UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Illinois scoring ace Brandon Paul stepped into a 3-pointer with 39.1 seconds on the clock to tie Thursday night's clash inside the Bryce Jordan Center at 52-52.

Nittany Lion junior point guard Tim Frazier raced across the halfcourt line before calling a full timeout.  The Lions then used 18 seconds on the clock before head coach Patrick Chambers signaled for a second timeout to set up one final play.

The clock read 16 seconds, and everyone in the arena on a snowy night in Happy Valley expected the ball to be in Frazier's hands.

Frazier received the in bounds pass from Matt Glover in the backcourt and dribbled in the center circle patiently waiting as the clock ticked down under 10 seconds.  Redshirt freshman forward Jon Graham made the first move to the top of the key.  Graham set a screen on Paul, freeing Frazier to run along the right side of the lane.

The Houston native raced past the foul line, stopped 12 feet shy of the basket before elevating for a floating jumper that ultimately handed the Nittany Lions their first ranked win of the season.

"We had a high screen and roll and I was trying to make my read whether they came up high, I was just going to kick it out to the corner, but he stayed in the paint and I was able to get deep enough to get the shot," Frazier said.

Coach Chambers drew up a play during each of the final two timeouts.

"Really, they were both plays for Tim [Frazier]," Coach Chambers said.  "He has earned the right to make those and take those shots. He's done a great job with leadership. He's been just incredible, his effort in his play throughout the whole season. We knew they were going to deny him out to half-court, which they did. He was supposed to back-up and he cut it off. He didn't trust it. Fine, I just called timeout and said, 'let's simplify'. Let's get a good screen."

When Frazier sank the clutch basket there were still 8.3 seconds remaining on the clock, and he knew the game was not over.

"Once I hit the floater, the first thing I think about is not letting Brandon Paul get the ball, and I tried to deny him as much as possible, and they ended up calling a time out, so it was great," Frazier said.

Out of the timeout, Illinois guard Sam Maniscalco drove into the lane before Jermaine Marshall blocked the final attempt as the horn sounded.

"[Tim] has earned the right to make that shot," Coach Chambers said.  "What I mean by that is that he has worked so hard. Even when we don't have practice, he comes in, he's doing extra things, extra shooting, working on his game. He earned the right to make that shot. He earned the right to take it."

Penn State desperately needed a victory after three-straight setbacks.  The Lions worked tirelessly on the practice floor on Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare for a battle against Illinois.  Coach Chambers opened Wednesday's practice to the public to allow the players to change the routine and practice in game-like conditions with a true clock and media timeouts.

At the end of the day, though, Thursday's win came down to effort.  The Nittany Lions played Coach Chambers' trademark gritty, hard-nosed basketball for two halves en route to a much-needed triumph.

"It's confidence, there's no question," Coach Chambers said.  "They see now that they could be a good team. They can believe and have faith in what Penn State basketball is all about: it's defending, rebounding and competing for 40 minutes. If they do that, we are going to be in the game, in a possession game."

Coach Chambers joked in the postgame press conference that he wanted the media to let him enjoy Thursday's win for about an hour before he shifted into preparations for Sunday's trip to No. 13 Indiana.  The Big Ten is the only BCS basketball conference where every team has at least 10 wins.  Every game is a challenge.  The Lions and Illini played their sixth game in the last nine outings that was decided by one or two points.  Now, it is on to Assembly Hall.

"This conference is unbelievable," said Coach Chambers.  "It is the best conference, great coaches, great players. It is a flat out battle every time you step on the floor. You can't take anything for granted. You can't let up. That's what I try to tell our guys. You cannot let up. They didn't. They did a great job. It was a great win. Indiana happens to be the next game on the schedule and it happens to be on the road. I expect another battle."


Follow GoPSUsports.com Media Specialist Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony