Nov. 19, 2009
CHARLESTON, S.C., Nov. 19, 2009 - The Nittany Lion basketball team (2-1) could never find its shot and dropped its first game of the season, 80-69, to UNC Wilmington despite a career high tying 29 points from Talor Battle (Albany, N.Y.) Friday in the first round of the Charleston Classic.
The Carolina First Arena baskets were unkind to Penn State as the Lions managed to shoot just 32 percent from the floor and 5-of-21 from three and trailed the last 37 minutes to a hot-shooting Seahawk team that hit 10-of-16 from three and shot 57 percent from the floor.
The Lions stayed in the game and had a chance late by getting to the free throw line 27 times and making 22 as guards Battle and freshman Tim Frazier (Houston, Texas) broke down the UNCW defense off the dribble and helped draw 21 UNCW fouls. But, it wasn't enough as the Lions could never get the big shot to fall. David Jackson chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds and Frazier, despite 1-of-8 shooting, was big during a late run getting eight points on 6-of-8 at the line.
Battle became the 29th 1,000-point scorer in school history on the night, got his 300th career assist and added a team-high eight boards, but hit just 2-of-9 from three and 8-of-23 from the floor in 40 minutes as the Lions dropped their first game of the season to begin a stretch of five of six games away from the Jordan Center.
Chad Tomko led UNCW with 21 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three and 5-of-6 at the line. Will Ohuaregbe added 12 for a Seahawk team (1-2) that won its first game of the season despite turning the ball over 15 times to Penn State's five.
Despite the poor shooting and some spotty defense, Penn State found itself in a position to win late in the game courtesy of an 8-0 run spurred by Frazier. The speedy guard got four free throws, a steal that led to a pair of Battle free throws and a lay-up in the stretch as the Lions got within five, 60-55, with 6:28 to play after trailing by 13 at the 7:57 mark.
The Lions got within four on another pair of Battle free throws, he was 10-of-11 at the line on the night, and, after another Frazier steal, had a Battle lay-up chance to cut the lead to two, but it rattled out. A pair of Tomko free throws rebuilt the UNCW lead to six, but Battle got a lay-up and Jeff Brooks threw home an alley-oop off a nice Frazier drive and dish and the Lions trailed by just two, 64-62, with 2:58 to play.
Penn State missed a defensive assignment and gave up a lay-up on the other end, but Battle found Chris Babb in the corner and he had a great look at a three to pull the Lions within one. The shot went astray, part of a 2-of-10 night from three for the sophomore. UNCW converted a dunk on the other end and the Seahawks took a 68-62 lead with 1:55 to play. Penn State would not threaten again as UNCW made 10-of-12 free throws down the stretch.
Penn State found itself down 40-31 at the half after struggling shooting 2-of-10 from three and 35 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes. UNCW came out hot and stayed there for most of the half hitting five of its first six from three and seven total treys in the half while shooting 61 percent from the floor. The Seahawks held as much as a 10-point lead in the half when Darryl Felder buried a three with 7:20 to play for a 31-21 edge.
Chad Tomko got UNCW an early lead with seven quick points, two on threes, and the Seahawks led for all but a few seconds of the half. Tomko finished with eight in the half. Battle led Penn State with nine points and five boards, while Jackson chipped in eight as Penn State spread the floor and used the quickness of Battle and Frazier to get into the lane. However, when the Lions kicked the ball out for three, they wouldn't fall as Babb struggled to 1-of-6 from the arc.
UNCW went up eight, 23-15, with 11:10 to play on a Dominique Lacy bucket. Jackson hit a three from the top of the key for the Lions and Jeff Brooks took a nice drive, but missed the jam and Lacy hit a three on the other end to keep UNCW in front by eight.
Penn State used a 5-0 run to get within five, 31-26. Brooks converted a nice three-point play off a transition lay-up to get Penn State within four, 33-29, with 2:52 to play, but Jeremy Basnight answered with a three for UNCW and when John Field hit a flying five-foot jumper in the lane the margin was back to nine, 40-31.
Miami downed Tulane, 74-54, earlier in the day behind 23 points and 14 rebounds from 6-8, senior forward Dwayne Collins. The Nittany Lions will take on Tulane (0-2) at 12:30 p.m. Friday in the second round of the Classic. The teams have met just once before with the Green Wave taking a 54-50 victory at the 1978 Dayton Invitational.