Nov. 23, 2007
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA., NOV. 23, 2007 - Penn State suffered its second setback of the season Friday at the Old Spice Classic at Disney's Wide World of Sports as Rider (3-2) posted a 13-point advantage at the free throw line and made seven second half threes to claim an 82-73 victory. The Nittany Lions (2-2) will get the day off Saturday before playing the last of three games in the tournament Sunday at 11:00 a.m. vs. the loser of tonight's match-up between Kansas State and Central Florida. That game will be shown live on ESPNU.
Senior Geary Claxton (West Haven, Conn.) led the Lions again posting his third double-double of the season and 20th of his career with 23 points and 12 rebounds and added a team-high four assists in 38 minutes of action. Junior Jamelle Cornley (Columbus, Ohio) showed signs of a complete recovery from a preseason knee injury as he logged 17 points, four rebounds and three assists in 24 productive minutes. Senior Mike Walker (Lewisberry, Pa.) added 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting from three.
Rider was led by 6-11 senior Jason Thompson who posted 21 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks and drew the bulk of attention from the Nittany Lion defense. Thompson made 9-of-13 at the free throw line to lead a 19-of-26 effort at the charity stripe for Rider, while Penn State made just 6-of-11. The Broncs took advantage of the attention on Thompson in the second half knocking down 7-of-11 threes. Ryan Thompson, Jason's brother, was 2-of-2 for part of his 19 points to go with six assists. Harris Mansell hit 3-of-7 from the arc for part of his 17 points and his brother, Patrick, made 3-of-5 from long range on his way to 13 points.
Penn State took as much as a 13-point lead with 6:40 to play in the first half following a Claxton dunk, a three from Walker and seven straight points from Cornley that fueled a 12-2 run. However, the Broncs outscored Penn State 16-2 to close out the half and took a 37-36 lead into the locker room. The Thompson and Mansell brothers accounted for 14 of the 16 points. Penn State missed eight straight shots and committed five turnovers in the final 5:30.
"I just think we got out of synch right there in the first half," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "They brought Thompson back with two fouls and made a 16-2 run and we didn't score. We have to make a basketball play or we have to defend them at a big time. Or we have to score a basket to break that run."
Penn State tied the game, 40-40, after a Jeff Brooks (Louisville, Ky.) free throw with 17:22 to play, but Rider went on a 12-2 run over the next three minutes to take a 52-42 lead. Both Mansells had a three during the run and both Thompson's scored a bucket. Starting with a steal and a lay-up from Claxton with 11:19 to play, the senior scored nine of Penn State's next 11 to help fuel an 11-4 run that brought the Lions to within two, 60-58, with 8:55 to play. Claxton also had a three, two free throws and a jumper during the stretch.
However, Rider responded by scoring eight straight points to push the lead back to 10, 68-58, before Stanley Pringle (Virginia Beach, Va.) hit a three. Patrick Mansell responded with a three of his own and the lead was 10 again, 71-61, with 6:10 to play.
"I don't think we made really good basketball decisions," DeChellis said. "There were just different guys doing different things at crucial times that you just can't do."
Penn State trailed by 11, 74-63, following a Jason Thompson free throw, but mounted another run this time closing the margin to three with a 10-2 spurt fueled by a full court press. An Andrew Jones (Philadelphia, Pa.) three-point play began the run while two Cornley baskets and a Claxton lay-up off a Cornley assist closed it out with Penn State trailing 76-73 with 1:20 to play.
Claxton was called for a foul near the sideline while pressuring Ryan Thompson on the next possession and the Bronc made both free throws. Pringle missed a three on the other end and Penn State sent Jason Thompson to the line where he made two to put Rider up, 80-73, with 53 seconds to play. Claxton missed a three and Penn State sent Patrick Mansell to the line. He hit both to end the Nittany Lions hopes.