Those two words resonate with sports fans across the country during this time
of year.It is truly a great month to be
a sports fan with college postseason competition filling all hours of the day.
I'm right there with the college sports fanatics glued to the TV and webstreams
watching men's and women's basketball and wrestling throughout March.But "March Madness" takes on a new definition
for staff members in athletic departments working with teams competing in the
postseason.
For me, March is a whirlwind of travel across the nation to cover the Penn
State athletic teams in the postseason.The month of March is unlike any other during the calendar year.
From the Midwest to the Bayou to New England, "March Madness" travel spanned 7,026 miles in 2012 (shy of 7,912 miles
in 2011) with stops in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Louisiana
and Rhode Island.It included 18 nights
in a hotel out of 28 days, 10 flights, nine airports, one train, five trips to
Steak & Shake, seafood at Sammy's in the Gulf Coast region and Benjamin's
along the Atlantic Ocean, 15 basketball games, 857 individual wrestling matches,
one Big Ten title, one Sweet 16 appearance, three individual national champions
and one team national title.
Tag along through a notebook from a month to remember in 2012 for Penn State
sports teams.
February 28-March 5 - West Lafayette,
Ind. & Indianapolis, Ind. The postseason travel began a little earlier than usual with a regular
season trek to the land of Boilermakers with Coach Chambers and the Nittany
Lion men's hoops team.Penn State
boarded its Embraer 145 charter at 6:30 p.m. for a direct flight to Lafayette,
Ind., and a stay at the Hilton Garden Inn along the banks of the Wabash River.Game morning (Feb. 29) included a team walk
across a bridge over the Wabash in 70-degree weather.The newly renovated Mackey Arena played host
to the Nittany Lions on Senior Night for a Boilermaker class that included
all-time great Robbie Hummel.A packed
house was the setting for a superb atmosphere for college hoops.
Mackey Arena - Penn State vs. Purdue on Feb. 29
With the Big Ten women's hoops tournament slated to begin just one day later,
an extended stay at the Omni Severin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis was
next.The Lady Lions opened the
conference tournament with a 78-74 victory over Minnesota on March 2.One day later, it was back to Mackey Arena 65
miles up the road in West Lafayette for Big Ten Wrestling action.Penn State sent seven wrestlers into the
semifinals on Saturday night, but only three Nittany Lions earned a spot in the
championship matches.With its back to
the wall, Penn State needed a valiant comeback on Sunday to win a
second-straight Big Ten title.Head
coach Cael Sanderson smiled and wanted to see how his team would respond.The Nittany Lions did just that by winning
11-straight matches en route to three individual titles and a team Big Ten
championship for the second-straight season.It was back to Happy Valley on a 6 a.m. flight from Indianapolis on
March 5 to get ready for week two of travel.
Penn State Wrestling - 2012 Big Ten Champions
March 7-9 - Indianapolis, Ind. The traveling caravan moved onto the highways of America on March 7 with a
drive back to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament.The Omni Severin staff recognized myself and
staff photographer Mark Selders as prime customers while checking in for the
second time in three days.While Coach
Chambers and the Nittany Lions fell short against the home state Indiana
Hoosiers, the 2011-'12 season laid the foundation for what will be a great deal
of success for the Nittany Lion basketball program.
March 15-17 - St. Louis, Mo.
The bags were packed and the conference championship season was over.March 15 kicked off two weeks full of NCAA
Wrestling and Women's Basketball Tournament action.I boarded a 7:52 a.m. flight from State
College, just as the sun began to rise of Mt. Nittany en route to St. Louis'
Scottrade Center for the NCAA Wrestling Championships.
Sun rise over Happy Valley - March 15
The Arch in St. Louis
Simply put, Penn State wrestling put on a show in the Gateway to the West.For the second-straight season, Coach
Sanderson and the Nittany Lions clinched a national championship before the
finals even took place.Seeing senior
Frank Molinaro capture a lifelong dream on wrestling's grandest stage by
winning a national title was one of the most memorable things I've seen in my
years at Penn State.Additionally, it is
hard to find a more dominant performance at the national tournament than that
of sophomore David Taylor who pinned his way to the finals before scoring
national title with a tech fall.The
night ended with the Nittany Lions on stage with the 2012 NCAA Championship
trophy.With work completed at 1 a.m.,
the 3:15 a.m. wakeup call for the next leg of the journey came early.
David Taylor celebrating his national title with Cael Sanderson
2012 NCAA Champions
March 18-21 - Baton Rouge, La. With a paddleboat down the Mississippi River from St. Louis to Baton Rouge
not a feasible option, I boarded a 6 a.m. flight from Lambert International
Airport to Baton Rouge (with a stop in Houston).The
warm, humid weather along the Mississippi River set the stage for great stay in
Baton Rouge as the Lady Lions earned their first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance since
2004.Penn State topped UTEP on March 18
to earn a date with host LSU on the March 20.Penn State knew that playing fifth-seeded LSU on its home floor would be
no easy task, but it did not matter.The
Lady Lions turned in a strong second half to knock off the Lady Tigers by a
score of 90-80.
