Nov. 28, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Nov. 28, 2010 - Penn State was sizzling from three-point range and Talor Battle etched his name across another Nittany Lion milestone as Penn State galloped past the Furman Paladins, 70-49, Sunday in the Bryce Jordan Center.
The Nittany Lions improved to 5-1 on the year and grabbed the 100th win in coach Ed DeChellis' eighth season at Penn State as they prepare to take on defending ACC co-champion Maryland (4-2) Wednesday night in the Jordan Center in the second to last game of the 2010 ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The game will tip at 9:15 p.m. on ESPN2. Penn State set a Big Ten Conference record last year winning its third-straight Challenge game. The Lions and Terrapins will meet for the first time since the 1990 NIT with the series tied 8-8.
Sunday was a three-point shooting gallery for the Nittany Lions who hit 12 of their first 16 from the arc before missing their final three treys late to finish with a season-high 63.2 percent shooting from the arc. It was the Lions' best performance from three since hitting 75.0 percent (9-12) vs. St. Francis in 2005. Battle was one of three Nittany Lions to make three treys on the night as he posted a game-high 19 points and added six assists, three rebounds and two steals on the day. The third rebound made him the first Nittany Lion player ever to record at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists on a career. He will enter Sunday with 1,636 career points (third all-time), 500 rebounds, and 438 assists (seventh all-time).
Fellow seniors David Jackson (3-6) and Jeff Brooks (3-4) also hit a trio of trifectas on the day as Jackson logged 16 points and four boards and Brooks punched in with 13 points and six boards for his sixth-straight double-figure game of the season. Brooks, who worked very hard on his jump shot in the off-season, is now a team-leading 8-of-14 (57%) from the arc and 37-55 (67%) from the floor on the season.
Furman (3-2) was led by 12 points from Justin Dehm and 10 from leading scorer Amu Saaka who came in averaging 19.0 ppg. The Paladins shot just 37 percent from the floor and were out-rebounded 33-19. Penn State hit a season-best 54 percent from the floor and posted a season-high nine steals, a career high four coming from sophomore Tim Frazier who also added six rebounds, five assists and four points.
A 6-0 run highlighted by a three-pointer from Taran Buie, who had eight points on the night, after a Battle assist pushed the Nittany Lions to a 24-point lead, their largest of the game, with 14:18 remaining in the game.
Penn State used a series of runs to pull away from the Paladins in the first half. Brooks continued his solid shooting by capping an 8-0 run with a three pointer 3:45 into the game to take an early 8-2 lead. Brooks made his first five shots, running his string of field goals made in the Jordan Center to 12 straight dating to his 7-of-7 performance vs. CCSU.
After Furman pulled the margin back to two, Penn State went on another 8-0 run with threes from Battle and Brooks to go ahead 16-6 with 13:35 remaining in the half.
Another climb back from Furman ended as the Nittany Lions went on a 9-0 run marked by threes from Battle and Jackson with 6:22 remaining in the half to take a 31-17 lead. The three-pointer was one of Jackson's three in the game, tying a career high. Jackson was a large part of the first half success posting 13 points and going 2-3 from behind the arc.
Penn State pushed their largest lead of the first half to 18 after a pair of threes from Cameron Woodyard and Battle put the score at 39-21 with 2:20 in the first half. Those threes were part of an 8-11 shooting performance from behind the arc for the Nittany Lions in the first half.
Penn State played solid defensively in the first half limiting the Paladins to 34.8 percent shooting and forcing four steals and six turnovers. The Nittany Lions were able to control the inside outscoring Furman 24-4 in the paint and allowing the Paladins no second chance points on the day.
Nittany Lion Basketball season tickets are available by calling 814-865-5555. Season tickets are $220 for adults, $190 for seniors for a 19-game home schedule and $59 for students. PNC Flex Books are also available again this year for $99. The Flex Book gives fans 12 vouchers, 10 that can be redeemed in any combination for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball tickets throughout the year and two extra vouchers for the Nittany Lions' Coaches Vs. Cancer game and the Lady Lions' Think Pink game.
For all the latest information, notes, pictures and related links on Penn State basketball follow Assistant Athletic Communications Director Brian Siegrist on Twitter (@PSUSTRETCH) and check GoPSUsports.com. The Nittany Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstatebasketball.
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