Feb. 17, 2013
ANN ARBOR, MICH.; FEB. 17, 2013 - Penn State (8-17; 0-13 Big Ten) gave No. 4 Michigan (22-4; 9-4 Big Ten) all it wanted Sunday in Ann Arbor, but the Wolverines used 29 points from Trey Burke to hold off a strong Nittany Lion effort, 79-71.
The Lions' 71 points marked a season high in a road game and Penn State's most in a Big Ten road game since posting an 81-70 victory at Northwestern on Feb. 17, 2010.
Senior Sasa Borovnjak (Belgrade, Serbia) led four Penn State players in double-figures with a career high 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting and added a career-best three assists. Jermaine Marshall (Etters, Pa.) also posted 17 points while Ross Travis (Chaska, Minn.) recorded his third double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. D.J. Newbill (Philadelphia, Pa.) had 11 points and five assists in a season low 30 minutes of action due to foul trouble. Senior Nick Colella (New Castle, Pa.) added nine points and career highs of six rebounds and four assists, part of 15 assists on the day for Penn State.
Freshmen Glenn Robinson III added 21 points on 6-of-6 shooting, many on dunks, and fellow freshman Nik Stauskas had 18 for Michigan, which shot 58 percent in the second half to overcome the Lions. Penn State shot 45 percent for the game and won the rebounding battle 35-29, but was out-scored 27-15 at the foul line by a Michigan team that shot 47 percent for the game.
Penn State led for most of the first half, and by as many as eight, and was tied with the Wolverines at 32 at the half. Michigan opened the second half with six straight points to take a six-point lead, but Penn State fired back with a three-point play from Newbill and a three from freshman Brandon Taylor (Trenton, N.J.) to knot the game at 38.
Michigan got a three from Stauskas and a Burke layup to retake the lead and led the rest of the way. Despite a barrage of 47 Michigan points in the second half, the Lions never let the Wolverine lead grow to bigger than nine and used a 9-2 run to close within one, 55-54, with nine minutes to play.
Michigan would stretch its lead back to nine, 67-58, after a Tim Hardaway three and a Burke bucket with 4:16 remaining, but a Newbill three got the Lions back within six. The Lions battled within the six to eight point margin the rest of the way, missing on several opportunities to get the margin to five or less, but could get no closer as Michigan closed the game going 8-of-8 at the foul line.
Penn State led for most of the first half before going to the break tied at 32 with the fourth-ranked team in the nation. The Lions shot 45 percent in the first 20 minutes and held a 19-14 lead on the boards. Marshall led six Lions that scored in the half with nine points, while Burke had 14 for a Michigan team that started hot but cooled quickly and shot 36 percent for the half.
Marshall opened the scoring with a three, but Michigan quickly took a 6-3 lead behind five points from Burke. Penn State used a 12-1 run to build an eight-point lead, 17-9, early in the half as Penn State hit five of its first 10 from the floor and ran effective offense. Brandon Taylor connected on a three in the run and Nick Colella converted on a an and-one drive.
Colella and Borovnjak connected several times in the half on screen and roll action. Borovnjak finished with seven points in the half while Colella logged three assists and three points.
Newbill made it 25-19 Penn State with a basket, but had to sit at the 5:54 mark after picking up his third foul.
Burke and Glenn Robinson III carried the scoring in the half for Michigan, which shot just 2-of-10 from three. The Wolverines closed within two, 25-23, after back-to-back buckets by Robinson, but Borovnjak converted and Travis hit a free throw for a 28-23 Lion advantage.
Travis' short jumper had Penn State up 30-25, when Michigan closed the half with a 7-2 run. Burke scored the last for points of the half converting two at the foul line and jumper.
Penn State will continue a run of four of its final six regular season games on the road on Thursday when the Lion travel to Illinois for an 8:15 p.m. (ET) tip on the Big Ten Network.
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.
-NITTANY LIONS- GAME NOTES
• Penn State's 71 points marked a season high in a road game and the Lions' most in a Big Ten road game since posting an 81-70 victory at Northwestern on Feb. 17, 2010.
• The Lions had four players reach double-figure scoring for the first time since the New Hampshire game on Dec. 23. Sasa Borovnjak (17), Jermaine Marshall (17), Ross Travis (11) and D.J. Newbill (11).
• Senior Sasa Borovnjak posted a career high 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting and added a career-best three assists.
• Senior Nick Colella set a career high with four assists, tied a career high with six rebounds and scored nine points, his most in a Big Ten game since logging nine vs. Iowa on Feb. 16, 2012.
• Ross Travis recorded his third double-double of the season and his sixth double-digit rebounding game of the season logging 11 points and 10 rebounds. It was his first career double-double in a Big Ten game.
• D.J. Newbill picked up three first half fouls and sat the final 5:54 of the half. He played a season low 30 minutes in the game, but still logged his ninth straight double-digit scoring game (11) and led the Lions with five assists.