The banks of the Mississippi at the Hilton Baton Rouge
NCAA Second Round on March 18 - Penn State vs. LSU
The southern hospitality was superb in Louisiana.Additionally, LSU's athletic facilities and
staff were first rate.The $2 million
cage for Mike The Tiger, LSU's live mascot, was one of the most interesting
sights of the trip.With a ticket to the
Sweet 16 punched, Penn State boarded a charter back home to Happy Valley at 1
a.m. CT and returned home after 4 a.m. ET.
Mike The Tiger's $2 habitat next to Tiger Stadium
Mike The Tiger
March 23-26 - Kingston, R.I.
A mere 60 hours later, the women's hoops travel party boarded a DC9 charter jet
to Providence, R.I., for the NCAA Regional round of the tournament.Kingston, R.I. (home of the University of
Rhode Island) is a small town with very limited hotel options. Therefore, Penn State stayed in Newport, R.I.
at the Newport Harbor Hotel located on the water.Despite the 30-minute drive to the Ryan
Center for practice and the games, Newport was a great destination with endless
restaurant options and scenic views along the Atlantic Coast.
On the way to Providence for NCAA Regional
The Atlantic Coast in Newport, R.I.
Playing UConn is a tall order in the postseason, but the Lady Lions battled to
the final whistle on Sunday afternoon.While
the result was not what anyone in the program had hoped for, the Lady Lions
gained invaluable experience on Sunday afternoon against UConn.The Sweet 16 loss will make Penn State a
better basketball team for the future.The
return flight home to State College landed at 11:15 a.m., just in time for the
start of spring football practice.
NCAA Regional Semifinal on March 30 - Penn State vs. UConn
While travel is relentless during the busiest month of the year, March is a
good reminder of why this job is one of the best in sports.Watching Penn State teams compete, and excel,
in the postseason is priceless.Start
the countdown clock to March Madness in 2013.
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Media Specialist Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Penn State point guard Tim Frazier scored 26 points
in the Lions' 75-58 setback to Indiana at the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday.
The first team All-Big Ten guard tallied 19 of his 26 points in the first half
before the Hoosiers used a zone defense to slow down his ability to penetrate
in the second 20 minutes.Nonetheless,
like he did all season long, Frazier carried the Nittany Lions on Thursday in
Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
After the final whistle sounded, Indiana head coach Tom Crean stopped Frazier
during the handshake line and told him to keep his head up.Crean proceeded to tell Frazier that, "you
are an All-American."
See what Frazier had to say in the locker room after the game.
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Media Specialist Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -Take a look back through the running blog from
Penn State's 75-58 setback to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday
afternoon. Welcome to the GoPSUsports.com gameday
blog for the Nittany Lion basketball team.
Today, 12th-seeded Penn State (12-19, 4-14) is inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse
in Indianapolis for its Big Ten Tournament first round matchup against
fifth-seeded Indiana (24-7, 11-7).The
Nittany Lions advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game last season,
while the Hoosiers are seeking their first Big Ten Tourney win since 2006.This marks the third time in four seasons
that Penn State and Indiana have met in the first round of the Big Ten
Tournament.
The stakes are clear in the postseason.It
is win or go home for the Nittany Lions.Penn State played IU very close in three of the four halves this season.Defending the perimeter with better team
defense will be crucial for the Nittany Lions when the game tips off this
afternoon.Additionally, Penn State
needs to come out hot from the opening tip forward.
Follow along here on the in-game blog for updates throughout Thursday's Big Ten
Tournament clash with Indiana.
Starting Lineups Penn State: G - Frazier, G - Lewis, G - Marshall, F - Travis, F - Graham Indiana: G - Hulls, G - Oladipo, G -
Sheehey, F - Watford, F - Zeller
First Half: 14:48 - Indiana 9, Penn State 6 Thanks to six points from leading scorer Cody Zeller, Indiana leads by
three at the first media timeout.Jordan
Hulls broke a 6-6 tie with a 3-pointer in transition.For the Nittany Lions, Tim Frazier has both
baskets (threes) in the first four minutes. The tempo has been very fast in the opening
minutes.Neither team has shot
particularly well in the first stretch of action.
11:17 - Indiana 16, Penn State 13 Hulls has scored the last
10 points for the Hoosiers, but Penn State is within three following a driving
left-handed lay-in from Frazier.The
Nittany Lions are 4-for-11 from the field, but they are battling thanks to
great effort on the glass and eight tallies from Frazier.Again, Penn State must guard the perimeter to
put itself in a position to win.
7:30 - Indiana 22, Penn State 19 The Nittany Lions
continue to battle possession after possession on the defensive end of the
floor in the first half.Frazier has
scored 12 points for the Lions, but it has been the defensive effort in the
opening 12:30 that has the Lions within three on the scoreboard.All of Indiana's points have come from Hulls
and Zeller.Penn State is doing all of
the little things right in the first half.It needs to stay aggressive on offense.
