Penn State rebounded from its loss in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge earlier in the week when it defeated the University of Penn 58-47 on Saturday afternoon.
For Penn State, Saturday’s game showcased the struggles and the improvements that a Tim Frazier-less team Nittany Lion squad has gone through over the past three games.
Once again, Penn State opened the game slowly, tying the contest at nine following a Brandon Taylor free throw at the 11:58 mark. For those in attendance, there was a certain level of anxiety as the Nittany Lions struggled to out-preform a lesser opponent early in the game.
However, unlike the past three games, the offense got going and the Nittany Lions were able to take advantage of their size over a smaller Penn team, scoring 22 points in the final 10 minutes of the first half to take a 31-22 lead in to the locker room.
Penn State was able to limit turnovers and found its range from deep hitting on five-of-seven from beyond the arc. Freshman forward Brandon Taylor took advantage of Penn double teams, picking and popping, hitting three from range in the early going.
‘I think for the most part that Jermaine and D.J. did a good job,’ Penn State coach Patrick Chambers said. ‘Those guards on Penn are very quick and tough.
‘Overall, I thought they handled it very well, 11 turnovers for us, and we were pressed the whole game … definitely a step in the right direction taking care of the basketball.’
The Nittany Lions opened the second half by missing their first three shots before back-to-back dunks by sophomore guard DJ Newbill opened up Penn State’s largest lead of the day, at 35-22 just three minutes in to the second half.
The Quakers slowly chipped away at the Nittany Lion’s lead as Penn State struggled to score over the next five minutes, Penn State’s lead decreasing, 37-31 with just over 11 minutes to go.
The offensive struggles continued until Jon Graham hit back-to-back layups with just more than five minutes left in the game to extend the lead back to 10, forcing a timeout by the Quakers.
With a timeout on the floor and about five minutes remaining in regulation, Chambers walked out to greet Graham with a hug on his way to the huddle. The four straight points represented success for a player that has not lacked effort or determination, often times just the friendly rolls.
Penn State’s 58-47 victory over the Quakers on Saturday afternoon was never really in question, but the hug was a well earned token of Chamber’s appreciation.
‘I love the kid so much,’ Chambers said. ‘He wants to please us, and he plays so hard. I know that his confidence was down, but because he’s a great defender and I believe in him, when we go to end-of-game situations I want him in the game. For him to score those four points in that situation after we had missed some down low, I wanted him to know I had his back.’
Jermaine Marshall lead Penn State with 18 points, Newbill and Taylor added 13 and 11 respectively. Sophomore forward Ross Travis was also a force on the glass, pulling in eight rebounds and playing a much more aggressive game, driving the ball and drawing fouls.
‘I want him to be aggressive,’ Chambers said after the game. ‘He gives us another option, if we can get him in double figures that’s really going to help guys like DJ and Jermaine and take the pressure off of them. I think Brandon Taylor does that as well, if we can get those four going a little bit we can score some points.’
The victory improves Penn State’s record to 4-3. More importantly, it was another dose of confidence for a team still looking for consistency and identity.
