box score
audio - coach sydney johnson & zach finley
It is highly unlikely that any of the 6,188 in attendance at the Bryce Jordan Center on Wednesday night expected Lincoln Gunn's soft three point shot from the top of the arc midway through the first half to be Princeton's only points in the next ten minutes of play.
Gunn had just tied the score 9-9 at the 10:35 mark off an assist from Kyle Koncz on Princeton's first three of the game, following six consecutive open misses on the perimeter.
Penn State managed only 14 points during this drought, but it was enough to open up a defensive struggle that concluded with the Nittany Lions on top 61-38.
Geary Claxton's two-handed flush in the paint started the decisive run for the home team. Consecutive offensive rebounds by Claxton and Brandon Hassell resulted in two more buckets for Penn State.
In the game the Nittany Lions turned 14 offensive rebounds into 18 second chance points.
Claxton recorded his 22nd career double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
By the time Nick Lake came off the bench to bank in a Gunn feed with :36 on the clock, the Tigers were down 23-9. Mike Walker chucked in a deep three point shot at the buzzer for the home team to push the lead up to 15.
Penn State went to the locker room comfortably in front despite shooting 35.5% from the field (11-31), 2-8 from behind the arc (25.0%) and an identical 2-8 at the free throw line (25.0%). The reason? Princeton's numbers were even worse. 5-25 from the floor (20.0%), 1-14 from deep (7.1%) and 0-2 at the stripe (0.0%).
The Tigers' offense created repeated open shots outside early, but only one jump shot could find its mark.
While the pace of the second half picked up dramatically, Princeton was unable to close the gap. Gunn converted the Tigers' only two free throws of the game after a Marcus Schroeder steal to widdle the lead down to 13, but Claxton stepped outside for a triple, Andrew Jones grabbed an offensive board for the putback and Jamelle Jackson slid to the free throw line for a jumper that set Princeton back 20.
The Tigers would close to 43-27 during a stretch where Zach Finley scored on three straight baby hooks, but four sloppy Princeton turnovers keyed a series of Penn State layups as the lead ballooned as high as 28. Finley was effective inside when he got touches, shooting 7-12 on the night.
Princeton senior co-captains Kyle Koncz and Noah Savage combined to shoot 1-17 from the field on Wednesday, with Koncz's field goal coming with 3:16 to play in the second half, long after the outcome had been decided.
Zach Finley (14) and Gunn (13) combined for 27 of the Tigers' 38 points.
Notes:
-The Tigers gave the ball away 17 times. Penn State had 25 points off of turnovers.
-Princeton's 38 points were the fewest allowed by a Penn State opponent since 1989.
-Alex Okafor did not travel to State College with the Tigers because of an academic commitment.
-Princeton has lost seven in a row for the first time since 1949-50 season.
-The Tigers return home to Jadwin Gym on Sunday afternoon against Manhattan. The game is scheduled for 5:00 pm ET