3:24 - Indiana 31, Penn State 24 A big 3-pointer from
Frazier halted a 9-0 scoring run from Indiana.Two free throws from Zeller handed IU its largest lead of the first half
at 10 before Frazier's triple.Indiana
is making a living at the foul line in the latter stages of the first half,
shooting 9-for-9.Nonetheless, the
margin is just seven with 3:24 to play.It is a crucial span for the Nittany Lions until halftime.
0:00 - Indiana 38, Penn State 32 The Nittany Lions
weathered a 9-0 surge from the Hoosiers, and head into the locker room down
just six points.Penn State led just
once (3-2), but the Lions are well within striking distance after a good half.Frazier was tremendous in the opening 20
minutes, scoring 19 of Penn State's 32 points.The Hoosiers were led by 13 from Hulls and 12 from Zeller.IU leads the conference in shooting
percentage, but the Penn State defense held the Hoosiers to just 37 percent
shooting.The big difference came at the
foul line, with Indiana shooting 13-for-15 from the charity stripe compared to
Penn State's 6-for-7 shooting effort at the foul line.Nonetheless, the Nittany Lions are competing
on every possession.The first four
minutes of the second half are critical for Penn State.
Second Half: 15:21 - Indiana 47,
Penn State 34 Watford scored the
first basket of the second half, but Jon Graham answered with a post move to
keep the margin at six (40-34).However,
a 7-0 run from Indiana, including another 3-pointer from Hulls, has set the
score at 47-34.Penn State must do a
better job on the glass.Indiana already
has three offensive boards in the second half.
11:58 - Indiana 54, Penn State 36
The Nittany Lions started the second half 2-for-10 from the field before an
offensive put-back from Travis.During
that span, Indiana rattled off 14-straight points to build a 20-point cushion
in front of large contingent of Hoosier fans.Penn State will continue to compete down the stretch, but Indiana has a
lot of offensive weapons every time down the floor.The Lions need to rotate better on defense
down the stretch.
7:49 - Indiana 61, Penn State 43
The Nittany Lions are ice cold in the second half, shooting just 3-for-19 from
the field.Frazier has two free throws
in the half, but he has been held without a basket.Penn State trimmed the IU lead down to 13
points (54-41), but Indiana came right back with five unanswered to push the
lead back to 18.Indiana has attempted
26 free throws to Penn State's 12.
0:00 - Indiana 75, Penn State 58 The Nittany Lions
closed to within 14 on two different occasions in the final 4:37, but that
would be as close as Penn State would get down the stretch.Frazier led the way with 26 points, but was
limited to just seven in the second half.Freshman Trey Lewis knocked down a trio of 3-pointers on his way to an
11-point effort.Jermaine Marshall
tallied nine points.Penn State shot
just 19-55 for the game (34.5 percent).Hulls and Zeller led the Hoosiers with 20 and 19, respectively.
Final Thoughts: The Nittany Lions
battled from start to finish inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Thursday
afternoon, but Indiana's aggressive play in the paint and rebounding edge
proved to be too much.The Hoosiers
pulled down 16 offensive rebounds and 45 boards overall, while the Lions
tallied 29 rebounds.Indiana also
attempted 36 free throws to Penn State's 16.
Nonetheless, the Lions were down just six in the opening minutes of the second
half (40-34).However, the scoring went
dry, and IU mounted a 14-0 run to take control of the ballgame.The Lions started the second half just
3-for-19.Against a team like Indiana,
it is tough to overcome a cold shooting half.Additionally, the Hoosiers did a nice job keeping Frazier out of the
paint in the second half.
With the setback, the Nittany Lions finish the season 12-20. Head coach Patrick
Chambers laid the foundation for what will be a very bright future for the
program.Everyone in the locker room
wanted to win more than 12 games in 2011-'12, but the attitude, effort and
improvement from November was visibly evident at the end of the year.The individual growth will continue in the
offseason, and the Nittany Lions will add some new pieces to roster.Coach Chambers said during the postgame press
conference that he cannot until tomorrow when he starts working towards the future.
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Media Specialist Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
A new season is upon all 12 teams in the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament.
Everyone heads to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis with a clean slate and
a 0-0 record.
Penn State head coach Patrick Chambers has said throughout the season that he
wanted to see the Nittany Lions play their best basketball of the season in
March.The Lions continue to get better
with each passing day, and they will have another opportunity on the floor Thursday
(2 p.m. on BTN) when they meet fifth-seeded Indiana in the first round of the
Big Ten Tournament.
The Nittany Lions and Hoosiers met twice during the regular season, with IU
scoring two wins (88-82 at Penn State and 73-54 at Indiana).Penn State played three very good halves
against Indiana.If it were not for 16
made 3-pointers from the Hoosiers in the Bryce Jordan Center, the final outcome
of the Jan. 8 meeting could have been much different.At Assembly Hall, Penn State took a 29-27
lead into the halftime break before Indiana pulled away with a 46-point second
half.
