nittany Lions have a lot to build on moving into the trip to
Purdue.Overall, Penn State has
played well since the Big Ten season began on Dec. 27 in Bloomington.But the last three games have given the
team a lot of confidence.Granted
Talor Battle and the seniors realize that the Big Ten season is just one third
over, but the team is playing with the overall confidence necessary to remain
competitive every night.
Playing One of the Nation's
Toughest Schedules
Penn State will cap off its stretch of five consecutive games against
ranked foes on Wednesday night at Purdue.The Lions have played the 10th toughest schedule in the nation thus far
in 2010-'11, according to a calculation of strength of schedule on
RealtimeRPI.com.That figure will
likely move closer to the nation's most difficult schedule after the Lions meet
Purdue, which is ranked No. 13 in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll.
Coach DeChellis Press Conference
Head coach Ed DeChellis met with the media prior to Monday's practice
inside the Jordan Center.He said
that the team was "disappointed, upset and mad" following Saturday's setback to
Ohio State.Coach DeChellis said
that the Lions did not play the first four minutes of the second half as they
needed to.
Nonetheless, Penn State battled back from a 10-point deficit and put
itself in a position to win in front of a hostile crowd in Columbus.Coach DeChellis was proud of the team's
effort and how it fought back.Looking ahead to Purdue, rebounding is going to be a focus leading up to
Wednesday night's tip in West Lafayette.Coach DeChellis said the Lions must rebound well to have a chance to
win.The Boilers were plus 15 on
the glass in the first meeting with Purdue.
VIDEO: Players Previewing Purdue
We caught up with seniors David Jackson and Talor Battle at practice on
Monday for their thoughts leading up to the clash at No. 13 Purdue.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After two
outstanding weeks of track and field competition at Horace Ashenfelter III
Indoor Track, a bevy of Nittany Lion athletes are holding strong in the NCAA
and Big Ten rankings, according to the Track and Field Results Reporting System
(TFRRS) on Monday afternoon. Among a host of outstanding performances at
last weekend's Nittany Lion Challenge, were a pair of national-leading marks,
including senior Shavon Greaves
(Lakewood, N.J.) in the 400-meters, and the quartet of sophomore Natalie Bower (Pleasant Unity, Pa.),
freshman Rebekka Simko (Mentor,
Ohio), senior Maura Ryan
(Doylestown, Pa.), and sophomore Brooklyne
Ridder (Cincinnati, Ohio) in the women's distance medley relay.
Greaves - already a seven-time NCAA All-American - sprinted to a couple of
outstanding finishes on Saturday, winning the 400 with an NCAA-leading 53.53,
and taking second in the 60-meter dash at 7.40 - also a season best.
Greaves' 60 performance is currently tied for 14th in the country,
and is the top mark in the conference this year. Freshman Brady Gehret (Altoona, Pa.) was also
sensational in the sprints, taking the 200-meters in 21.41 - the 11th-fastest
time in the country this year, and second-best performance by a rookie.
Both Nittany Lion 4x400-meter relays put up performances worthy of the national
top five over the weekend, with the women's squad of Doris Anyanwu (Beltsville, Md.), Greaves, Mahagony Jones (Cleveland, Ohio), and Ije Iheoma (Holland, Pa.) going 3:37.63 - the fourth-fastest effort
in the country - while the men's team of Lionel
Williams (Staten Island, N.Y.), Gehret, Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.), and Aaron Nadolsky (Altoona, Pa.) combined to run 3:09.45 - also the
fourth-best mark of the early season, and just .02 off the Penn State record in
the event.
The Lions also produced a pair of national top 10s in the field events, with Hanif Johnson (Harrisburg, Pa.) leaping
to a PR 51-5.50 (15.68) in the triple jump - the fourth-farthest attempt in the
country this year - while Blake Eaton
(Allegany, N.Y.) posted a season-best throw of 60-1.75 (18.33) in the shot put,
which currently rates seventh nationally.
The Nittany Lion men's team is currently ranked eighth in the country by the
United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA),
while the women stand 19th in the preseason rankings.
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 17, 2011 10:51 AM
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By Jeff Sattora, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's track
team is on the move, not only is it running around the indoor facility on
campus, but it is moving up the national rankings as well.
A team that finished 14th in last year's indoor national championships, its
highest finish in 20 years, is eighth in the polls and proved it belonged once
again over the weekend.
The eighth-ranked Nittany Lion men showed that they are there to stay with
multiple strong and winning performances against other elite competition,
including the top-ranked Florida Gators, Cornell University, Maryland, and SUNY
Albany.
Coach Alford-Sullivan knew how important it was to get these top teams up to
Happy Valley this early in the season, mentioning especially how happy she was
Florida made the trip because of how great it is to test yourself against the
best of the best whenever you can.
Not only was she happy that they were facing such tough competition so early,
she seemed just as happy they got to do it at home.The team chanted multiple times how they wanted to "protect
their house", which Coach Alford- Sullivan reiterated.Adding how nice it is for the team to
not have to worry about travel, missing class or anything else that goes along
with the road.
