March 13, 2015
CHICAGO - Penn State's strong showing at the Big Ten Tournament came up just shy of a trip to the semifinals following a 64-59 setback to fourth-seeded Purdue on Friday afternoon at United Center.
The Nittany Lions (18-16, 4-14 Big Ten) had the Boilermakers (21-11, 12-6 Big Ten) on their heels for more than 30 minutes in the quarterfinal matchup, but a late 13-0 surge fueled Purdue to a five-point victory.
Penn State stormed to an 11-point lead in the first half (28-17) thanks to a 16-5 scoring run. Brandon Taylor, Ross Travis and Jordan Dickerson fueled the balanced attack, which gave the Lions a double-digit edge at 4:40 in the first half. The Lions led by nine with 1:50 to play in the half, but a quick 6-0 run from the Boilers sent the teams into the locker room with the score at 37-32.
Purdue's 7-0 run in the opening minutes of the second half handed the Boilers their first lead (42-40) since it was 8-6, but the Lions were not done. Geno Thorpe and D.J. Newbill triggered a 9-2 counter attack during the next 4:33 of game time to set the score at 50-44, Nittany Lions, with 9:11 to play.
From there, though, Penn State went cold on the offensive end, weathering more than 8:30 without a point. Purdue mounted its 13-0 run, took a 57-50 lead and never looked back. The Lions got as close as three late, but Purdue finished the game off at the foul line.
Regardless of the outcome, Penn State has nothing to hang its head about. The Nittany Lions battled from the opening whistle of Wednesday's win over Nebraska to the final horn of the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon. Winning its first two conference tournament games since 2011, Penn State took an important step forward for the future of the program this week in Chicago.
"(I'm) proud of my team. Really competed to the end," head coach Patrick Chambers said. "Three days, three games in the Big Ten is very difficult, and the way these guys competed today in the second half, they gave it everything they had, and I think this is a stepping-stone for our program, and I think they have everything to do with it, the legacy that this group has left for Penn State and Penn State basketball. I think you're going to see it for a long time because this was a critical step in the process of becoming an elite basketball team, and it's because of them."
The Nittany Lions certainly left a lasting image on those from around the conference at the Big Ten Tournament. The buzz around United Center for the past three days was Penn State's gritty, never say die approach to every second the team is on the floor.
"I learned that our program has got a lot of heart," said Chambers. "It's got a lot of grit and work ethic. We have a terrific attitude, because you don't come into the Big Ten Tournament, win two games and give yourself a chance in the third game three days in a row in the Big Ten without all those characteristics, and we can build off that. It's an incredible foundation."
No player on the roster deserves more credit for his efforts in laying the foundation for what is come for the Nittany Lion basketball program than Newbill. He finished an incredible string of games at the Big Ten Tournament with 19 points, and the senior guard went down swinging, as he has done every time he has stepped on the floor wearing the Blue and White.
"I competed every game, every practice, every workout, from the summers to the fall to the winter, and that's why I look at my career and just know that I gave it my all," Newbill said. "I think everyone around me knows that, too."
The All-Big Ten guard did not win as many games as he deserved to, but it wasn't for a lack of commitment, effort and dedication to a program and coaching staff he loved dearly. It's rare to come across a student-athlete with the drive of Newbill. A tremendously talented player on the floor, Newbill is a better man off the floor. The Philly product embodies the type of passion in a player every coach dreams of mentoring.
"This has meant everything to me," Newbill said. "From the moment I stepped on campus to the moment I put the jersey on, I gave every fiber of my body to go out there and compete at the highest level possible. It means everything to me."