CHARLESTON, S.C. – Penn State took its first lead since 4-2 in the game's final tenths of a second and knocked off Cornell 72-71 on Friday evening at TD Arena in a consolation game of the 2014 Gildan Charleston Classic. The loss dropped Cornell to 2-3 on the season, while the Nittany Lions improved to 3-1.
DJ Newbill scored after Cornell turned the ball over on an inbounds play with 4.8 seconds to play. A Big Red player attempting to catch the inbounds pass was knocked to the ground and it was picked up by Penn State. Newbill, the second-leading scorer in the Big Ten, drove the left baseline and was able to power a layup over a Big Red defender. The play was reviewed, but the shot counted and sent Penn State off with the win.
Cornell did plenty right in the contest, leading for more than 32 minutes and controlling the pace, but Penn State hung tough with a hot-shooting second half to overtake the Big Red and clip them at the buzzer.
Senior Galal Cancer and sophomore Robert Hatter each scored 17 points for the Big Red, with Cancer going a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line. He added three rebounds, two assists and two steals in the loss. Senior Shonn Miller was also among the four Big Red players that reached double figures with 15 points, three rebounds, three blocks and two steals and Devin Cherry had a strong 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Cornell hit 21-of-22 free throws on the afternoon, the eighth-best free-throw percentage game in school history (.955).
Newbill scored 26 points, including the game-winner, and was credited with six rebounds and four steals. John Johnson added 17 points, Shep Garner had 10 and Brandon Taylor had eight points and six rebounds. The Nittany Lions shot 46 percent from the floor overall, including 61 percent (17-of-28) after halftime. Penn State held a 37-28 advantage on the glass and outscored the Big Red in the paint 30-14.
It was a wild ending, particularly the final 90 seconds that saw Cornell hit 8-of-8 free throws and still not get the decision. Every time the Big Red extended the lead, Penn State answered with the bucket, maybe the biggest coming with 4.8 seconds left when Johnson hit a tough 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 71-70. After a timeout, the inbounds pass landed in the hands of Shep Garner, who found Newbill for the winning shot.
Cornell did enough in that final minute, including an impressive trailing blocked shot by David Onuorah on Newbill that kept the game tied at 63-63. Cherry raced down the other end and got an acrobatic layup to fall, giving the Big Red the lead back. Moments later, Miller blocked a shot and Hatter hit two more free throws to make it a four point contest.
It went that way for much of the next 20 seconds. Good basket, Penn State. Two made free throws, Cornell. Cancer hit the last of his 12 free throws without a miss to make it 71-67 with 14 seconds left, but Johnson hit the 3-pointer on the other end that triggered the final spurt.
The Big Red's defensive energy out of the gates was outstanding and led to an early 10-point lead (17-7). Penn State scored seven straight to get back within two, but Cornell extended it back to eight, punctuating the run with a Dave LaMore dunk and a Miller elbow jumper sandwiched around a PSU timeout to make it 26-16.
Cornell maintained the lead the rest of the way thanks to an impressive 20 minutes of defense. Newbill, the second-leading scorer in the Big Ten, scored 15 points in the first half, but the rest of the Nittany Lions had just 14 and shot just 5-of-21 from the floor (.238). When all was said and done, the Big Red went into the break leading 37-28 after Cherry broke down a defender and went to the hole for a layup at the buzzer. Cornell turned the ball over just four times in the half a night after surrendering the ball 13 times in the first 20 minutes.
Cornell will play Drexel for seventh place on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 1:30 p.m. The Dragons lead the all-time series 2-1, though the Big Red won the last meeting 61-54 during the 2009-10 campaign as part of the Legends Classic. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
DJ Newbill scored after Cornell turned the ball over on an inbounds play with 4.8 seconds to play. A Big Red player attempting to catch the inbounds pass was knocked to the ground and it was picked up by Penn State. Newbill, the second-leading scorer in the Big Ten, drove the left baseline and was able to power a layup over a Big Red defender. The play was reviewed, but the shot counted and sent Penn State off with the win.
Cornell did plenty right in the contest, leading for more than 32 minutes and controlling the pace, but Penn State hung tough with a hot-shooting second half to overtake the Big Red and clip them at the buzzer.
