How It Happened:
Penn State came out slow and Akron came out firing and that was all it took for a Tuesday night meeting between two Charleston Classic foes to turn into an interesting game for the Nittany Lion faithful.
Akron opened up a 14 point lead in the first half as Penn State struggled to shoot the ball and the Zips shot at a 58.6% first half clip.
Penn State managed to keep the game within reach, trailing by only 13 at the half in front of a concerned Jordan Center crowd.
If the Nittany Lions were down and out in the first half, they were throwing haymakers in the second. They reeled off a 16-0 run to open the final 20 minutes and hot shooting the rest of the way gave Penn State the eventual victory. On the flip side, Akron’s once aggressive and effective offense struggled in the second half. The Zips shot 21.2% from the field and survived the early second half run by Penn State only because they started the half ahead by 13.
DJ Newbill’s 29 points led the way for Penn State and clutch free throws and rebounds down the stretch kept Akron from ever gaining any serious control of a game that saw the lead change only three times.
Turning Point:
A 16-0 run brought the game back within reach after Penn State trailed at halftime by 13. DJ Newbill sliced through the defense with just under 4 minutes to play to make it 68-62 in favor of the Nittany Lions. A John Johnson fast break layup on the next possession increased the lead to 70-62 and while the Zips would get within 3 points in the final minute, Penn State never looked back.
Player of the Game:
DJ Newbill’s hot play continued as he went 8-of-12 from the floor and 12-15 from the charity stripe en route to a 29 point, 5 rebound, 5 assist outing while turning the ball over just once. Ross Travis also led the way with 9 rebounds and 6 points to continue his strong rebounding play despite some difficultly scoring on a regular basis. Brandon Taylor also came up with 4-for-11 shooting from behind the arc but all 4 were clutch makes at important junctures in the game.
While not an offensive threat just yet, Jordan Dickerson’s 6 rebound and 4 block effort is not one to be forgotten.
Quotable:
“Sometimes it just comes down to wearing the jersey, taking pride in wearing the jersey, taking pride in everything we’ve been through here the last three-and-a-half years,” Penn State coach Patrick Chambers said on the team’s second half play. “At some point that’s got to come out. There has to be a fire in that locker room, in those bellies, that is tired of it.”
Stat of the Game:
The Nittany Lions shot 34.3% from the floor in the first half but opened up the floodgates with a 63.3% performance from the floor in the second 20 minutes of play. Penn State’s defense went from allowing Akron to shoot 58.6% from the floor in the first half to only 21.2% in the second. A 16-0 run opened the second half for Penn State that would erase the halftime, 13 point Akron lead.
What’s Next:
Penn State makes a rare trip down the road to face Bucknell for a 4 p.m. tip against the Bison in front of what should be a great crowd on Friday afternoon. A win would give Penn State a 6-1 record to open a year in which the Nittany Lions played 7 games in a 14 day span.
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