The voters aren't the only one's impressed early with the Lions as Coach
Alford-Sullivan was very happy with her squad Saturday after the meet.She pointed out right away how the team
is already breaking team and facility records, even with some of their top
runners like Kyle Dawson and Vince McNally, Penn State's top cross country runners,
not even running yet.
One of those meet records was on the very first race of the day.Senior Owen Dawson got a win and the
record in the one mile race with a time of 4:04.26, crossing the line three
seconds faster than the second place finisher, Dennis Follow, who ran
unattached.
Later on in the day, a Penn State group broke another meet record in the 4x400
relay.The team, comprised of,
Lionel Williams, Brady Gehret, Casmir Loxsom, and Aaron Nadolsky finished in
3:09.45, almost two seconds faster than the old meet record.
The track runners weren't the only one breaking records, it was happening in
the field as well.Nittany Lion
junior Doug Moppert broke the meet long jump record with a winning jump of 24-05.75
feet.
While they didn't break any records, a few underclassman were also near the top
of the leader board with sophomore Aaron Nadolsky winning the 400 meter dash in
a strong time of 48.19 seconds, and teammate and freshman Mark Filandro right
at his heels crossing the line in 46.50.
For the Lion coaches, this is a great start to the season.Coach Alford- Sullivan said how she has
known for a while this squad would be good, and they are proving her right so
far.
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 17, 2011 10:13 AM
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By Kyle G. Arslanian, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State Lady Lions (15-4, 4-1) defended
their home court Sunday by defeating the Illinois Fighting Illini (7-11, 2-3)
by a score of 83-62.The victory
pushed The Lady Lions to the top of the Big Ten standings in a tie with
Michigan State.
Penn State has gotten superb play from freshman Maggie Lucas, who posted her
10th 20-point performance versus Illinois.Lucas' lights out shooting has been fed all season by
sophomore guard Alex Bentley.Bentley leads the team in assists with 106 on the season, more than
double the next leading player on the team.
Bentley's propensity to find the open player on offense, whether it is Lucas
or Zhaque Gray on the outside or Nikki Green down low in the post, has made the
Lady Lions attack extremely dangerous.
"I would not like to have Alex coming down the court at me, and then me and
Zhaque spotted up on the wing," said Lucas."That's kind of a little deadly."
Dishing out assists is not the only aspect of Bentley's game; she can drive to
the basket and find spots on the floor to score on her own.Her ability to put the ball in the net
has made her a double threat that is challenge for any team to cover,
especially in transition.
This was on display against Illinois with about 13 minuets left in the first
half; Alex got the ball on the break and drove to the net, two defenders
following her into the paint.This
left Maggie Lucas wide open on the wing.Bentley threw a perfect behind the back pass to Lucas, who then knocked
down the wide open three.
The Lady Lions may get most of their scoring from other players like Gray and
Lucas, but the offense runs through Alex Bentley. She is the leader on the court and she makes the offense
go.Bentley played a team high 32
minutes against the Illini and leads the team in total minuets played with 589.
"Alex does a fantastic job of setting the tone," said Coach Washington. "She pushes it; she puts the defense on
their heels and makes great decision more often than not on whether to shoot
it, whether to kick it, whether to dump it down to the post."
Alex has distinguished herself as one of the best point guards in the Big Ten
this season; she leads the conference in assists and assists to turnover
ratio.She means a great deal to
the success of the Penn State offense and to success of the team.For the Lady Lions to achieve their
goals this season, Bentley will need to continue to play at a high level.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Welcome to the GoPSUsports.com in-game blog for
the Lady Lion basketball team.
Take a look back at Penn State's (15-4, 4-1) route of Illinois (7-11,
2-3) inside the Bryce Jordan Center on the blog updates.
Starting Lineups:
Penn State: G -
Bentley, G - Gray, F - Nickson, F - Trogele, C - Greene
Illinois: G - Lydia
McCully, G - Eboni Mitchell, G - Centrese McGee, F - Karisma Penn, F - Lana
Rukavina
First Half:
11:29: Penn State 16, Illinois 14
Penn State's 3-point shooting has been impressive throughout the
season.The Lions came into Sunday's
game shooting 43 percent as a team.The Lady Lions used their weapons from the outside to erase a 9-2
deficit in the early minutes on Sunday with four consecutive 3-pointers,
including a pair from Maggie Lucas.The most impressive of the bunch was a transition triple from Lucas
after a behind-the-back feed from point guard Alex Bentley.The 12-0 run from Penn State put the
Lions up five with 12:59 to play in the half before Illinois got on the board.
0:00: Penn State 41, Illinois 23
The Lady Lions out-scored the Illini by a 39-14 margin in the final
14:57 of the first half, largely thanks to eight 3-pointers on the offensive
end of the floor.Lucas heads to
the locker room with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting.The Lady Lions picked up the tempo en route to the 18-point
advantage at the break.The
sequence of four straight 3-pointers in the first half turned things in Penn
State's favor.From there, it was
all Lady Lions.Illinois struggled
from the floor, shooting just 30 percent (9-30) in the opening 20 minutes of
play.Looking ahead to the second
half, Penn State needs to keep its foot on the accelerator.The Lions need to play another fast
tempo half.
