Dec. 1, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" While most of America was home enjoying the final stages of dessert on Thanksgiving night, redshirt sophomore guard Payton Banks was busy in the Bryce Jordan Center practice gym.
It wasn't the only time in recent weeks that Banks had been taking the time to get extra shots up on his own. The work outside of practice time often gives a player the confidence to finish off a key play when the lights are on in a game. Those extra shots also fall right in order with a line head coach Patrick Chambers has used since he stepped onto the Penn State campus.
"You earn the right to make shots (in games)," Chambers said.
With the score tied in the waning seconds of Saturday's game against Bucknell in the BJC, senior guard Brandon Taylor was double-teamed. The second option on the final offensive set for the Nittany Lions was Banks. Taylor found the Orange, Calif., native on the perimeter, and Banks' eventual game-winning triple dropped through the net without touching the rim.
"It's a huge confidence booster, and it also shows that the team has confidence in me," Banks said. "And also the coaching staff; for them to draw up a play where I have an open opportunity in the corner...It's very big trust. I've been getting shots up, and I felt like I was prepared to make that shot."
"For his confidence, it was big. For the team's confidence, that shot was big," said Chambers. "We need him to make threes (for us)."
Following back-to-back games where the Lions faced some adversity, they acted differently down the stretch against Bucknell. Penn State trailed by eight (57-49) with 5:37 to play. The group didn't panic, and it battled down the stretch on both ends of the floor.
The Lions (3-2) out-scored the Bison, 13-1, during the final minutes to score a much-needed victory heading into Wednesday night's Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchup against Boston College (7:15 p.m. on ESPNU).
"It was a big win for us," Chambers said. "I'm not going to say it was a must win for us, but we are a young team, and we need to keep getting better...It was nice to see us fight and take that punch, battle back, take the lead and make that big shot."
For a young team in many spots on the floor, Penn State's ability to pick itself off the mat and make big plays down the stretch shows great signs of maturity.
"As a team, it gives us tremendous confidence heading into the next game at Boston College," said senior guard Devin Foster. "Everyone is enthused. We go hard in practice to be prepared for those game situations like Payton Banks had on Saturday."
Now, all eyes are on the matchup with the Eagles. Penn State is 5-3 in its last eight games in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. That stretch includes a 1-1 mark against Boston College.
The Eagles enter the game with a 3-3 mark following a trip to the West Coast. Boston College started the season 3-0 (all home games) before dropping three-straight in games in California against Michigan State (99-68), UC Irvine (80-67) and Santa Clara (62-45).
Transfer guard Eli Carter enters the game as Boston College's leading scorer at 18.0 points per game. The Eagles are averaging 67.7 points per game and shooting 43 percent from the field.
"(Boston College) is a young team, just like us," said Chambers. "They play really, really well at home. It's going to be a challenge. They have a great player in Eli Carter, who is running the show and teaching the young guys how to play. They have a ton of young talent."
Following the trip to Boston College, Penn State returns home on Saturday for a 12 p.m. matchup against Eastern Michigan inside the BJC.