Nov. 19, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.; Oct 19, 2011 - Penn State (3-1) missed 25 straight shots and shot just 16 percent in the first half as No. 2 Kentucky (3-0) jumped to a 47-15 halftime lead before rolling to an 85-47 victory Saturday in the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-off Tournament at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
Junior Tim Frazier (Houston, Texas) led Penn State with 11 points and six assists and added six boards for a Nittany Lion team that played better in the second half shooting 40 percent in the second 20 minutes. Freshman Ross Travis (Chaska, Minn.) posted career highs of 10 points and eight rebounds as no other Lions reached double-figures. Sophomore Matt Glover (Orange, Calif.) hit his first three treys of the second half to finish with a career best nine points. Penn State shot 27 percent for the game, 7-of-27 (26%) from three and just 4-of-12 from the foul line.
Penn State will take on South Florida Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Mohegan Sun in its final game in the Tip-off Tournament. The Bulls fell 68-66 in overtime to Old Dominion on Saturday. USF was led Saturday by 18 points from Augustus Gilchrist and 16 points and seven boards from Victor Rudd, Jr. Penn State is 1-3 all-time vs. USF having last faced the Bulls in 1990.
Kentucky came out smoking hitting at a 68 percent clip midway through the first half before finishing at 53 percent for the game and 10-of-20 from three. Sophomore Doron Lamb led the charge posting 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting while the Wildcats got 19 points from Kyle Wiltjer off the bench and 15 points and nine boards from pre-season SEC Player-of-the-Year Terrence Jones. Kentucky out-scored Penn State 19-4 at the foul line, getting 29 free throw attempts, and scored 23 points off 12 Penn State turnovers.
Kentucky led by as many as 41 with 7:40 to play, before posting the 38-point victory, Penn State's worst loss since falling 80-37 at Illinois in 2004.
"I think our young guys are going to grow up," Penn State coach Patrick Chambers said. "We'll keep working to get where we want to go and we'll use this as a learning experience. We just have to start trusting in our foundation and what it means to play Penn State basketball - playing hard, being gritty, being scrappy."
Penn State stood within three early, 8-5, following a Billy Oliver three and a Frazier jumper, but saw Kentucky use an 8-0 run punctuated by a Lamb steal and lay-up to take a 16-5 lead. Jon Graham took an assist from Glover for a lay-up and Frazier got back-to-back baskets to keep Penn State within 11, 22-11, with 11:34 to play in the first half when Penn State went ice cold.
The Lions would miss eight-straight three-point attempts and go with out another field goal until the closing second of the half as 25 straight Lion field goal attempts went astray. Meanwhile, Kentucky got three-straight threes, one from Jones and two from Lamb, as part of a 14-0 run that opened up a 40-12 lead following a pair of Lamb free throws with 6:16 to play. Kentucky would stretch that run to 21-3 to finish the half and take a 47-15 lead to the locker room as Graham finally broke the Penn State drought with a put-back lay-up at the buzzer.
Travis and Glover scored all of their points in the second half as Penn State got the lead no lower than 27, 58-31, following a Glover three with 13:41 to play. Kentucky would use an 18-4 run punctuated by a dunk from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to push its lead to as much as 41, 76-35, with 7:40 to play.
Season tickets for Nittany Lion Basketball are $200 for adults, $170 for faculty/staff and seniors, $80 for youth (18 and under) 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 on Feb. 11 vs. Nebraska and the Lady Lions' Think Pink game on Feb. 26 vs. Minnesota.
Nittany Lion Basketball single-game tickets or group tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY, visiting GoPSUsports.com or through Ticketmaster. Single-game tickets are $18 for the lower bowl and $15 for upper level tickets 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. Penn State also offers special basketball group ticket rates for groups of 15 fans or more. Nittany Lion group rates are $10 for adults and $5 for youth.
For all the latest information, notes, pictures and related links on Penn State basketball follow Associate 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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