Northwestern
Penn St
Men's Basketball Stunned By Penn State, 73-66
1/13/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 13, 2001
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Northwestern men's basketball team saw a 14-point second-half lead evaporate Saturday night in front of a boisterous crowd at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center, and the opportunistic Nittany Lions took advantage to score a stunning 73-66 victory.
The loss dropped the Wildcats to 7-9 (0-4 Big Ten), while PSU improved to 11-3 (2-2 Big Ten).
Northwestern looked to be in control for much of the game, and saw its lead peak at 51-37 with just 13 minutes left in the game. However, Penn State chipped away at the advantage, finally taking its first lead since 9-7 when senior guard Joe Crispin hit a pair of free throws that made the score 59-58 with just 3:16 to play. Three consecutive NU turnovers were quickly converted into seven Nittany Lion points, and the 'Cats never got closer than five points after that.
Northwestern was hurt down the stretch by the absence of Winston Blake, who fouled out when he hit Crispin on the play that gave PSU the lead for good. Blake had an outstanding performance for the Wildcats, hitting 5-of-6 three-pointers as well as his only shot inside the arc for a team-high 17 points. He also dished out five assists.
Ben Johnson also provided a spark for the 'Cats, scoring 16 points and snaring eight rebounds. Tavaras Hardy was the other NU player in double figures on the night, with 13 points.
The game was sloppy early on, as the teams traded turnovers nearly as often as they traded baskets. But a 3-pointer and then a backdoor layup -- both by Ed McCants -- gave NU an 18-13 lead. Penn State drew level one final time, at 22-22, but another backdoor layup by Johnson off a Hardy pass sparked a 16-4 run that gave Northwestern a 38-26 lead. The teams went into the locker room with NU up, 38-30.
The Wildcats shot out of the gate with a 7-2 run to start the second half to take a 45-32 lead, and pushed it up another point before Penn State's comeback started.
Crispin, who entered the game leading the Big Ten in 3-point baskets as well as scoring, did not disappoint. The senior hit five treys en route to a game-high 28 points, and added four assists and two steals without committing a turnover. Titus Ivory added 13 points, while Gyasi Cline-Heard had 12.
Northwestern is back in action Wednesday night, hosting Illinois at 7 p.m. at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
