March 21, 2009
Press Conference Quotes
NIT QUARTERFINAL GAME NOTES
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., March 21, 2009 - The Nittany Lion basketball team (24-11) will try to continue its march toward Madison Square Garden and equal a season record for wins Tuesday when No. 2 seeded Penn State travels to Gainesville, Fla., for an NIT quarterfinal match-up with No. 1 seeded Florida (25-10). The game is scheduled for a 9:00 p.m. tip and will be televised by ESPN.
Florida rolled past Miami, Fla. on Friday night taking an early 22-point lead and leading by 16 at the half before posting a 74-60 victory. The Gators were led by 21 points from 6-6 sophomore guard Nick Calathes and 13 points and 10 boards from 6-8 center Alex Tyus. With the victory, Florida improved to 18-1 at the O'Connell Center on the year, tying a school record for home wins.
Penn State set its own mark for home wins in a season on Thursday posting number 17 with an impressive 83-72 victory over Rhode Island. Penn State was led by 19 points from senior Stanley Pringle in that game, but also go 58 points and 30 rebounds from its underclassmen led by 16 points from point-guard Talor Battle. The first-team All-Big Ten selection left the game in the final three minutes after injuring his left hip, but returned to the bench and is expected to be able to play Tuesday. Battle led the Big Ten in scoring (17.3 ppg) and was second in assists (4.9 apg).
Meanwhile, senior forward Jamelle Cornley (14.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg) remains day-to-day after re-aggravating a left shoulder injury in Penn State's first round NIT win over George Mason. Cornley, just the third Nittany Lion to post 1,500 points and 700 rebounds for their career, missed the Rhode Island game and stands just 20 points shy of passing former teammate Geary Claxton (1,542) for fifth all-time in scoring at Penn State.
Penn State and Florida have met twice previously splitting a pair of games both played in Gainesville. Penn State won the first meeting, 54-52, in 1965. Florida took the second with an 82-60 victory in 1982. Penn State has posted two victories all-time in the state of Florida, the last coming with a 75-73 win at Jacksonville in 1974. Penn State played three games in Florida last season at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando and lost all three.
Penn State, playing in its 10th NIT appearance, improved to 19-9 in NIT games on Tuesday. This will be Penn State's fifth trip to the quarterfinals. The Lions are a perfect 4-0 in their previous appearances. The Lions will be chasing the Penn State season wins record of 25 set by the 1989-90 squad. The contest will mark a single-season record 36th for the Lions on the year.
Florida, which won back-to-back NCAA championships under head coach Billy Donovan in 2006 and 2007, is making its second straight NIT appearance and 12th consecutive post-season appearance. The reached the NIT semifinals last season. Florida is 8-1 in NIT home games with the one loss coming to Georgetown in 1998. Calathes has a triple-double and five double-doubles on the year and his has 608 points on the season are the most ever by a Billy Donovan-coached player. Calathes is the only player in the nation averaging better than15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. The Gators have hit 289 three-pointers on the year and are eight shy of the school record of 297 set in 2006-07. Calathes also has 224 assists on the year breaking his own school record of 221 set last year.