Dec. 21, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., Dec. 21, 2008 - Penn State scored 47 second half points while shooting a sizzling 64.5 percent from the floor to cruise past Lafayette, 83-55, Sunday and improve to 10-2 on the year, the Lions' most non-conference wins ever prior to entering a Big Ten season. The 10-2 start also marks the Lions' best since the 1995-96 team started 13-0.
Penn State improved to a perfect 23-0 against Patriot League teams and posted its largest victory margin of the season with the 28-point win as Lafayette fell to 2-8 on the year.
"I thought in the second half we finally knocked the rust off and played pretty well offensively," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "I thought we shared the ball. I thought we got some easier baskets. I thought we played with a little swagger in the second half, which was good to see again."
Stanley Pringle (Virginia Beach, Va.) led Penn State with 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting while fellow guard Talor Battle (Albany, N.Y.) came up two assists shy of a triple-double logging 11 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and a game-high four steals. It marked his eighth game of the season with six or more assists, fifteenth consecutive double-figure scoring game and second career double-double.
"I think he's done a good job of making other guys better on the floor," DeChellis said of Battle. "He's been a great defender, on defense he rebounds the ball so we can start our transition, which he did I thought a few times. And that's what we need him to do. There are other things besides scoring points, and he understands that. He can make other guys better, and he can be a factor without putting the ball in the basket."
Jamelle Cornley (Columbus, Ohio) added 16 points and Andrew Jones (Philadelphia, Pa.) 10 for Penn State. Freshmen Cammeron Woodyard (Westminster, Md.) and Chris Babb (Arlington, Texas) tossed in career-highs with nine and eight points, respectively.
Penn State tied its best shooting effort of the season, hitting 60.0 percent (36-60) for the game and dominated the glass 44-21. Meanwhile, Lafayette shot just 8-of-36 from three-point range and 36 percent from the floor. The Leopards were led by Alex Orchowski's 10 points, while Penn State held leading scorers Andrew Brown and Jeff Kari to a combined 12 points on 5-of-25 shooting.
Lafayette hung close in the first half despite Penn State shooting 55 percent. Danny Morrissey sparked an 8-0 run for Penn State hitting a deep jumper from the corner. Battle added to the run with consecutive fast-break lay-ups while Pringle connected on a jumper just in front of the arc to give Penn State the lead, 17-13, with 11:22 to go in first the half. Morrissey later left the game after re-aggravating a sprain to his right knee suffered in practice during the week and did not return. He is day-to-day with the injury.
Andrew Ott scored his first points as a Nittany Lion hitting one of two from the free-throw stripe at the 9:50 mark to give Penn State an 18-16 lead.
Pringle started a 7-0 run for Penn State, going into traffic for a tough lay-up and followed up with a three from the wing. Jones followed up with an easy lay-up inside with an assist from Battle at the 5:16 mark and extended the lead to nine, 27-18.
Lafayette kept it close with a couple threes from Brown and Nick Petkovich, followed by a fast break lay-up from Orchowski to draw within three, 29-26, with 2:40 to play. Penn State took a 36-29 lead to the half after nice offensive rebound and put-back by Jeff Brooks. Pringle led all scorers at the half with 13 points, going 6-of-8 from the field.
A three-point play by Jones to start the second half got Penn State rolling. Lafayette used a 5-0 run to get within 43-34 with 16:36 to go, but Penn State used crisp passing to pull away. Battle found Jones inside for an easy lay-up for a 53-39 lead and Babb hit his first career three off a Battle assist on the following possession to push the lead to 17. Penn State continued to extend its lead and, when Woodyard and Babb hit consecutive threes, the Lions led 77-50 with 3:36 to play. Woodyard pushed the lead to as much as 31 on a late lay-up.
Penn State will finish up its non-conference slat on Tuesday when it takes on Sacred Heart in a 7:00 p.m. tip at the Jordan Center.