The Hoosiers enter the tournament on a four-game winning streak, including wins
of Michigan State and Purdue in their final two regular season games.Penn State enters the tournament 2-4 in its
last six games with a one-point setback to Northwestern and a six-point setback
to Michigan during that span.
VIDEO: Tim Frazier Named First Team
All-Big Ten Penn State junior point guard Tim Frazier is having one of the best
statistical seasons in Penn State history, averaging 18.6 points, 6.3 assists,
4.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.The Houston, Texas, native was honored for his superb season with well-deserved
All-Big Ten first team accolades on Monday night.
Frazier led the Big Ten in assists and steals, and he finished second in the
scoring race.We caught up with Penn
State's sixth All-Big Ten first team honoree after practice on Tuesday.
VIDEO: Indiana Preview with Assistant
Coach Brian Daly Following Tuesday's practice, we talked with assistant coach Brian Daly for
a video preview of the first-round matchup against Indiana.Take a look.
Quoting Coach Chambers Head coach Patrick Chambers met with the media on Monday to preview the Big
Ten Tournament.Take a look through a
collection of quotes on the matchup against Indiana and the postseason.
On the team's season-long improvement... "I just told the guys...we are getting
better.The results are not what we
wanted them to be, but we are getting better.Ross Travis' production was terrific on Sunday.Jermaine Marshall, we saw a whole different
side of him (against Michigan) and how good he could be in the future.We know what Tim (Frazier) is going to
bring."
On heading into the Big Ten Tournament as
the underdog... "We are playing with house money.No
one expects us to win.[I told the team]
to go out there and play fearless, care-free and just compete.And then just see what happens.There is no question we could win four games
in a row.We have to take it one game at
a time."
On his first regular season in the Big
Ten... "I haven't had time to process it yet, but I love it.I absolutely love this league.I love the styles of each team.I enjoy battling against these coaches and
coming up with gameplans and schemes.It
has been a lot of fun, even with the record - 4-14.We have enjoyed it, my staff and I.I remember the Big East very well.There is more execution in this league.There are more skilled guys in this league...It
is everything I expected, and we really enjoyed it.We are looking forward to it in the future."
On matching up with Indiana... "We are a different team now [than when we last played them].We don't have Cam (Woodyard).We don't have Billy (Oliver).They are playing very well.(Will) Sheehey is playing much better.(Cody) Zeller has been a rock.Jordan Hulls is a senior and you know what
you are going to get from him.(Christian) Watford played really well [against Purdue].We are running into a very hot team, much
like Purdue.So, we have to understand
what is about to hit us in Indy."
On Indiana's depth... "They have weapons.They have
Verdell (Jones III).They have guys off
the bench.Let's not forget about Matt
Roth.He is shooting 56 percent from three.That is pretty amazing.Everybody knows and everybody schemes for it,
but he still is able to get shots...We have to play better team defense than we
did at Indiana."
Stat Comparison: Penn State and Indiana Indiana leads the Big Ten in scoring, field goal percentage and 3-point
percentage, largely due to a dominant season inside Assembly Hall.Indiana scored wins over Kentucky, Ohio
State, Michigan and Michigan State en route to an 18-1 mark at home.The Hoosiers' numbers aren't quite as good
away from Assembly Hall, but Tom Crean's squad is very talented throughout the
rotation.Indiana has not won a Big Ten
Tournament game since 2006.Take an
inside look at the numbers in Thursday's matchup at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
#12 Penn State
Big Ten Tournament
First Round
#5 Indiana
12-19
Overall Record
24-7
4-14
Big Ten Record
11-7
159
RPI
12
61.9
Points Per Game - Offense
77.5
65.5
Points Per Game - Defense
65.4
.394
FG Percentage
.491
.436
Opponent FG Percentage
.422
.306
3-point Percentage
.432
.380
Opponent 3-point Percentage
.338
.684
Free Throw Percentage
.759
34.0
Rebounds Per Game
34.7
+2.5
Rebounding Margin
+4.0
10.8
Assists Per Game
13.7
Frazier (18.6 ppg)
Leading Scorer
Zeller (15.4 ppg)
Frazier (4.8 rpg)
Leading Rebounder
Zeller (6.4 rpg)
Frazier (6.3 apg)
Assists Leader
Hulls (3.4 apg)
2-8
Record - Last 10 Games
8-2
0-2
Season Series
2-0
9-14
Big Ten Tournament Record
8-14
0
Big Ten Tournament Titles
0
Big Ten Tournament Bracket Analysis While the seeds are different from the 2011 Big Ten Tournament, Penn
State's draw is virtually identical in 2012.The Lions scored three-straight victories over Indiana, Wisconsin and
Michigan State before taking on Ohio State in the championship game last
spring.This year, the Lions again open
with Indiana.The winner of the Penn
State-Indiana game moves on to face Wisconsin, which received a bye.The Nittany Lions played two very competitive
games with the Badgers during the regular season.
