Dec. 15, 2012
Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery | VIDEO: D.J. Newbill & Jermaine Marshall postgame |
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.; DEC. 15, 2012 - After an impressive second half comeback by Delaware State (5-6), which trailed by as much as 18 in the first half, sent the game to overtime, Penn State (6-4) rode the strength of its backcourt tandem of D.J. Newbill (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Jermaine Marshall (Etters, Pa.) to earn an 80-76 victory. The Hornets trailed for almost the entire 40 minutes of regulation before fighting back and tying the game at 69-69 with 12 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Newbill led Penn State tying his career high with 22 points, including a pair of layups in overtime, the last of which gave the Lions a two-point lead with 30 seconds to play. Newbill shot 61.5 percent (8-13) from the floor and 5-of-6 at the foul line. Marshall was second on the team with 15 points and added seven rebounds and a career high five assists in 42 minutes of action. Senior Sasa Borovnjak (Belgrade, Serbia) posted his best outing of the season with 14 points, one shy of a career high, and a career high tying eight rebounds. Freshman Donovon Jack (Reading, Pa.) added a career-high eight points and three rebounds in 12 minutes.
Penn State shot 59 percent in the first half to own a 37-29 advantage at the break, but cooled to 49.1 percent (26-of-53) for the game, including hitting 7-of-18 from beyond the arc and 67.7 percent (21-of-31) from the foul line. Delaware State hit 40 percent (24-of-60) of their shots, 50 percent during their second half comeback, and went 10-for-30 (.333) from the three-point line.
"They are very talented and very well coached," Penn State coach Patrick Chambers said of Delaware State. "It was only a matter of time for them to make shots, so I knew there was a run coming soon and you do everything you can to prevent it. Foul trouble hurt us today, Ross (Travis) being out (with five fouls) and D.J. (Newbill) playing some offense-defense (due to foul trouble). You are putting young guys out there who are going to make mistakes. We dodged a bullet today. That is a good team."
The Hornets were led by 24 points and 11 rebounds from 6-5 guard Casey Walker who hit five three-pointers on the night. Tyshawn Bell added 15 points and three treys, including a three that tied the game at 69 and a three in overtime that staked the Hornets to a 76-73 lead with 1:24 to play.
Penn State grabbed a 5-0 lead to start the game after a Newbill layup and a three-pointer by Brandon Taylor. Marques Oliver put the Hornets on the board after tipping the ball in. The Nittany Lions took off on an 11-0 run for a 14-point advantage, 16-2, by the 12:46 mark. Four different Nittany Lions scored in the run, including three points from Newbill, a three-pointer from both senior Nick Colella (New Castle, Pa.) and Marshall and a two points by Taylor.
A foul from freshman Donovan Jack (Reading, Pa.) sent Tahj Tate to the foul line for Delaware State where he was 1-for-2. Freshman Akosa Maduegbunam (Boston, Mass.) hit a baseline jumper for Penn State, his first career points, and Marshall sank a trifecta to increase the Lion lead to 21-3 with 11:52 left in the half. The Hornets began the game just 1-of-11 from the floor, but Bell scored on a jumper and DSU warmed up to go on a 10-2 run, which brought DSU within 10, 23-13, with less than seven minutes in half.
Newbill ended the run with a layup before he nailed a three to put Penn State ahead by 15, 28-13. The Hornets answered with three straight three-pointers cutting the Nittany Lion lead to six, 28-22. Tate fouled Newbill who went 2-for-2 at the line to give Penn State an eight-point lead, 30-22, with 3:21 to play.
The Hornets again came within six after Walker hit two shots at the free throw line, but Borovnjak also hit two at the line to push the Lions back up by eight, 32-24. The teams closed out the half with five points apiece with all of the Hornets points coming at the foul line. Travis hit a jumper, part of six points for the forward who played just 20 minutes due to foul trouble, and Colella scored on a three-point attempt for a 37-29 Penn State lead heading into halftime.
The Nittany Lions opened the second half with six straight points to put their lead back into double-digits, 41-29. Walker hit a layup to end the PSU run, but two consecutive trips to the foul line with Borovnjak and Travis both scoring two had Penn State leading, 45-31. Delaware State's Marcus Oliver scored two, but four straight points from Marshall staked the Lions to a 16-point lead, 49-33, at the 15:51 mark.