Second Half:
11:50: Penn State 62, Illinois 35
Penn State continued its hot-shooting out of the locker room.Mia Nickson has quietly played another
strong game.You won't see her
hustle on the box score, but Nickson always plays hard for Coquese
Washington.She has seven points
and five rebounds today.Additionally, Nickson has played very good defense.The Bentley and Lucas highlight reel
has continued in the second half.For the second time today, Bentley has two behind-the-back assists to
Lucas, with the most recent coming on a fastbreak play.Another note on Lucas - the freshman guard
has now made 65 3-pointers this season, which ties Kelly Mazzante for the freshman
record.What a season it has been
for No. 33.She has 19 points this
afternoon to go along with her seven rebounds.And the Lady Lions are in cruise control mode.
0:00: Penn State 83, Illinois 62
Penn State turned in a strong performance to oust Illinois in commanding
fashion on Sunday afternoon.The
Lions got contributions from everyone on the bench, but the afternoon again
belonged to standout freshman Maggie Lucas.Despite playing with a small illness, Lucas now owns the
record for 3-pointers made by a freshman (66).Lucas drained eight of her 13 shot attempts, including
6-of-8 from 3-point range.She has
equaled Kelly Mazzante in 20-point games as a freshman with 10, following her
22-point effort against the Illini.Three Penn State players finished in double figures, including Zhaque
Gray with 14 and Alex Bentley with 11.
Final Thoughts:
Thanks to another superb effort from Lucas, the Lady Lions are now tied
with No. 10 Michigan State atop the Big Ten standings heading into a trip to
Purdue on Thursday night.Following a sloppy start to the Minnesota victory, the Lions wanted to
rebound with a complete performance on Sunday afternoon.Penn State came out of the gate down
9-2.From there, it was all blue
and white. The Lions led by as
much as 29 en route to the 83-62 victory.Looking ahead, the Lions are 4-1 in the conference with a road trip to
Purdue and a home clash with Indiana this week.Sunday was a dominant performance in every aspect of the
game, but the stat of the game was 12 made 3-pointers.When the Lions shoot 60 percent (12-20)
from the perimeter, they are a very difficult team to beat.
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 15, 2011 12:03 PM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion basketball team (10-6, 3-2)
travels to No. 2 Ohio State (17-0, 4-0) on Saturday evening for a 5:30 p.m. tip
at Value City Arena.
To get ready for the game, here are five things to watch for as the
Lions take on the Buckeyes.
Rebounding
The numbers do not lie.When Penn State out-rebounds its opponents, the Lions are 8-1 on the
season.When opponents out-rebound
Penn State, the Lions are 1-6.The
importance of the rebounding numbers cannot be stressed enough.The Lions took control of the glass
against both Michigan State and Illinois en route to back-to-back ranked
victories for the first time since 1954.The second-ranked Buckeyes are out-rebounding their opponents by a seven
board margin this season.Penn
State will again need a superb effort on the glass to put itself in a position
to win.
Containing the Dribble
Playing sound defense and rebounding has been the difference for Penn
State in its three conference victories in the first five Big Ten games.It is going to take another valiant
effort on the defensive end of the floor against the talented Buckeyes.Senior guard David Lighty, junior
forward William Buford and freshman guard Aaron Craft can all put pressure on a
defense with their penetration into the lane.Lighty is an elite player with a wide array of skills on the
floor. The 6-5 senior has been superb this season, averaging 13 points per
game.Buford also averages 13.7
tallies per contest.The Nittany
Lions must keep Lighty and Buford from getting to the basket on a regular
basis.
Production in the Post
Ohio State's post duo of senior Dallas Lauderdale and freshman phenom
Jared Sullinger complement one another very well.While Lauderdale disrupts opposing offenses with his
shot-blocking ability, Sullinger has established himself as a superb scorer in
the first 17 games of the season.Sullinger is averaging 17.5 points and 10 rebounds on 59 percent
shooting.With that being said,
Jeff Brooks, Andrew Jones and David Jackson need to play well in the post on
both ends of the floor.Jones has
been terrific in his last two outings, scoring 16 and 12 points, respectively
in the wins over Michigan State and Illinois.The senior center adds another dimension to the offense when
he is active.
Weather the Runs
The Buckeyes have a knack for manufacturing runs in front of their home
crowd.With the talent in their
rotation, the Buckeyes can take a close ballgame and turn it into a route in a
very short period of time.Jon
Diebler's perimeter shooting (53 made 3-pointers this season on 51 percent
shooting) can trigger a run on any given possession.Scoring runs are inevitable with a team as talented as the
Buckeyes, but Talor Battle and company need to answer with aggressive play on
the offensive end of the floor.Penn State is at its best when multiple players reach double
figures.Battle, Brooks, Jackson
and Jones will need strong offensive outing.