The highest seed in Penn State's half of the bracket is No. 1 Michigan State,
which could be a semifinal opponent for the winner of Friday's quarterfinal
game between Wisconsin and Penn State or Indiana.Michigan State will play the winner of Iowa and
Illinois on Friday.
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By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on February 29, 2012 4:12 PM
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.
- Take a look back at the running blog from Wednesday's 80-56 setback inside Mackey Arena.
Welcome to GoPSUsports.com gameday coverage of Nittany Lion basketball.
Tonight, Penn State (10-14, 2-9) is in Mackey Arena for its final road game of
the 2012 Big Ten season on Senior Night at Purdue (19-10, 9-7).The Nittany Lions return to the floor after a
heartbreaking loss to Northwestern at home on Saturday night.
The Nittany Lions are expecting a physical contest against a hungry Purdue team
looking to send senior starters Robbie Hummel, Lewis Jackson and Ryne Smith out
with a victory in their final appearance at Mackey Arena.The Nittany Lions are coming off two very
strong days of practice heading into the penultimate game of the regular
season.The Lions need a quick start in
the hostile environment.
VIDEO: Tour Newly-Renovated Mackey
Arena During Penn State Shootaround Penn State will be playing its first game in the newly-renovated home
of Mackey Arena.GoPSUsports.com took a
walk around the facility at shootaround on Wednesday.Take a look.
In-Game Blog: Check back at 6:30 p.m. for live
updates as the game progresses.
- The Nittany Lions
will be without a significant piece of its lineup on Wednesday night.While cutting around a screen at shootaround
on Wednesday morning, senior Cammeron Woodyard suffered a fracture of the fifth
metatarsal bone in his right foot.
Starting Lineups Penn State: G - Frazier, G - Colella, G - Marshall, F - Travis, C
- Graham Purdue: G - Smith, G - Jackson, G -
Johnson, F - Hummel, F - Carroll
First Half: 15:15 - Penn State 9, Purdue 9 Junior point guard Tim Frazier is off to a superb start in Mackey
Arena.The Texas native is perfect from
the floor and the foul line.He has
scored all nine of Penn State's points thus far.The Boilermakers have missed a couple open
looks from the perimeter, but the Lions are off to a good start in front of a
packed house inside Mackey.
11:47 - Penn State 14, Purdue 14 The Nittany Lions are
5-for-9 from the field in the opening eight-plus minutes of game action.A good start on offense was an absolute must
tonight, and Penn State has done just that.The Lions held Hummel without a point before he slipped free under the
basket for an easy lay-in.The Purdue
senior will head to the foul line for two shots after the media timeout.Nonetheless, the Nittany Lions are playing
the type of game they need to thus far.Jon Graham will head to the bench after picking up his second foul,
though.
5:20 - Purdue 29, Penn State 25 Just when we
mentioned Hummel was quiet at the start of the game, the Indiana native poured
in 10-straight tallies to put the Boilers up by eight (22-14).Frazier answered with an old-fashioned
3-point play to make it a five-point game.Frazier is putting on quite a show in the first half with 16 points on a
blistering 6-for-7 shooting performance.No one on the Purdue side of the ball can keep Frazier in front of
them.The Lions are in a very good spot
down just four.
0:00 - Purdue 37, Penn State 32 The Nittany Lions put
together a very good first half of basketball on the offensive end of the floor
after shooting 56.5 percent from the field, but they trail Purdue by five at
the break.Frazier played exceptionally
well in the opening 20 minutes, scoring 16 points with four rebounds and four
assists.He was out-done only by Hummel,
who nailed a big 3-pointer at the whistle to give the Purdue senior 17 points
in the first half of play.Two of the
Big Ten's best scorers gave the packed house at Mackey Arena their money's
worth in the first half.The Nittany
Lions need to take better care of the basketball in the second half after
committing seven turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.Nonetheless, Penn State played exactly how it
needed to in the first half to put itself in a position to contend for a win.
Second Half: 15:56 - Purdue 48,
Penn State 34 The Nittany Lions
scratched and clawed their way to a very solid first half, but a surge from
Purdue has drastically shifted the momentum in the early minutes of the final
20 minutes.The Lions were held
scoreless until Frazier knocked down a floater with 16:15 to play.Prior to that, Purdue scored the first 11
points out of the locker room en route to a 16-point cushion.Since Hummel scored a four-point play with
4:00 to play in the first half, Purdue has out-scored the Nittany Lions 19-4.
11:23 - Purdue 58, Penn State 42 Purdue has taken control of things with white-hot shooting in the first
8:37 of the second half.The Boilers
started the second half 8-for-9 before D.J. Byrd missed a 3-pointer.Marshall scored to trim the Purdue lead down
to 16, but the Nittany Lions must play better defense if they are going to
mount a comeback.The Boilers deserve a
lot of credit for hitting shots, but the offensive possessions have been too
easy for the black and gold.
