Dec. 5, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - On the heels of a 61-58 win over Virginia Tech on Wednesday, the Nittany Lion basketball team again showed its poise down the stretch in a tight ballgame.
Heading into Saturday's 6 p.m. tilt at Marshall (3-4), Penn State (7-1) has played six-straight contests decided by eight points or fewer. The Lions have illustrated an ability to make plays, on both ends of the floor, when the game has been in doubt. It's a sign of maturity from a group that is no stranger to close games.
Penn State is 5-1 during the span of games decided by fewer than 10 points. Last year? The Lions went 10-11 in those games.
"We are confident, but I think that comes from the experiences we had last year," Chambers said. "We are confident in one another to make plays at the end. Our defense obviously saved us in some games. And then we've had different guys step up...I think our depth, our leadership, our ability to play different lineups can counter some of the adjustments opposing coaches and teams make. I do think it is a more confident, mentally tough bunch right now."
You can't pinpoint one player or one sequence during the six-game span as the main catalyst for Penn State's confidence in tight games. Granted D.J. Newbill has been the MVP for the Lions during the first three weeks of the season, but John Johnson has accounted for a host of huge plays, Ross Travis has been clutch, Shep Garner's free throw shooting has played a big role. And the list goes on.
But it all comes back to Penn State's depth, which is a topic Coach Chambers has been preaching since the team began practicing in October. The bench is deeper, and the Lions can rely on eight to 10 players to step into the rotation and produce.
"It feels good to be able to go to the bench, and the bench lifts us up," Chambers said.
Chambers said on Monday that he wanted to see more on defense and on the glass. The Lions answered the bell with a tremendous defensive performance against Virginia Tech, limiting the Hokies to 39 percent from the field. And thanks to 32 combined rebounds from the front line, the Lions out-rebounded Virginia Tech, 47-38.
Now, Chambers is looking for more ball movement on offense. The Nittany Lions had just four assists on 20 made field goal attempts against Virginia Tech.
"When you are really good, you are selfless on offense," Chambers said. "So we have to work on sharing the basketball and doing the little things to get easier shots. I thought we made it very difficult on ourselves against Virginia Tech...We need better balance on both ends."
Marshall enters the game looking to snap a four-game losing streak. The Thundering Herd has been off since Monday (L, 77-59 vs. South Carolina). Redshirt sophomore Ryan Taylor leads Marshall in scoring at 16.0 points per game. The Herd is averaging 68.6 points per game on offense and has allowed 67.7 points per game on defense.
Penn State and Marshall will collide for the seventh time (PSU is 6-0). The Nittany Lions topped the Herd, 90-77, on Dec. 7 last season.
"They had a week off, so they have been preparing for us for a week," said Chambers. "It's a Saturday at 6 o'clock, so my gut tells me there will be a lot of fans there. We have to be ready for a very difficult road game. Again, another close game down the stretch and hopefully we can find a way to come out on top."