Stay Physical
To say the Nittany Lions brought a physical approach to the floor
against Michigan State and Illinois would be an understatement.Playing physical and with confidence is
a trend that needs to continue in Columbus.The coaching staff was pleased after the Illinois game for
the team's physical effort in the paint.With Ohio State's size and rebounding ability, the Lions need to match
the physicality in the paint.It
is shaping up to be an intriguing matchup in Columbus.Tune in at 5:30.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After claiming back-to-back wins over ranked
teams, the Nittany Lion men's basketball team (10-6, 3-2) travels to No. 2 Ohio
State (17-0, 4-0) on Saturday evening (5:30 p.m. BTN).
Leading up to the clash with the undefeated Buckeyes, GoPSUsports.com
caught up with assistant coach Lewis Preston for a video scouting report.Take a look at what Coach Preston has
to say about the Lions' trip to Value City Arena on Saturday.
By Kyle G. Arslanian, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Led by the sharpshooting of freshman Maggie Lucas
and the high-energy play of sophomore Mia Nickson, the Penn State Lady Lions
overcame an 11-point second half deficit to defeat Minnesota, 58-54, inside the
Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday night.
Penn State shot an uncharacteristic 33 percent from the field in the first half,
but found their shooting touch as the game went on to erase the 11-point
Minnesota lead.Lucas posted her
sixth 20 point game of the season as she connected on five three point field
goals, four of those coming in the second half as Penn State made its charge to
victory.
"I was just pressing a little bit in the first half. I had missed a few and I
let it get to my head," said Lucas."In the second half Julia (Trogele) and Alex (Bentley) kept me up and
kept telling me the shots would fall. They also did a great job of setting me
up and setting great screens tonight."
The Lady Lions have the luxury of a balanced attack with several players
capable of stepping into the role of leading scorer whenever the team needs
it.As a freshman, Lucas has done
that several times over the season so far.
"We have, in addition to Maggie, five or six people who are capable of going
off and getting 15-20 points pretty quickly," said Coach Washington."It happened to be Maggie tonight and
we'll definitely take it."
Lucas logged a team high 32 minuets Thursday and contributed three
rebounds, three steals and a block to go along with her 20 points.
The Lady Lions also got a boost from the play of Nickson.Nickson tallied 12 points, and grabbed
11 rebounds for the game's only double-double.Nickson shot 5-of-5 from the field and was also 2-for-2 from
the free throw line.Nickson's
perfect shooting night helped Penn State battle back against Minnesota.
Nickson crashed the boards with energy and consistency throughout the game and
pulled down 5 offensive rebounds and 11 total.Nickson's work on the offensive boards helped keep the Lady
Lions in the game and the extended possessions were key to Penn State's
victory.
"That helps tremendously," said Lucas."That kills the other team, when they play a whole defensive possession
and Mia comes up with the rebound and puts it back up for two, that's a dagger,
it's just hard work."
Nickson also converted two key three point plays in the second half that
gave the Lady Lions momentum and helped turn the game around as Penn State went
on a 19-7 run to erase an 11 point Minnesota lead.
"I thought there would be awesome rebounding opportunities for Mia, if she was
aggressive going to the glass," said Coach Washington. "She started the game off that way and
Julia (Trogele) did the same thing down the stretch. Between the two of them,
they got some big rebounds for us."
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Welcome to the GoPSUsports.com in-game blog for
the Lady Lion basketball team.
Take a look back at the coverage from tonight's clash between Penn
State (14-4, 3-1) and Minnesota (8-10, 0-5) inside the Bryce Jordan Center.The Lady Lions rallied from 11 down in the second half to score a 58-54 victory.
Starting Lineups:
Penn State: G -
Bentley, G - Gray, F - Nickson, F - Trogele, C - Greene
Minnesota: G - China
Antoine, G - Kiara Buford, F - Brianna Mastey, F - Katie Loberg, C - Jackie
Voigt
First Half:
11:13: Penn State 10, Minnesota
10
Both teams got off to a bit of a slow start, but a pair of 3-pointers
from Zhaque Gray and Maggie Lucas on back-to-back possessions looked to be the
baskets that would kick-start the Lady Lion offense.Nonetheless, the Lions are shooting just 4-of-15 in the
first 8:47.On the defensive end
of the floor, Penn State has done a nice job holding Minnesota to just 10
points.The Lions need to turn up
the wick on both ends of the floor with the score tied at 10-10 with 11:13 to
play in the first half.
0:00: Minnesota 26, Penn State 24
The Lady Lions came into the game averaging just shy of 83 points per
game.Ice cold shooting (33
percent) and 14 turnovers both played key roles in a slow first half of
basketball for Penn State.Minnesota held the Lions without a field goal for 6:27 before Gizelle
Studevent sank a pair of baskets in the final 1:01.The Golden Gophers went on a 9-2 run late to build a
five-point lead before Studevent's late 3-pointer.Nonetheless, the Lions are fortunate to be down just two
after committing 14 turnovers and shooting 33 percent.Seven different Lady Lions scored in
the first half.Maggie Lucas led
the way with six tallies.Overall
the Lions need to turn up the wick out of the locker room and take care of the
ball.