7:38 - Purdue 69, Penn State 44 The Purdue lead has grown
to 25 on absolutely superb shooting from the Boilermakers.In the second half, Purdue is 12-for-16 from
the field.Penn State has done a decent
job on defense, but Purdue has been in the zone since the second half began.
0:00 - Purdue 80, Penn State 56 After playing a tight
first half, the Nittany Lions fell victim to a red-hot shooting performance
from Purdue inside Mackey Arena.Purdue
shot 65 percent from the field in the second half en route to a 24-point
victory.Frazier was tremendous, once
again, for the Nittany Lions.He scored
24 points on 10-for-16 shooting.Jermaine Marshall also scored in double figures, finishing with 10.After a very strong shooting first half, the
Lions shot 9-for-25 in the second 20 minutes.
Final Thoughts: The Nittany Lions went toe-to-toe in the first half of play, matching
every run the Boilers put together.However, the momentum began to shift at the 4:00 mark when Hummel
converted on a four-point play.From
there until the end of the first half, Purdue went on an 8-2 run.Prior to Hummel's basket, the Lions held a
30-29 lead.
Purdue took a five-point lead into the second half and never looked back.The Boilers were nearly perfect out of the
locker room on their way to a 43-point second half.The Nittany Lions never recovered from the
surge to open the second half.Nonetheless, give Purdue a great deal of credit for a superb stretch on
the offensive end of the floor.Purdue's
senior trio of Hummel, Ryne Smith and Lewis Jackson combined for 17-for-28
shooting on the Senior Night.The
evening belonged to Hummel, though, as the outstanding senior guard finished
with 26 points in his final game at Mackey Arena.
For the Nittany Lions, they return home to take on Michigan Sunday afternoon in
the Bryce Jordan Center.Penn State is
12-18 on the season and 4-13 in Big Ten play.
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By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on February 28, 2012 4:50 PM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Coming off a dramatic one-point setback to
Northwestern on Saturday, the Nittany Lion basketball team (12-17, 4-12) will
wrap up its road schedule with a trip to Purdue (19-10, 9-7) on Wednesday night
inside Mackey Arena.
Penn State came up just short of scoring its third-straight home victory when
two free throws from John Shurna with 2.6 seconds to play sent the Lions off
the floor with a heartbreaking loss.While
it was a disappointing setback for Coach Chambers and the Nittany Lions, Penn
State returned to the floor with renewed sense of energy and positive attitude at
practice on Monday.
With the rigorous schedule in the Big Ten, teams cannot afford to let losses
linger.The Nittany Lions will meet a
red-hot Purdue in an arena that is not kind to opposing teams.The Boilermakers have won four out of their
last five games, including a 14-point victory over No. 16 Michigan.Additionally, Purdue is 12-4 on its home
floor in West Lafayette this season.
The Nittany Lions are 2-15 all-time in Mackey Arena, but fell agonizingly short
of a win their last season when All-American JaJuan Johnson drilled a mid-range
jumper in the final seconds to lift the Boilers to a 63-62 victory.
Coach Chambers stressed on Monday that there is still a lot to play for and a
great opportunity for the Nittany Lions to grow in the final two weeks of the
season.With two victories in their
final two games, the Lions could still potentially vault to ninth in the Big
Ten standings.
Coach Chambers is looking for effort and attitude at Purdue.Playing good defense and rebounding are
always critical, but the Lions are seeking to avoid a slow start on the
road.Making shots in the first half at
Mackey Arena is crucial for the Nittany Lions on Wednesday night.
The emergence of two freshmen during in the latter stages of Big Ten play could
help the Lions avoid a slow start at Purdue.For the third-straight game on Saturday, redshirt freshman Jon Graham
set or equaled his career-high in scoring with 10 points.True freshman Ross Travis scored 10 points
and pulled down a career-best nine rebounds in 31 minutes of action on
Saturday.
Additionally, sophomore Jermaine Marshall enters the Purdue game on a career-best
string of seven-straight double figure scoring games.When Tim Frazier, who ranks second in the Big
Ten in scoring with 19.9 points per game, has several members in his supporting
cast score in double figures, the Nittany Lions are a completely different team
on the offensive end of the floor.
Translating the double figure scoring numbers from the BJC to Mackey Arena will
be critical for the youthful Nittany Lions.Purdue is averaging 77.3 points per game in its last three contests at
home.That figure is largely due to a
strong finish to the season from veteran Robbie Hummel.
The sharp-shooting fifth-year season enters the game as the Boilermakers'
leading scorer at 16.5 points per game.Hummel
has taken his game to a new level in recent weeks as Purdue closes in on
another NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Nittany Lions will kick off the final week of the regular season at 6:30
p.m. (BTN) at Mackey Arena before returning home on Sunday for a clash with No.
16 Michigan.The Big Ten Tournament
begins one week from Thursday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
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By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on February 25, 2012 7:27 PM
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.
-Take a look back at Penn State's dramatic 67-66 setback to Northwestern on Saturday night inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
Welcome to the GoPSUsports.com
gameday blog for the Nittany Lion basketball team.
