Dec. 6, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., Dec. 6, 2008 - Penn State struggled shooting, saw their second leading scorer leave the game after 10 minutes and had their nine-game home court win streak snapped Saturday as the Temple Owls claimed a 65-59 win in front of 9,833 fans.
Temple improved to 4-3 behind a career-high 19 points from Semaj Inge and 15 points and a strong defensive effort from Ryan Brooks. Lavoy Allen added 11 points and 10 rebounds. Penn State fell to 7-2 and saw their 14-game non-conference home win streak ended. The Nittany Lions shot a season low 26 percent in the first half and 34 percent for the game.
"You win a big game on the road and play with a lot of energy and come home, you don't play with the same kind of energy because you think you're home and things are going to be OK because you're at home," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "I try to remind them that we just played in somebody else's gym and won and someone could come in here and do the same thing."
Sophomore Talor Battle scored 19 points and added seven assists but was just 6-of-15 from the field and 5-of-12 from the free throw line as he was hounded by the 6-4 Brooks all night. Senior Jamelle Cornley posted 14 points and six boards, jumping to 16th on Penn State's all-time career scoring list with 1,178 points, but shot 6-of-14 from the floor. The Lions second leading scorer Stanley Pringle (15.8 ppg) left the game at the 10-minute mark of the first half and did not return. Without his speed and shooting Penn State managed just five transition points and 6-of-16 from three.
" (Not having Pringle) impacts a lot," DeChellis said. "We hardly had any transition baskets tonight. He's a very fast guy and a guy who can break defenses down, too and give other guys a shot. We didn't have him."
Penn State swarmed Temple leading scorer Dionte Christmas, who came in averaging 21.8 ppg, holding him scoreless until 5:15 remained in the game. Christmas, the Atlantic 10's top scorer last season, finished with two points. The Owls relied on a team effort, shooting 46 percent from the floor and using their height advantage to win the rebounding battle 40-33, outscore the Lions 34-18 in the paint and record 10 blocks.
"If you told me Christmas was going to score two points and they scored 65, I'm thinking we have a pretty good opportunity to win this thing," DeChellis said.
After scoring the game's first five points, the Nittany Lions struggled from the field, going 7-of-26 in the half. Battle scored seven straight points for Penn State early in the half, including his completion of a four-point play when he hit a three-pointer and followed with a made free throw for a 9-4 Lion lead. Sophomore Andrew Jones' good foul shot gave Penn State a six-point lead, 10-4, its largest of the game.
The Owls then went on a 15-4 run getting five lay-ups to take a 19-14 lead with 6:31 to play in the half. A Cornley three, one of two in the half, cut the lead to 19-17, and the Lions tied the game at 21 on a Cornley bucket with 3:33 to play. But, Temple ran off seven straight points getting a pair of lay-ups and an Allen three to lead 28-21. Cornley's late three had the Lions down 28-24 at the half. The Owls finished the period shooting 48 percent (12-of-25).
The Nittany Lions opened the second half strong, tying the game at 30 on a layup by Jones. Temple responded with a 10-1 run to lead 40-31, as Brooks scored eight of Temple's first 10 points in the second half.
A David Jackson three started a 7-0 scoring run for Penn State capped by a Cornley post bucket and Penn State trailed 40-38 midway through the half. The Owls continued to hit shots as Penn State struggled to find any offensive rhythm. Temple opend a 12-point lead - their largest of the game - with 3:36 left following an Inge jumper.
Penn State rallied getting to within five on a Danny Morrisey three-pointer with just over a minute remaining. It was the closest the Nittany Lions would come the rest of the way as Temple hit 7-of-8 from the free throw line down the stretch to repel the Lions.
Penn State continues a six-game home stand when they take on Army on Wednesday, December 10. Tip is set or 7 p.m., with ESPNU televising the game.