Feb. 18, 2009
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Champaign, Ill., Feb.18, 2009 - In a game in which neither team shot better than 30 percent from the floor, Penn State used a swarming defense and a resilient late second half run to post its third straight win over No. 16 ranked Illinois in Champaign and it's third win over a ranked opponent on the season pulling out a 38-33 victory Wednesday night in Assembly Hall.
Penn State stands alone in fourth in the Big Ten with an 8-6 Big Ten mark and has now beaten each of the three teams ahead of it. At 19-8 on the year, Penn State's eight Big Ten wins are the program's most since going 8-8 in 1997-98 and its five road wins are just one shy of the program's most in the Big Ten era posted with six in 1997-98 and 1994-95.
Penn State recorded its second road win over a ranked opponent in February and its three wins over ranked foes on the year mark its most since downing five in the 2000-01 season. The Lions posted a program record tying third Big Ten road win on the year and posted yet another program first by defeating a Big Ten opponent three straight times on its home court.
Illinois (21-6; 9-5), which entered the game second in the Big Ten, was held to 30 percent shooting and an Illini Assembly Hall record low 32 points. The 71-point total for both teams marked the lowest scoring game in Assembly Hall history. The 32 points for Illinois were the fewest for a Penn State opponent since defeating Juniata 64-26 in 1989, and it was just the second time since 1964 Penn State has won a game when scoring less than 40 points.
Talor Battle led the way for the Lions scoring 11 points, six in the last 2:25, and was the only player in double-figures on the night. Andrew Jones had seven points and eight boards and played outstanding defense on the Illini's big men. Freshman Chris Babb also added seven points, including two big threes. Illinois was led by seven points from Trent Meacham and Chester Frazier.
Penn State improved to 17-1on the year when leading at the half, despite shooting just 28 percent (13-46) from the floor and 3-of-17 from three. The Lions equaled the taller Illini on the boards, 32-32, and made 9-of-11 free throws while the Illini did not have a free throw attempt on the night.
None of the free throws were bigger than Battle's four down the stretch that sealed the win. A huge block from Stanley Pringle of a potential go-ahead jumper from Demetri McCamey with 49 seconds to play gave Penn State the ball up one, 34-33, and time ticking down. Penn State spread the floor and Battle drove the lane drawing contact from Mike Davis and nearly getting an acrobatic lay-up to go. He stepped to the line and calmly drained two with the Assembly Hall crowd roaring to give the Lions a 36-33 lead with 17 seconds to play.
Penn State had just three fouls and started giving fouls on the perimeter and disrupting the Illini's attempts to set up a tying three. McCamey finally got a look, but was short and Battle grabbed the rebound and drew and intentional foul from Frazier. Battle went to the line with two seconds to play and drained both to ice the win.
The Illini used a 10-0 run through the first part of the second half to establish a 29-20 lead following threes from Meacham and McCamey.
Penn State answered with four straight getting a lay-up from Battle and a nice put-back from Andrew Ott, who also recorded a big block in the second half, to cut the lead to four, 29-24, with 7:08 to play.
Out of a timeout, the Illini built the lead back to seven, but Babb drained a big three to get the Lions within four, 31-27, and the game was on with 5:56 to go. The bucket was the first of 10-straight from the Lions. Jamelle Cornley made a nice feed to Jones with 4:30 to play and the Lion big man made the lay-up and went to the line to complete a three-point play that made the score 31-30.
Babb made a steal on the Illini's next possession and kicked ahead to Pringle who scored the lay-up to give Penn State the lead and force an Illinois timeout. Penn State played great defense out of the timeout and forced an Illini turnover as the shot clock wound down. Penn State turned it over on its next possession, but forced another Illini turnover on the other end before Battle hit a jumper to make it 34-31 with 2:23 to play.
Illinois' 7-1 center Mike Tisdale backed in for a close bucket on the next possession to bring the Illini within one setting up the final minute heroics from Battle.
Both team struggled to a season-low scoring in the first half as Penn State clung to a 17-15 lead after two missed tip-in attempts by the Illini at the buzzer. Illinois was just 7-of-29 from the floor (24%) and 1-of-9 from three while Penn State managed 6-of-21 (28%) and 2-of-7 from three. Both teams turned it over with Penn State committing eight and the Illini six turnovers.
Jones led Penn State with four points and five boards while Babb also had four. Meacham had four for Illinois.
Both teams were scoreless through the first four minutes until Davis hit a 15-foot jumper. Penn State took a 5-2 lead on a Babb three with 13:00 to play and extended the lead to as much as seven in the half. Babb made a great dish to Ott for a lay-up and an 11-6 lead. Penn State made it 13-6 on a nice 14-foot jumper from freshman Cammeron Woodyard.
The Illini used a 5-0 run spurred by a Frazier three to cut the lead. Penn State answered with a pair of free throws from Ott and bucket from Cornley. Illinois got its last points of the half on a Meacham drive and lay-up with 1:00 to play.
Penn State will get the weekend off before traveling to Ohio State on Tuesday, Feb. 24 for a "Super Tuesday" showdown on ESPN. That game is set for a 7:00 p.m. tip.