The Hornets used a 6-2 run to narrow the gap to 12, 51-39, but Jack hit back-to-back buckets and scored six straight points to move Penn State back in the lead by 16, 55-39. The teams traded baskets for the next two minutes before a Hornet trey brought DSU within 10, 59-49, with 8:02 left in the game.
After nearly three scoreless minutes passed, Brandon Oliver fouled Marshall who hit both free throw attempts for a 61-49 Penn State lead. After three more trips to the foul line, two by the Hornets and one by the Lions, Penn State remained ahead by 12, 65-53. A basket by Bell and a free throw by DSU's Albert Thomas had the Hornets within nine, 65-56, with a little more than three minutes remaining in the game.
Newbill scored on another layup before five straight Hornet points had Delaware State within six, 67-61, with 1:40 to go. Jack fouled Thomas who went 1-for-2 at the line to move the Hornets within five, 67-62. Maduegbunam was then fouled, but missed both foul shots. Borovnjak tried to tip the ball to retain possession, but was called on a foul allowing Bell to shoot two free throws and bring DSU within three, 67-64, with 36 seconds left.
After a Penn State turnover in the backcourt, a Walker dunk had the Hornets trailing by one, 67-66. Tate fouled Newbill who went 2-for-2 at the foul line to give Penn State a three-point edge, 69-66. With 12 seconds remaining, Bell hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 69. Penn State pushed the ball against DSU's extended defense and Colella drove to the basket but was denied. The Hornets desperation three was wide forcing overtime.
Penn State won the overtime tipoff. After a missed layup, Borovnjak gave Penn State the advantage, 70-69, after hitting 1-of-2 free throw attempts. Delaware State grabbed its first lead of the game on a Thomas layup, 71-70, less than two minutes into the five minute overtime period. Two straight Hornet baskets gave the Hornets a three-point lead, 73-70, but Newbill rebounded his own miss and put it in and Borovnjak made one free throw to tie the game at 73.
Bell answered with a trifecta for another three-point Hornet lead, but Marshall wasn't far behind with a three of his own to knot the score at 76-76 with 1:07 on the clock. After two missed free throws by Tate, Newbill stormed through the paint for a layup to give Penn State a 78-76 lead with 30 seconds remaining. Thomas missed a bucket for DSU with Taylor grabbing the defensive rebound. He was fouled by DSU's Kendall Gray and went on to hit two at the foul line to make it 80-76, Penn State. Two missed Delaware State shots ran out the clock.
Penn State plays two final non-conference home games before the Big Ten season begins. The Nittany Lions face New Hampshire on Sunday, Dec. 23 at 11 a.m. and host Duquesne on Saturday, Dec. 29 at 4 p.m. Penn State opens Big Ten action at Wisconsin on Thursday, Jan. 3.
For all the latest information, notes, pictures and related links on Penn State basketball follow Associate Athletic Communications Director Brian Siegrist (@PSUSTRETCH) and the official Penn State men's basketball handle (@PennStateMBB) on Twitter and check GoPSUsports.com. The Nittany Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstatebasketball.
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GAME NOTES
• Penn State posted back-to-back wins for the first time this season and improved to 6-4.
• Penn State leads the series with Delaware State 3-0. This is the Nittany Lions first win on their home court vs. the Hornets. Their other two victories were in neutral territory.
• Penn State is 5-1 at home this season and this marked the Nittany Lions third straight win on their home floor.
• Penn State is now 2-0 this season in overtime games. The Nittany Lions defeated Providence, 55-52 in overtime on Nov. 16.Penn State is also 2-0 in overtime under Chambers and 5-2 in the last six seasons.
• Redshirt junior Jermaine Marshall had a career-high five assists. He was second on the team in points with 15 and rebounds with seven.
• Freshman Brandon Taylor had a personal-best two blocks.
• Senior Sasa Borovnjak tied his career best with eight boards and was one shy of tying his personal high in points with 14. He also tied his career high in assists with two. It marked just Borovnjak's third career double-digit scoring game.
• Redshirt sophomore D.J. Newbill tied his career high with a team-leading 22 points. He was 8-of-13 (.615) from the floor and hit 5-of-6 (.833) at the foul line.
• Freshman Donovan Jack posted a career high eight points after hitting 4-of-5 from the floor. He also recorded his first collegiate block (1).