Jan. 6, 2008
CHAMPAIGN, ILL., JAN. 6, 2008 - Penn State used aggressive rebounding and defense and double-doubles from Jamelle Cornley (Columbus, Ohio) and Geary Claxton (West Haven, Conn.) to down Illinois, 68-64, Sunday in Champaign, Ill. Penn State improved to 2-0 to start Big Ten play for the first time since 2004.
The Nittany Lions faced a hungry Illinois team that had lost its last two at home and was playing for a loud, sell-out crowd of 16,618. Penn State proved the hungrier team dominating the glass by more than two-to-one, 49-24, and posting 22 offensive boards. The Lions out hustled the Illini to loose balls all afternoon and posted season highs of 24-of-35 at the free throw line to outscore the Illini by 16 at the stripe.
Penn State improved its win streak to seven games, its longest since winning seven straight in 2000-01, and earned its first consecutive wins on the road since 1999. It also marked Penn State's second straight win at Illinois as the Nittany Lions improved to 10-4 on the year and Illinois fell to 8-7 (0-2 Big Ten).
Cornley posted his second straight double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds and Claxton posted his eighth of the season and career-best tying third in a row with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Claxton's 11 boards moved him into a tie with John Amaechi for fourth all-time at Penn State with 745 on his career.
Illinois was led by 18 points from freshman Demetri McCamey and 15 from Calvin Brock. The Illini shot 45 percent from the floor, but lost the hustle stats to a Penn State team that shot just 36 percent for the game. Both teams struggled from three with the Illini hitting 6-of-22 and Penn State 4-of-18.
Trailing by as many as nine in the first 20 minutes and tied at 31 at the half, Penn State took a 38-35 lead on a Talor Battle three with 16:47 to play and played with the lead the rest of the way. An 18-12 run to begin the second half gave Penn State its largest lead of the game, 49-43, with 12:18 to play.
Penn State got 13 points and seven rebounds from Cornley in the second half as he hit 7-of-9 at the line (8-of-11 for the game) and got the Illini in foul trouble.
Illinois cut the lead to one, 49-48, on a McCamey lay-up and Penn State took a timeout with 10:29 to play as the Assembly hall crowd roared.
Out of the timeout, Penn State found redshirt freshman David Jackson in the lane and he dropped a sweet left hand jump hook to stem the tide. Both teams missed several opportunities to score over the next four minutes
Penn State pushed the lead back to six, 56-50, with 5:52 to play following a dunk from Claxton and Jackson drawing the fourth personal foul on Brian Randle and sinking both free throws.
On the next possession, Brock buried a three in the corner and was fouled by Jackson. He sank the free throw for the four-point play and the Illini were back within two, 56-54, with the crowd roaring.
Penn State didn't rattle as Cornley dropped a jumper on the other end.
Penn State used an 8-2 run to regain a six-point advantage. Cornley and Claxton both made three free throws in the run, Cornley drawing Randle's fifth foul with 4:07 to play. Claxton's pair following a drive in the lane and foul by Chester Frazier gave the Lions a 64-58 lead with 36 seconds to play.
A pair of McCamey threes got the Illini within in one, 65-64, with 11 seconds to play as the Lions missed five free throws in the final 30 seconds. McCamey fouled Stanley Pringle with six seconds to play and the junior made one of two at the line to extend the lead to 66-64.
Illinois had a chance to tie as the clock ran down, but McCamey's baseline runner came up short and Cornley ripped the rebound and was fouled. The 6-5 junior made two at the line to ice the win for the Lions.
The Illini lead by as many as nine in the first half, but Penn State used terrific rebounding and defense to fight their way back and tie the score at 31-31 going into halftime.
The Nittany Lions shot just 31 percent from the floor in the half and 2-of-10 from three, but out-rebounded the Illini 26-13 and were terrific on the offensive glass getting 13 offensive boards, eight second chance points and numerous chances on the offensive end. Penn State had eight men score in the half led by Cornley with five and Pringle with five.
The Illini shot 44 percent in the half, but were just 3-of-13 from three as Penn State used a mix of man-to-man and 2-3 zone to hold leading scorers Randle and Shaun Pruitt to just two points apiece and third leading scorer Trent Meachem scoreless.
The Illini's inspired man-to-man pressure made life hard on the Nittany Lions particularly early as Penn State struggled to score. The Illini took a 20-11 lead on a Mike Davis bucket with 11:08 to play. Brock carried the Illini scoring load with nine in the half.
Penn State used a 9-2 run to cut the lead. The Lions got a sweet pass from Mike Walker to Jackson for a lay-up and a 25-foot Walker three to close to 22-18.
A big defensive board from a skying Claxton, who had seven rebounds in the half, and kickout to Talor Battle led to a drive and foul. Battle made both free throws for the Lions' first lead, 25-24, with 2:30 to play.
A great hustle play from Danny Morrissey to grab a loose ball and subsequent foul from Pruitt sent the junior to the line where he hit both for a 29-26 lead, Penn State's largest of the half.
The Illini tied the game on a three from McCamey and then took the lead on a McCamey drive in which Morrissey drew a charge, but officials counted the bucket. With Penn State in the bonus, Morrissey made both free throws at the other end to tie the game.
The Lions had the last possession with a chance for the halftime lead, but failed to score when Battle's jumper went astray.
The Nittany Lions will get a week off before returning to the Bryce Jordan Center for the first time in 2008 when they take on Minnesota on Sat., Jan. 12. That game is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. tip on the Big Ten Network. Penn State is unbeaten at 8-0 at home on the season.