Jan. 20, 2009
Box Score Final Stats | Quotes
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., Jan. 20, 2009 - The Nittany Lion basketball team put on a passing and shooting display Tuesday night in the Bryce Jordan Center as it rolled to as much as a 26-point lead over a previously ranked Michigan team (13-6; 3-4 Big Ten) before cruising home to a 73-58 victory.
The win improved Penn State to 15-5 on the year, the quickest the program has achieved 15 wins in its 113-year history, and 4-3 in Big Ten play, the Lions best conference start since the 1999-2000 season. The Nittany Lions have now won eight of their last nine Big Ten home games.
"We were really excited to play tonight," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "I think once they settled down, we played a lot better and had some fun. I think the kids had some fun out there tonight."
Jamelle Cornley led Penn State with 17 points and 11 rebounds as he had his way with Michigan in the paint shooting 10-of-14 (71%) from the floor and forcing Wolverine double-teams. The concern for Cornley freed up Penn State's perimeter shooters as the Lions made 9-of-17 (52.9%) from three. Talor Battle posted 15 points and six assists winning his battle with Big Ten leading scorer Manny Harris who was held to four points on 1-of-9 shooting. Stanley Pringle added 12 points, six boards and four steals and Danny Morrissey hit 3-of-4 from three for 11 points and added six boards and four assists.
"I just think that their offensive team is tremendous, to try and stop them," Michigan coach John Beilein said. "We were going to have to really shoot the ball well tonight to probably win a game in the 70's. I didn't know with where we are in our defense and where they are in their offense whether we could keep that from happening."
DeShawn Sims led a Michigan with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Sims was the only Wolverine in double-figures as Michigan shot 5-of-30 from three and 39 percent from the floor.
Penn State shot 58 percent (29-50) from the field with 18 assists and dominated the glass with a 37-26 rebounding edge. Cornley passed Ed Fogell (1,329, 1986-90) and Freddie Barnes (1,342, 1989-92) for ninth place on Penn State's all-time career scoring list and now has 1,345 career points.
Penn State took a 29-22 lead to the half after shooting 52 percent from the field (13-25), while Michigan shot 30 percent and 2-of-16 from three in the first 20 minutes. The Lions outscored the Wolverines in the paint, 20-to-10, in the half as Cornley posted 11 points and eight boards.
After a slow offensive start, Penn State grabbed its first lead when Morrissey hit a three from the wing on a drive and dish from Battle for a 9-7 lead with 13:14 to go in the half. The Lions would lead the rest of the way building as much as a nine-point lead in the half.
A short jumper from Andrew Ott, who had a career high eight points in 10 very solid minutes, extended Penn State's lead to four, 11-7, contributing to a 7-0 run and forcing a Michigan timeout with 11:55 remaining.
Coming out of the timeout, Pringle hit a short jumper quickly followed by a David Jackson lay-up to add to 14-4 PSU run that was capped by a Battle three from the wing to give the Nittany Lions' its largest lead, 18-9.
The Wolverines responded with a 4-0 run sparked by a Sims tip-in and capped by a Harris jumper in the paint, his only points of the half, to cut Penn State's lead to four, 20-16, at the 7:04. Cornley then scored a lay-up to bring the score to 22-16 with 4:47 left to play in the half.
Cornley scored seven of Penn State's last nine points of the half as he completed an and-one and then a lay-up on the next possession to extend the Lions' lead to 27-20 at the 1:41 mark. Pringle added a runner in the lane to bring Penn State's lead to seven, 29-22 to close the half.
Cornley sparked an 8-2 run to start the half scoring consecutive buckets, one a fast break dunk after a diving steal and save from Pringle, to give Penn State a 37-24 lead.
After Zack Novack stopped the bleeding for Michigan with a jumper, Penn State passed the ball around the perimeter to find Battle for a three to extend Penn State's run to 11-4 and a 40-26 lead with 15:56 to go. A Jones had a nice move inside for a lay-up on the Lions' next possession.
Following a timeout by Michigan after a turnover, Pringle nailed a three from the corner to extend the run to 16-6. Morrissey continued his hot streak from three giving the Lions' a 23-point lead, 53-30 at the 12:14 mark. A Battle fade-away three with the shot clock running down extend the Lions' lead to 58-36 with 9:57 to go.
Andrew Ott added to his perfect game from the field (4-4) with a lay-up off a nice inside assist from Battle to extend the lead to 64-43 with 6:46 to go in the second half. A Sims three-point play got Michigan back to within 19, but a Battle three at the 6:16 mark started an 8-1 run for Penn State, capped by two Battle foul shots, giving the Lions its largest lead of 26, 72-46, with 4:24 remaining.
Penn State cruised home to victory from there.
The Nittany Lions will welcome Iowa to the Jordan Center on Saturday for a 6:00 p.m. tip on the Big Ten Network. Members of Penn State's Big Ten Champion football team will be on hand to sign autographs and pose for pictures with the championship trophy prior to the game.
Nittany Lion basketball tickets can be purchased by calling the ticket office during regular business hours at 814-865-5555 or visiting GoPSUsports.com anytime. Penn State basketball offers the most flexible ticket package ever with the 2009 FLEX pack. For just $99 fans can receive 10 vouchers that can be redeemed in any quantity, bring one friend or nine, for any men's or women's game on any date. You pick the games, the dates and the number of tickets that work for you. The Penn State Basketball FLEX Pack - now our schedule fits yours!