Second Half:
11:18: Minnesota 40, Penn State
37
It was a streak-filled start to the second half.Minnesota opened the half with nine straight
points to build its largest lead of the night (35-24).The Lady Lions answered with an 8-0
spurt of their won to trim the Gopher lead to just three (35-32).Mia Nickson has given the Lady Lions
life with two old-fashioned three-point plays, but Penn State still needs to
take better care of the basketball (19 turnovers).The tempo is beginning to pick up, which plays right into
Penn State's favor.
0:00: Penn State 58, Minnesota 54
Despite shooting 39 percent and committing 26 turnovers, the Lady Lions
rallied from 11 down in the second half to knock off the Golden Gophers by
four.It was a sloppy evening of
basketball, but in a conference where wins are tough to come by, a win is a
win.The Lions used a pivotal 9-0
run mid-way through the second half to build a four-point edge.Lucas was tremendous in the second
half, scoring 14 of her game-high 20 points in the second 20 minutes.Lucas drained five 3-pointers on the
night.Nickson tallied a
double-double in the victory, as well.She pulled down 11 aggressive boards and was the physical leader on the
low post.
Final Thoughts:
Anytime a team shoots shy of 40 percent and commits 26 turnovers and
comes out on the winning side of the scoreboard, it is a good thing.Penn State found a way to overcome a
slow offensive night.Moving
forward, the Lions must take better care of the basketball.Overall, Penn State played a solid
defensive game, limiting the Gophers to just 38 percent shooting and 54
points.The Lions picked up the
tempo in the latter stages of the second half.As we have talked about before, Penn State is at its best
when the tempo is fast.Penn State
now shifts focus to a home clash with Illinois on Sunday afternoon in the
Jordan Center.
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 13, 2011 10:49 AM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Lady Lion basketball team (13-4, 3-1) returns
home for the first time since Dec. 30 on Thursday night when it hosts Minnesota
(8-9, 0-4) in the Bryce Jordan Center.
Senior co-captain Julia Trogele has played a big role in the Lady Lion
program throughout her four seasons on campus.With the ability to play all five positions on the floor, the
Devon, Pa., native brings a unique skill set to the starting lineup for Coquese
Washington's team.
In recent games, the 6-2 athlete has been the backup point guard to Alex
Bentley, in addition to her efforts at a forward position.Trogele's versatility makes No. 11 a
very difficult player to defend.Leading up to Thursday's clash with Minnesota, Trogele offers some very
good insight on the Lady Lions and her final season in blue and white in this
week's Lady Lion video profile.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Following a Virginia Duals title, the
second-ranked Nittany Lion wrestling team heads into an open weekend in
preparation for next Friday's dual with rival Pittsburgh.
The Lions went 4-0 at the Virginia Duals en route to winning the
tournament championship over Big Ten foe Michigan.GoPSUsports.com caught up with assistant coach Troy Letters this
week for his thoughts on the trip to Virginia and a look ahead to Pitt.Take a look at the latest edition of
This Week in Penn State Wrestling with Coach Letters.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - What a difference confidence on the hardwood
makes for a basketball team.
The Nittany Lions accomplished something on Tuesday night that had not
been done by a team in the program for nearly 57 years.Penn State's dramatic 57-55 victory
over No. 16 Illinois capped off a three-game homestand in which the Lions
tallied back-to-back wins over then No. 18 Michigan State and the 16th-ranked Illini,
marking the first time the team has defeated two straight ranked opponents
since 1954.
Thanks to a game-winning dunk from senior Andrew Jones with one second
to go, the Nittany Lions etched their third conference win of the season over
the talented Illini.Jones' play
will go down as the game-winner, but the confident Lions were victorious on
Tuesday night because they wanted it more than Illinois.
They played like a team that was just not going to lose.The telling stat on the box score was
rebounding.It was no secret going
into the game that Illinois had superior size with 7-foot-1 Mike Tisdale
starting in the middle for the Illini.But the Lions were plus five on the glass when the final horn sounded on
a snowy night in Happy Valley.
Winning the rebounding battle is very important for the Nittany Lions,
but Tuesday's edge is a clear indicator of a team that played with the fire and
determination necessary to compete with anyone on the Big Ten.
"You know what's funny?" senior guard Talor Battle said."Whenever we win, someone always mentions
how we lost to Maine.Maybe that's
what sparked the fire.I think the
last couple games we've really been playing well together.Coach went back to the drawing board
saying we don't screen for each other, we don't do this, we don't do that.We've really just been working hard in
practice, not being satisfied against Michigan State.We've just been competing."