Senior Galal Cancer and sophomore Robert Hatter each scored 17 points for the Big Red, with Cancer going a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line. He added three rebounds, two assists and two steals in the loss. Senior Shonn Miller was also among the four Big Red players that reached double figures with 15 points, three rebounds, three blocks and two steals and Devin Cherry had a strong 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Cornell hit 21-of-22 free throws on the afternoon, the eighth-best free-throw percentage game in school history (.955).
Newbill scored 26 points, including the game-winner, and was credited with six rebounds and four steals. John Johnson added 17 points, Shep Garner had 10 and Brandon Taylor had eight points and six rebounds. The Nittany Lions shot 46 percent from the floor overall, including 61 percent (17-of-28) after halftime. Penn State held a 37-28 advantage on the glass and outscored the Big Red in the paint 30-14.
It was a wild ending, particularly the final 90 seconds that saw Cornell hit 8-of-8 free throws and still not get the decision. Every time the Big Red extended the lead, Penn State answered with the bucket, maybe the biggest coming with 4.8 seconds left when Johnson hit a tough 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 71-70. After a timeout, the inbounds pass landed in the hands of Shep Garner, who found Newbill for the winning shot.
Cornell did enough in that final minute, including an impressive trailing blocked shot by David Onuorah on Newbill that kept the game tied at 63-63. Cherry raced down the other end and got an acrobatic layup to fall, giving the Big Red the lead back. Moments later, Miller blocked a shot and Hatter hit two more free throws to make it a four point contest.
It went that way for much of the next 20 seconds. Good basket, Penn State. Two made free throws, Cornell. Cancer hit the last of his 12 free throws without a miss to make it 71-67 with 14 seconds left, but Johnson hit the 3-pointer on the other end that triggered the final spurt.
The Big Red's defensive energy out of the gates was outstanding and led to an early 10-point lead (17-7). Penn State scored seven straight to get back within two, but Cornell extended it back to eight, punctuating the run with a Dave LaMore dunk and a Miller elbow jumper sandwiched around a PSU timeout to make it 26-16.
Cornell maintained the lead the rest of the way thanks to an impressive 20 minutes of defense. Newbill, the second-leading scorer in the Big Ten, scored 15 points in the first half, but the rest of the Nittany Lions had just 14 and shot just 5-of-21 from the floor (.238). When all was said and done, the Big Red went into the break leading 37-28 after Cherry broke down a defender and went to the hole for a layup at the buzzer. Cornell turned the ball over just four times in the half a night after surrendering the ball 13 times in the first 20 minutes.
Cornell will play Drexel for seventh place on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 1:30 p.m. The Dragons lead the all-time series 2-1, though the Big Red won the last meeting 61-54 during the 2009-10 campaign as part of the Legends Classic. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
You cannot make this shit up.
There is a running joke on this tiny slice of the web concerning Penn State's basketball team. Its inception dates back to a few years ago, when Penn State was (okay, still is) a flying death trap which has but one reason for existing - to kill you, either by frustration or shame, even in victory. The physical embodiment of this death machine is a Flaming Bus. It is purposely called "a" Bus and not "the" Bus here, because there is a new Bus in town.
The new Bus wasted no time. D.J. Newbill, who had yet another fantastic evening on the whole, found a loose Cornell pass in his own end and drove the length of the floor with a chance to give Penn State their first lead of the night. Now, there aren't many finishers in the country better than Newbill, but the Bus had other plans. Cornell's David Onuoruh chased him down and slammed Newbill's attempt into the glass. The ball ricocheted right to Devin Cherry, who naturally hit a circus layup and drew a foul in the process to give the Big Red a three-point lead with 42.9 seconds to play. A five point swing at a critical juncture went in favor of a team that won two (2) games last year. Cruelty is the Bus's specialty.
Cornell, being an excellent free-throw shooting team, did not falter from the stripe in those last 42.9 seconds. It took a Geno Thorpe putback and a miracle three from John Johnson to keep Penn State in the game, but only by the literal definition of that phrase. The play of the game may have come from Chambers, who saved Shep Garner from pulling a Chris Webber (upper right hand corner).
It saved Penn State from certain doom, and with 4.5 seconds left, Cornell threw a long inbounds pass from underneath their hoop to no one in particular. Garner picked up the ball and I can't really explain all the forces at play here, so just watch this instead [video omitted].
