Feb. 18, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" Head coach Patrick Chambers said it when he talked with the media on Monday afternoon, just two days before Penn State's showdown with No. 4 Iowa in the Bryce Jordan Center.
At this point in February, the head coach of the Nittany Lions expects his team to begin playing its best basketball of the season. Chambers said that his teams typically put together performances in the final month of a season that illustrate a maturing group.
February is the month where freshmen become sophomores, sophomores become juniors, juniors play like seniors and the senior class competes with a sense of urgency.
Wednesday's 79-75 triumph over the Big Ten-leading Hawkeyes (20-6, 10-3 Big Ten) was Exhibit A of all the things Chambers and the Nittany Lions (13-13, 4-9 Big Ten) envision as the season heads into the stretch run.
"We worked really hard on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday," said Chambers. "I told them that once they put the work in, they have to go out and enjoy it. They went out and shared the ball, and enjoyed it. Their huddles were great and they were dialed in."
What steered Wednesday's victory were the contributions of each Nittany Lion in the rotation. But the star of the night was senior forward Donovon Jack, who played the game of his life to help will the Lions past the Hawkeyes.
Jack finished with a career-high 19 points on a blistering 8-for-9 shooting effort. He also had five rebounds, two blocks and an assist.
"It means a lot. But, I couldn't have done it without my teammates," said Jack. "I fed off of BT (Brandon Taylor) a lot, then Shep (Garner) passed me the ball and that's all I could hope for. It's a big win for us. We just have to keep grinding and keep the momentum here for us."
Jack scored nine points in each half and came up with big buckets when the Lions needed them. Wednesday's effort was long overdue for a guy who has worked relentlessly to become a key figure in the Penn State rotation. For Chambers, Wednesday's game was no fluke for Jack because he sees how much work the Reading native puts in during long hours in the practice gym.
"Donovon wants to be a great player and see this program succeed," said Jack. "He committed to us during a very difficult time for Penn State. He stayed loyal to us over the last four years and he just kept working and didn't give up. A couple of days ago, we had a lengthy meeting about what I expect from him moving forward. He played with incredible confidence, poise and composure. He was ready to make that big jump tonight."
Jack and his fellow seniors set the tone for the effort in Wednesday night's victory in the three practice days following the team's 70-54 setback at Nebraska.
"We came back in on Sunday and we went after it," said Chambers. "Those seniors went after it because they didn't want to let it happen again. It's very trueââ'¬"you practice the way you play. Our practice translated to the game tonight. Brandon Taylor's leadership over the last three days was just incredible. He would not be denied in his last three days and tonight."
Taylor scored 18 points, pulled down nine boards, tallied three assists and notched one block. The New Jersey native has scored 18 or more in seven of Penn State's Big Ten games. Taylor's scoring has been critical to the team's success, but his leadership is invaluable.
"Taylor is a much better player now then he has ever been," said Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery. "I think that has made a huge impact tonight and in other games like Indiana."
Penn State trailed 8-0 out of the gate against Iowa and did not score until the 15:22 mark of the first half. The team's effort never wavered, and the Lions battled back.
A string of Shep Garner threes proved to be the turning point for the night, though. Garner nailed back-to-back threes mid-way through the first half and added a jumper and two more long balls on later possessions to give the sophomore guard 14 points in a span of 6:18. His fourth 3-pointer at the 7:17 mark ignited a 10-0 run from the Nittany Lions, who in the midst of the surge claimed a 26-25 lead with 5:07 on the clock in the first half.
It would be a lead the Blue and White never relinquished. Iowa got as close as two on two separate occasions and within three in the final seconds, but Penn State punched back every time the Hawkeyes mounted a charge. The Lions finished off the game by making 16 of their last 18 free throw attempts in the final 4:17.
With five regular season games to play, the Nittany Lions still have a lot of work to do. Penn State has three home games in its last five, but next up is a trip to Rutgers on Saturday.
"After a win like this, the key is not getting too high. We're happy about this win, but we got another game," said Taylor. "We leave on Saturday, so we can't just focus on this win. We got another game coming, another Big Ten team, and we play them away, so we have to go there and get the job done there, too."