Since the setback to Maine on December 21, it has been a different group
of Nittany Lions.Penn State
tallied a split in its opening week of Big Ten play at Indiana and Michigan.Purdue then knocked off the Lions in
the conference home opener before the back-to-back ranked wins.The Nittany Lions have been competitive
in all five games, and the three Big Ten wins already matches the conference
win total of last season.
"During the non-conference season, we were so up and down that we had to
find a rhythm," coach Ed DeChellis said."We played a tough schedule, but we still had no rhythm.The team has started to gel nicely and
guys are playing well individually.Drew Jones is playing well.I haven't done anything different, just trying to get him to play hard
and shoot a little better.He's
playing with confidence now, and it's amazing how well that can work."
The Nittany Lions will wrap up a string of five consecutive games
against ranked opponents at No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday and at No. 8 Purdue on
Wednesday.With two ranked wins
under their belt, the Nittany Lions want to get back to work in the practice
gym in preparation for a clash with the Buckeyes.
"What we've been doing in practice is practicing like we lost the night
before," Battle said."After we
beat Michigan State that's the first thing coach said, 'Let's practice like we
lost.'No one's excited and
lackadaisical because we just won, we've been practicing like we just lost and
have something to prove.I think
that's really paid off, guys have been getting after it.We're going to do that when we come
back Thursday to practice and get ready for a really good Ohio State team."
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Welcome to the GoPSUsports.com in-game blog for
the Nittany Lion basketball team.
Take a look back at Penn State's second consecutive win over a ranked opponent. Andrew Jones' dramatic game-winning dunk with one second on the clock boosted the Lions to 3-2 in the Big Ten. Look back at the victory on the in-game blog.
Starting Lineups
Penn State: G -
Battle, G - Frazier, F - Jackson, F - Brooks, C - Jones
Illinois: G -
Demetri McCamey, G - D.J. Richardson, F - Bill Cole, F - Mike Davis, C - Mike
Tisdale
First Half:
15:57: Penn State 9, Illinois 2
Penn State picked up right where it left off from Saturday's win over
Michigan State.The Lions have
been aggressive from the word go.Talor Battle kick-started a 9-2 Penn State spurt to open the game with a
runner in the lane.Andrew Jones
has two baskets, including a two-handed dunk on an underhand feed from Jeff
Brooks.Illinois is 1-for-4 in the
early going.The Lions are playing
with a purpose in the early minutes of action.
11:42: Penn State 13, Illinois 5
The Nittany Lion lead stretched to 11-2 on Jones' third basket of the
ballgame.A Mike Tisdale 3-pointer
snapped a five-minute drought to slice the lead down to six, but Tim Frazier
pushed the margin back up to eight.Illinois came into the game shooting 65 percent from the field during
their first three Big Ten games.Tonight, the Illini are 2-of-9 to start the game.Penn State is in control early, and the
Illini are struggling.
7:49: Penn State 18, Illinois 13
The story of the early portions of the first half has been Penn State's
defense.Coach DeChellis talked
extensively about the importance of keeping Illinois to fewer than 70 points tonight.Through 12 minutes of action, the
Illini have made just four baskets for 13 points.Billy Oliver has been active on the defensive end of the
floor, including a block of 7-1 Tisdale.The Nittany Lions are playing the type of game they need to.Despite shooting just 32 percent, Penn
State leads by five.
3:27: Penn State 25, Illinois 17
A Battle steal and dunk and a corner 3-pointer from Brooks capped off a
9-0 run on the scoreboard, which gave the Lions a 12-point lead with 5:58 to
play in the half.Brandon Paul
countered with Illinois' first basket in 6:36, marking its second scoring drought
of five minutes for more.A deep
basket from Tisdale trimmed the Lion lead to eight, but the Lions are still in
control.Penn State's defense
continues to be the story.The
Lions have forced eight turnovers while allowing Illinois to convert just
6-of-19 shooting in the first half.A quick note for you - Talor Battle has now played more minutes than any
other Penn State player, passing Joe Crispin (4,063).
0:00: Penn State 25, Illinois 25
Penn State's 12-point lead evaporated in the final 5:33 of the initial
half.A Mike Davis jump hook as
time expired capped off a 12-0 scoring spurt from Illinois.After an ice cold start, Illinois
caught fire down the stretch and now stands even on the scoreboard.Penn State went scoreless in the final
5:58 of the half.The Lions shot
just 9-of-30 from the floor and 3-of-14 from 3-point range.Illinois finished the half with a
10-of-23 mark from the field.The
Lions controlled much of the first half, but the late run from Illinois has
completely changed the complexion of the basketball game.The first five minutes of the second
half are going to be critical.The
Lions need an aggressive start to the second half.
15:09: Penn State 35, Illinois 30
Illinois built a 30-27 with 16:51 to play, but the Lions had seen
enough.Billy Oliver got a shooter's
touch on a corner 3-pointer to ignite an 8-0 scoring spurt for the Nittany
Lions.Battle converted a reverse
layup and 3-pointer of his own to put the Lions up five.Penn State is controlling the
rebounding column on the stat sheet (25-17).Illinois is not going to go away, but the Lions needed a strong
start to the second half and they got one.
