Indianapolis, Ind. - March 7, 2002 - The Penn State Nittany Lion basketball team closed out its 2002 season with a tough 84-60 loss to Minnesota in the first round of the 2002 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament. The game was played in Indianapolis' Conseco Field House.

Penn State trailed by 15 points at the half as the Minnseota Golden Gophers held the Lions to only .258 shooting. The game was tight in the early going as penn STate tralied by only four at the 9:27 mark (15-11). But Minnesota would go on a 11-3 run over the next three minutes to take a 26-14 lead at the 6:08 mark. Penn State would never get any closer than nine for the remainder of the game.

Minnesota shot a torrid .625 from the floor in the second half and .557 for the game. Penn State did get hot from the field in the second stanza, clicking for .484 in that period. For the game, Minnesota out-rebounded Penn State 41-34 and forced the Lions into 17 turnovers.

Nittany Lion sophomore Sharif Chambliss (Racine, Wisc.) led Penn State with 16 points while Brandon Watkins (Bellwood, Ill.) added 12 and Tyler Smith (Lake Bluff, Ill.) had ten.

The Lions end the campaign with a 7-21 overall record and were 3-13 in Big Ten play. Minnesota, now 17-11, advances to the second round to play No. 3 seed Illinois.