Nov. 23, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., Nov. 23, 2008 - One game after tying a team record with 15 three-pointers, Penn State scored the old fashioned way Sunday in the Jordan Center downing New Hampshire, 70-50, to improve to 4-0 on the year and extend its home-court win streak to nine games, the program's longest in 12 years.
Sophomore guard Talor Battle (Albany, N.Y.) continued his sensational early season play posting a game high 24 points on a career-best 9-of-11 from the floor. Battle, who didn't take a shot through the first nine minutes of action, also tied the game high with eight rebounds and added three assists, two steals and no turnovers in 35 minutes. The team co-captain is now shooting 62 percent (28-45) from the floor on the season with a team-high 13 threes. He leads the team in scoring (20.5 ppg), assists (4.25 apg), and steals (2.0 spg) and is second in rebounding (4.8 rpg) through four games with three 20-point outings on the year.
"I think he's playing with a lot of confidence," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "He can make shots. He can go by people. He can create for others. He's a scoring point guard. He's what we're hoping he would be. Life is a lot easier when you have a guy back there who can make baskets and get people shots."
Senior co-captain Jamelle Cornley (Columbus, Ohio) was also dominating in stretches posting 17 points, eight boards and three assists, while senior Stanley Pringle (Virginia Beach, Va.) posted his fourth-straight double-digit outing with 10 points and added four boards, two assists and two steals.
Penn State shot 49 percent from the floor, but just 4-of-13 from three as the Wildcats pressured the perimeter to take the arc away. Penn State committed just eight turnovers while winning the rebounding battle, 38-30, for the fourth time on the season. The Nittany Lions have now won 14-straight non-conference home games.
New Hampshire, which dropped to 1-2 on the year, was led by 14 points on 4-of-10 from three by Tyrece Gibbs and 13 points on 3-of-5 from three by Eric Gilchrese.
Penn State faced its first real adversity of the season in the first half as the Lions struggled shooting coming out of the gate hitting under 40 percent for the first 10 minutes, while the Wildcats were scorching the nets at over 60 percent, many from long range. The visitors took a 10-3 lead on a Gibbs three with 15:00 to play in the half and, after Gilchrese followed with a three and Alvin Abreu completed a lay-up for an eight-point run, held an eight-point lead, 15-7, with 12:41 to play.
"To credit this team, they were never a down," DeChellis said. "There was never a panicking kind of feel during the timeout when as a coach, you look at guys and go, "oh boy, we have a real problem." There was a calming-effect even when we were down. I was confident and I think the kids were confident to go back and make some plays."
Following a timeout, Penn State responded by going to Cornley on the block. The 6-5, 240-pounder scored the next seven points using nice points moves and crashing the offensive glass. Battle's first points of the game, on a free throw, cut the lead to two, 17-15, with 9:14 to play. Gibbs hit another three to put New Hampshire back up five, but then Battle asserted himself.
First he hit a beautiful fade-away as the shot clock expired and then drove for a lay-up to cut the lead to one, 21-19. A Cornley jumper gave Penn State the lead, 21-20, but New Hampshire answered on the other end. Battle answered with a three for a 24-22 lead, but Gibbs answered with a lay-up on the other end to tie the game.
The team's traded scores until a pair of Jeff Brooks (Louisville, Ky) free throws started a 9-2 Penn State run to close out the half. Battle scored the last seven points of the stanza to give the Lions a 36-29 lead at the half. His last five points were ones for the highlight reel, starting with a steal at the top of the key and drive to the other end where he went up the lay-up, drew contact and finished with a left handed flip off the glass from his hip. He converted the three-point play at the line. Battle then finished the half with a beautiful 12-foot kiss off the glass from near the right baseline as the shot clock wound down.
Penn State quickly extended its lead as the second half opened as Pringle converted a three-point play on a driving lay-up just 12 seconds in and David Jackson (Farrell, Pa.) followed with a jumper for a 41-29 lead. The Nittany Lions would eventually extend the lead to 18 after a 17-6 run to open the half, including 11-straight points capped by a pair of Cornley free throws at 12:41 for a 53-35 lead.
Penn State was in control the rest of the way, holding the lead above 20 the final seven minutes and pushing it to as many as 24 with 1:59 to play.
The Nittany Lions will now hit the road for their longest road swing since the 2001 season. Penn State won't return to the Jordan Center for 12 days as they play four-straight road games beginning Tuesday against Pennsylvania at the Palestra in Philadelphia. That game is set for a 7:30 p.m. tip and can be heard live on the Penn State Sports Network.