11:42: Penn State 42, Illinois 40
Thanks to a 38-foot 3-pointer from Battle as the shot clock ran down,
the Nittany Lions are clinging to a two-point lead.The Lion senior has 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting this
evening. Illinois' Tisdale has
scored the last five points for the Illini.Neither team has gained control of the contest in the second
half.The Battle 3-pointer brought
the Nittany Nation to its feet.Let's see how the Lions can respond in the final 11:42.
7:52: Penn State 44, Illinois 43
Battle has scored 21 of Penn State's 44 points thus far.The Lion senior is 7-of-13 from the
floor, but the Lions need another scorer to step up with a couple baskets.The rest of Penn State's starting five
is a combined 6-of-25 from the field.However, the Lions still lead by one on the scoreboard.Illinois is shooting just 39 percent
from the field, well below its 65 percent average for the Big Ten season.
2:11: Penn State 55, Illinois 53
Battle is beginning to put on a show in the closing stages of the
ballgame.After his highlight reel
3-pointer from the paint in the center circle, the Albany, N.Y., native just
eyed up a 28-foot 3-pointer over the outstretched arms of 6-9 Mike Davis to put
the Lions up 55-51.Battle has 26
points tonight to lead all scorers.Penn State has gone 51-7 in the last four seasons when leading at the
five minute mark.The Lions were
up 52-51 tonight.As it always is,
a Penn State-Illinois game is headed for a tight finish in the Jordan Center.
0:00: Penn State 57, Illinois 55
The Nittany Lions have defeated a ranked opponent in back-to-back games
for the first time since the 1954 NCAA Tournament.Andrew Jones is the hero for the Nittany Lions after the
senior center flushed home a game-winning put-back dunk after a Talor Battle
shot attempt bounced off the iron with one second to play.What a pair of games from the Nittany
Lions, who now sit 3-2 in the conference after another dramatic finish inside
the Bryce Jordan Center.
Final Thoughts:
For those of you who did not brave the snow in State College tonight to
see the Nittany Lions, you missed out.Penn State played 40 minutes of gritty basketball to defeat the
16th-ranked Illini.When you look
at the final box score and see that Penn State shot 35 percent from the field
for the game, you wonder how the Lions picked up a victory.But the Lions played superb defense,
holding Illinois to 41 percent shooting.Penn State out-rebounded the Illini by a 33-28 margin.The Lions also finished perfect at the
foul line (14-for-14), equaling a mark set in 1978 against Villanova.
Battle's 26 points led all players.Jones finished with 12, but no two were bigger than his
final dunk to knock off Illinois.These two teams have played battle after battle in the past five
seasons.Tuesday's game adds
another chapter in a long line of dramatic finishes between the Lions and
Illini.Six of the last 11 games
between the two teams have been decided by two points or less.The Lions now head to No. 2 Ohio State
with a great deal of confidence after a game-winner from Jones.
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 11, 2011 12:29 PM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - As you get ready to watch the Nittany Lions (9-6,
2-2) take on No. 16 Illinois (13-3, 3-0) in the Bryce Jordan Center on Tuesday
night (9 p.m. on BTN), take a look at the Next Game Primer video scouting
report of the Illini with assistant coach Dan Earl.
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on January 11, 2011 11:28 AM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion basketball team (9-6, 2-2) plays
host to No. 16 Illinois (13-3, 3-0) to the Bryce Jordan Center on Tuesday night
in the Jordan Center.
To get ready for the game, here are five things to watch for as the
Lions take on the Illini.
Rebounding
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Nittany Lions must
rebound the basketball to beat Illinois.With 7-1 Mike Tisdale and 6-9 Mike Davis in the paint for the Illini,
Penn State must box out and get to balls off the glass to put itself in a
position to win.Like we mentioned
yesterday, the rebounding numbers tell the story for Penn State's season.When the Lions win the rebounding edge,
they are 7-1.When they lose the rebounding
edge, they are 1-6.Rebounding is
an emphasis before every game for the Nittany Lions.All five Lions must crash the boards, but Jeff Brooks, David
Jackson and Andrew Jones need a big day on the glass.
Keeping it in the 60s
Illinois has the Big Ten's top scoring offense in conference games this
seasons, averaging 81.3 points per contest.Coach DeChellis said on Monday that he wants to see the game
in the 60s on Tuesday night.The
Illini have lost three games this season, two of which came when they scored
fewer than 70 points.Keeping
Illinois to 70 points or less is easier said than done, though.Andrew Jones and Jeff Brooks both
mentioned on Monday the importance of playing physical post defense.Keep an eye on the low post.
Bench Production
It is always important for the Nittany Lions to get scoring off the
bench, but against a team that averages 81 points per contest in the
conference, it is critical.Jermaine Marshall has provided a spark to the rotation in the past two
outings, scoring 18 against Purdue and eight against Michigan State.The Nittany Lions need a double-digit
effort from the bench on Tuesday night to keep pace with the Illini.Marshall and Billy Oliver can impact
the game with good defense and rebounding, but adding a few tallies to the
scorebook will be crucial against Illinois' offense.