We will bring you coverage from tonight's matchup between Penn State (12-16,
4-11) and Northwestern (16-11, 6-9) inside the Bryce Jordan Center.The Nittany Lions are seeking their third-straight
home victory, while the Wildcats are fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament
field.
Follow along here on the in-game blog for updates throughout Saturday's contest
with Northwestern.
Starting Lineups Penn State: G - Frazier, G - Colella, G - Woodyard, F - Travis, F
- Graham Northwestern: G -
Sobelewski, G - Hearn, G - Cobb, F -
Crawford, F - Shurna
First Half: 15:11 - Penn State 11, Northwestern 6 The Nittany Lions are off to a very good start on both ends of the
floor.Penn State is 5-for-8 from the
field early without a point from Tim Frazier.Jon Graham and Cammeron Woodyard each have two baskets, with Nick
Colella accounting for the fifth field goal.Both teams have played zone defense in the early minutes.Northwestern is in its trademark 1-3-1 zone,
while the Lions have been playing a 1-2-2.Penn State is very active early.
11:53 - Penn State 18, Northwestern 13 Jermaine Marshall
capped off a 9-0 scoring run with a 15-foot jumper, which put the Lions up
13-6.However, Northwestern quickly
answered with two-straight baskets to trim the lead down to just three.Tim Frazier came right back with a pull-up jumper
before a powerful old-fashioned 3-point play from Sasa Borovnjak.Penn State has returned to its man-to-man
defense, but the story so far is the Lions' 8-for-14 shooting start from the
floor.
7:27 - Northwestern 25, Penn State 20 The Nittany Lions
took a seven-point lead on Graham's third basket of the night, but it has been
all Wildcats since then.Northwestern is
on a 12-0 scoring run (15-2 overall) en route to a five-point lead on the
scoreboard.Penn State has gone 4:06
without a basket while the Wildcats mounted their scoring charge.The Lions need to get the ball in Frazier's
hands.The junior guard has just one
field goal in the first 12:33 of action.
3:59 - Northwestern 28, Penn State 24 Right on cue, Frazier
scored two-straight baskets for the Nittany Lions to pull the Lions within
four.Both teams have cooled off
slightly, now each shooting under 50 percent.Despite going more than 4:00 of game time without a point, the Lions are
still well within striking distance.The
big difference has been on the perimeter with Northwestern 6-for-13, while the
Lions are 1-for-6.
0:00 - Northwestern 34, Penn State 28 The Nittany Lions got
off to a very good start on the offensive end of the floor en route to an
eight-point lead, but a sloppy finish sent Wildcats into the locker room with a
six-point edge on the scoreboard.Northwestern drilled eight 3-pointers in the first half, while the Lions
made just one from beyond the arc.Give
the Wildcats credit for their defensive effort in the 1-3-1 down the stretch in
the latter stages of the first half.Penn State committed four turnovers on four successive possessions, but
fortunately Northwestern was not able to extend the lead beyond six.Frazier led the way with eight points, while
Graham added six and Woodyard tallied five.Penn State shot 41 percent from the field, while Northwestern shot at a 48
percent clip.The Lions are fortunate to
be down just six with the way the first half ended, but well within striking
distance.
Second Half: 15:04 - Northwestern
43, Penn State 34 The Nittany Lions
scored the first four tallies out of the locker room to make it a two-point
game, but Northwestern again answered with a 9-2 scoring burst capped off by
five tallies from Big Ten leading scorer John Shurna.The Wildcats now lead by nine, their largest
lead of the night.When you give Shurna
an inch, he has a very quick trigger.The Lions need to answer out of the first timeout of the second half.
11:37 - Northwestern 46, Penn State 41 Needing a spurt, the
Lions turned to Frazier.The Lion junior
scored five-straight points, including a one-handed slam on an old-fashioned
3-point play to set the score at 43-39 with 14:03.Frazier now has 15 points (6-for-12) and six
assists.Northwestern answered with its
10th 3-pointer of the night to put the Wildcats back up by seven before a dunk
from Ross Travis.
6:55 - Northwestern 58, Penn State 55 Trailing by seven,
the Nittany Lions mounted a crucial scoring run to pull ahead for the first
time since mid-way through the first half.Travis scored the first six points of the run before Frazier and Graham
tallied baskets and Woodyard dilled a 3-pointer in the corner.In all, the 13-3 scoring run covered 3:59 to
put the Lions up 52-49.Northwestern's
3-point shooting is the only thing keeping the Wildcats in the ballgame.Six of the last seven Wildcat field goals
have come from beyond the arc.A huge
triple from Drew Crawford sent Northwestern into the timeout with a 58-55 lead.
