Feb. 10, 2011
East Lansing, Mich., Feb. 10, 2011 - Penn State (12-11; 5-7 Big Ten) couldn't overcome a hot shooting Michigan State team (14-10; 6-6 Big Ten) and a 20-point halftime deficit Thursday in East Lansing, Mich. as the Spartans posted a 75-57 victory.
Talor Battle posted 19 points and four assists for the Lions and passed Joe Crispin (1,986) on the night to move into second place all-time on the Nittany Lion career scoring list with 1,996 points. Battle also made his 63rd-straight start on the night and tied the all-time career starts record of 120 set by DeRon Hayes in 1993. Jeff Brooks didn't start, but returned after missing one game with a dislocated right shoulder to post 15 points and four rebounds in 33 minutes of action.
Michigan State was led by a triple-double from Draymond Green who logged 15 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. Kalin Lucas had 24 points on 4-of-7 from three and Delvon Roe added 15 points for a Spartan team that shot 52 percent from the floor and made 26-of-35 at the foul line. The Spartans dominated the glass 38-23 and scored 32 points in the paint.
Penn State cut a 20-point halftime deficit to 10 on two occasions in the second half, but couldn't overcome 34 percent shooting in the first half and 41 percent shooting in the game as Michigan paraded to the foul line in the second half scoring 22 points from the charity stripe in the final 20 minutes.
Andrew Jones and Tim Frazier both fouled out for Penn State, which tied a season high with 28 team fouls on the night.
The Spartans scored the first five points of the game and quickly jumped to a 15-3 lead in just over four minutes and never looked back. Michigan State shot 59 percent from the floor in the first half and ended the first 20 minutes with a pair of threes from Lucas and Durrell Summers to take a 41-21 lead to the locker room.
Penn State struggled shooting 34 percent in the half and had several costly turnovers that derailed comeback attempts. Brooks paced the Lions with nine points and four rebounds in the half. Battle struggled hitting 2-of-9 from the floor and Frazier and Jones both found early foul trouble with two fouls each.
Lucas was a sizzling 4-of-6 from three in the half for 15 points and the Spartans dominated the paint winning the rebounding battle 19-12 and points in the paint 22-8. Back-to-back threes from Lucas got the Spartans off and running and built a 13-3 lead. A Summers lay-up made it 21-6. Green pushed the lead to 16 with a three-point play.
A Brooks put-back and Battle steal and lay-up got Penn State within 10, 26-16. Lucas hit another three to push the MSU lead back to 15, 33-18, before Lucas and Summers closed the half with daggers from the arc.
In the second half, the Lions got within 10, 49-39, on a Brooks jumper with 8:38 to play that capped a 7-0 run. The Spartans rebuilt the lead to 17 after a Lucas lay-up with 5:00 to play, but Penn State got the margin back to 10 with an 8-1 run capped by a Battle feed to Oliver for a lay-up with 3:13 remaining.
Penn State would get no closer as the Spartans sank 14-of-18 free throws in the final three minutes of action.
Penn State will return to the Bryce Jordan Center for a two-game home stand starting Sunday when the Nittany Lions take on Northwestern in a 3:30 p.m. tip on the Big Ten Network. Penn State leads the series 24-12, is 14-2 vs. the Wildcats at the Jordan Center and has won four-straight games in the series and nine of the last 11.
Nittany Lion Basketball single-game tickets can be purchased by calling the ticket office at 814-865-5555, visiting GoPSUsports.com or through Tickemaster. Single-game tickets are $18 for the lower bowl and $15 for upper level ticket for adults. Youth tickets (18 and under) are $7 for the lower bowl and $5 for upper level seating, while Penn State student tickets (University Park or branch campus) are $5 for each of the 19 home contests.
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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