Containing the Dribble
Illinois senior guard Demetri McCamey is one of the top point guards in
college basketball.Averaging 16.2
points and 7.3 assists, McCamey is a tough player to guard.He is the leader of the Illinois
offense and wants the ball in his hands in big play situations.The senior is at his best when he
penetrates into the lane and gets the rest of the team involved.It will be interesting to see whom Penn
State puts on McCamey Tuesday night.The defender must keep No. 32 in front of him.McCamey can do a lot of damage when he gets into the paint.
Defending Illinois' Shooting
It's next to impossible to stop a team that is shooting north of 60
percent from the field and from 3-point range.Nonetheless, the Nittany Lions can make things difficult for
Illinois by contesting every shot and getting into the offensive player with
physical defense.Disrupting the
timing of Illinois' offense and slowing down the tempo offensively will likely
play a big role in the gameplan.Like we mentioned earlier, Penn State wants to keep this game in the 60s
on Tuesday night.In order to do that,
the Lions will need to play a ball possession game.McCamey and fellow guards Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson
and Jereme Richmond are all talented players the Lions must defend on the
perimeter.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Talor Battle, Jeff Brooks, David Jackson and
Andrew Jones have played a lot of basketball together over the past four
seasons.
Saturday's win over No. 18 Michigan State proved how dangerous the group
can be when all four seniors play well.All four reached double digits on Saturday against Michigan State.And they all made huge plays down the
stretch to solidify Penn State's third win over the Spartans in their last
seven tries.
"Well this game is huge for us because Michigan State is a great team,
the win really gives us confidence," forward David Jackson said."But at the same time we need to keep
our focus.We have a lot of games
moving forward in the Big Ten, but this let's us know that if we can beat
Michigan State and play with them, we can play with anybody."
Penn State plays host to its third consecutive top 25 opponent on
Tuesday night when the red hot Illinois Fighting Illini enter the Jordan Center
for a 9 p.m. tip.The clash with No.
16 Illinois will mark the third of five consecutive matchups with ranked
teams.And the four seniors are
eager for the challenge on Tuesday night in the Jordan Center.
"When we four seniors play well offensively and defensively we give
ourselves a great chance to win," Brooks said."When we all play this well, we're a tough team to beat."
Votes in the ESPN/USA Today
Coaches Poll
The Nittany Lions received two votes in this week's ESPN/USA Today Top
25 Coaches Poll, which was released on Monday.In all, six Big Ten teams occupy a spot in the Top 25,
including No. 2 Ohio State, No. 8 Purdue, No. 16 Illinois, No. 21 Wisconsin,
No. 24 Michigan State and No. 25 Minnesota.
Rebounding Numbers Tell the Tale
Prior to every game, the Penn State coaching staff harps on
rebounding.When the Nittany Lions
rebound well, they put themselves in a great position to win.Just look at the numbers.
Penn State is 7-1 when it wins the rebounding edge.
The Lions are 1-5 when they lose the rebounding edge.
When the rebounding numbers are even, the Lions are 1-0 this season.
Coach DeChellis Press Conference
Nittany Lion head coach Ed DeChellis met with the media before practice
on Monday afternoon to preview the clash with Illinois.Coach DeChellis labeled the Illini as a
team that is playing the best offensive basketball of any team in the
conference right now.Through
three Big Ten games, Illinois is shooting 65 percent from the field and 64
percent from 3-point range.It is
tough to beat a team when it shoots the ball that well, especially from the
perimeter.
The Nittany Lions and Illini have had their fair share of battles in the
past three seasons.Coach
DeChellis wants this season's first meeting to be a game with Illinois scoring
in the 60s.The Illini are
averaging north of 80 points per game in the first three Big Ten games.With the win over Michigan State on
Saturday, Coach DeChellis wants to see the team build off of that against
Illinois.He also added the
importance of the energy and enthusiasm from the crowd.Get to the Jordan Center for the 9 p.m.
tip on Tuesday night.
VIDEO: Players Previewing Illinois
We caught up with seniors Andrew Jones and Jeff Brooks prior to practice
on Monday for their thoughts leading up to the Illinois game.Take a look.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Welcome to the GoPSUsports.com in-game blog for
the Nittany Lion basketball team.
Take a look back at the gameday blog from Penn State's (9-6, 2-2) 66-62
victory over No. 18 Michigan State (10-5, 2-1) on Saturday afternoon in the
Bryce Jordan Center.What an
afternoon it was for the Nittany Lions as they scored a huge victory over Big
Ten power Michigan State.
Starting Lineups
Penn State: G -
Battle, G - Frazier, F - Jackson, F - Brooks, C - Jones
Michigan State: G - Keith
Appling, G - Kalin Lucas, G - Durrell Summers, F - Draymond Green, F - Delvon
Roe