0:00 - Northwestern 67, Penn State 66 The Nittany Lions
tied the game on a bucket from Borovnjak with 4:26 to play to set the score at
63-63.Shurna answered with a move in
the paint to put Northwestern on top by two.Frazier fielded an in-bounds pass before kissing a bank shot off the
glass while fouled.He converted the
free throw to give the Nittany Lions a 66-65 lead with 2:48 on the clock.That is where things would stand until the
final seconds.Graham had two
opportunities to extend the Penn State lead at the foul line with 14.1 seconds
to play, but missed both.Northwestern
drove the length of the floor before Shurna pulled up for a fadeaway jumper
from the corner.The shot fell short
because Graham blocked the attempt, but a foul was whistled on the play.Shurna went to the foul line with 2.6 seconds
to play.He made both to send the
Wildcats out of the Jordan Center with a dramatic 67-66 victory.Frazier topped the 20-point plateau for the
15th time this season, finishing with 23 points and eight assists.Travis and Graham each finished with 10
points.Shurna scored 23 points to lead
Northwestern.
Final Thoughts: It was a
heartbreaking loss for the Nittany Lions inside the Bryce Jordan Center on a
very close foul call with 2.6 seconds to play.Northwestern's red-hot 3-point shooting carried the Wildcats to a
victory in a must-win for their NCAA Tournament hopes.The Lions led early in the first half, but
Northwestern went on top with a 15-2 scoring burst mid-way through the first
half.The Lions battled back with a 13-3
run of their own in the second half to go on top, 52-49, with 8:39 to play.
From there it was seesaw affair with neither team leading by more than four
points down the stretch.Frazier's 3-point
play with 2:48 to go put the Lions up by one, but it came down to four foul
shots in the final 14.1 seconds.Penn
State failed to connect on two attempts, but Shurna sank two huge shots at the
charity stripe to send the Wildcats home with a narrow one-point victory.Northwestern finished the game 15-for-29 from
3-point range and just 7-for-21 on two-point attempts.
It was a tough loss for the Nittany Lions on two late free throws, but Coach
Chambers talked after the game about plenty of possessions during the game that
the Lions could have executed better on.Nonetheless, Penn State will look to regroup before heading to Mackey
Arena on Wednesday night for a clash at Purdue.
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By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on February 24, 2012 3:41 PM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
The Nittany Lion basketball team (12-16, 4-11) will be seeking its
third-straight victory in the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday night when it
takes on Northwestern (16-11, 6-9).
Penn State returns to action after five full days off after a 65-55 setback at
Wisconsin on Sunday.The Lions will be
looking to continue a streak of strong defensive performances on their home
floor.In the last four home games, Penn
State's opponents have averaged just 38 percent shooting and 54.8 points per
game.
Northwestern enters Saturday's contest after a tough overtime loss to Michigan
(67-55).The Wildcats are on the NCAA
Tournament bubble as they enter the final three games of the season.John Shurna comes into the game leading the
Big Ten in scoring at 20.0 points per game.With Shurna and Tim Frazier (18.5 ppg) on the floor together, Saturday's
game will feature the Big Ten's top two scorers.The Wildcats are 47th in the latest RPI
(RealTimeRPI), and they have little margin for error down the stretch.
The Nittany Lions have a lot to play for in the final three games of the
regular season, as well.Coach Chambers
has stressed the importance of the team playing its best basketball at the end
of the season, and it is especially crucial with Big Ten Tournament seeding on
the line.With a win against
Northwestern, the Nittany Lions could potentially vault from 12th to a tie for
ninth this weekend.Currently, two games
separate eighth from 12th in the standings.
Associate head coach Eugene Burroughs breaks down the Northwestern game with
GoPSUsports.com.Take a look.
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Twitter @GoPSUTony
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on February 24, 2012 8:44 AM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With the Lady Lions clinching a Big Ten title
and a busy month of postseason competition for several teams in March,
GoPSUsports.com caught up with Penn State Acting Director of Athletics Dave
Joyner for an interview this week.Dr.
Joyner talks about the upcoming postseason, Coach O'Brien and a typical week in
his office.
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Media Specialist Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony
By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on February 18, 2012 10:16 AM
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
After tallying its second-straight victory on Thursday night, the Nittany Lion
basketball team will head back on the road Sunday.
Penn State will travel to Madison in preparation for Sunday's game against
Wisconsin on Saturday.The Nittany Lions
go through a very detailed gameday when they are away from home.GoPSUsports.com went behind the scenes with
the Nittany Lions during their most recent road trip to Michigan State.Take a look at gameday on the road.
Gameday Itinerary: 9:45 a.m. - Team Breakfast and Film
Session 11 a.m. - Shootaround at Breslin
Center 12:30 p.m. - Team Lunch 2:45 p.m. - Team Meal, Film Session
and Taping 4:45 p.m. - Depart for Breslin
Center 6:30 p.m. - Game Time 8:45 p.m. - Postgame Press
Conference 10:00 p.m. - Depart for University
Park Airport 11:15 p.m. - Arrive in State College
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Twitter @GoPSUTony
Penn State Wrestling - 2012 Big Ten Champions
David Taylor celebrating his national title with Cael Sanderson
2012 NCAA Champions
NCAA Second Round on March 18 - Penn State vs. LSU
Mike The Tiger