Penn State wins, 72-71. I am so sorry, Cornell. There was nothing you could do. The Bus is dead. Long live the Bus.
Penn State wins, 72-71. I am so sorry, Cornell. There was nothing you could do. The Bus is dead. Long live the Bus.
The old saying is poppycock, because numbers sure as hell do lie. Penn State did not deserve to win this game, though the numbers tell a different story. The Nittany Lions' big advantage came on the glass, as it should have against an Ivy League opponent.
Player of the Game - D.J. Newbill
Chambers had every intent to give Penn State's all-B1G performer a breather on Friday night. Newbill exited the game for one minute before the first media timeout, by which point it was clear the rest of the Nittany Lions could not create any offense without him. D.J. played every minute after that, and his stellar performance - 26 points, six rebounds and four steals - illustrated his importance to this team. It's November, and it's already painfully apparent that next year's team will miss him dearly.
Random Observations
- 3.J. Newbill - Much like last year, Newbill has started the season with a red-hot hand from deep. He went 4-5 on Friday, tying a career-high for triples made. He's currently shooting 52% from three. It's difficult to see him keeping that up though, considering he shot just 32% in 2013-14 and is currently playing 92.4% of available minutes, by far the highest percentage on the team.
- Little big men - It's one thing to struggle against Charlotte's frontcourt. Mike Thorne is a talented, 6-11 true center, and Jordan Dickerson, Donovon Jack and Julian Moore had no answer for him on Thursday evening. But for that trio to produce one point, five rebounds, and one block in 31 combined minutes is nothing short of disastrous. If you're looking for a unit to blame, look no further. All three need to improve immensely for Penn State to have a sniff at any postseason bid.
- Flipp the script - John Johnson had a great game off the bench - 17 points, three rebounds, one assist and zero turnovers. Flipp has quietly had a big Charleston Classic, and it looks like he's much more composed with the ball in his hands, even if he does tend to hoist the occasional 25-footer. Remember, even though he is a senior, this is only his fourth semester of college basketball. There's still a lot of room for improvement.
Penn State will face USC on Sunday at 3:30 in the fifth-place game of the Charleston Classic. The young Trojans are themselves coming off a narrow escape against winless Drexel, and you can bet this game will be sloppy, tight, and Bus-y. Oh so Bus-y.
How It Happened:
For the second straight night Penn State erased a substantial second half deficit.
The Nittany Lions won the game at the buzzer thanks to a poor inbound pass by Cornell and a layup by DJ Newbill as time expired.
Newbill had 26 points following his 35 point effort against Charleston the night before.
The Nittany Lions would start the game slow and see Cornell hit shot after shot en route to an eventual 13 point lead. Penn State would cut into the deficit to go down by only 9 at the break 37-28. The Nittany Lions played a much stronger second half but Cornell kept the lead just out of reach for most of the final 20 minutes of play.
Penn State finally tied the game with just under 5 minutes to go as both teams traded baskets back and forth. Cornell was steady at the free throw line and Penn State would find itself down 4 points with 16 seconds to play.
A Geno Thorpe layup cut into the lead but made free throws would negate the gains as the Nittany Lions looked poised to fall, down 4 with little time remaining. A missed shot and rebound by Penn State would found its way to John Johnson, who for the second night in a row hit a clutch three in the final seconds of regulation. That left the Nittany Lions down 2 with 4 seconds to play.
Cornell, out of timeouts, would heave the ball down the court and the errant pass would be intercepted by freshman Shep Garner who passed the ball ahead to DJ Newbill who in turn beat his man for a game winning lay up as the clock ran out.
Newbill led all scorers with 26 points and was supported by Garner's 4-of-7 shooting for 10 points, John Johnson's 6-of-9 shooting for 17 points and and 8 points and 6 rebounds by a foul troubled Brandon Taylor.
Turning Point:
John Johnson's three-pointer with 4 seconds to play gave Penn State hope and that hope was all the Nittany Lions needed to steal the game.
Player of the Game:
DJ Newbill had maybe an even better performance than his previous night's 35 point effort. His 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting, 4-of-5 from three, six rebounds and four steals comes less than 24 hours after a game in which he played 50 minutes. It was an incredible showing in a contest where nearly everyone expected Newbill to be tired.
Stat of the Game:
After 7 early turnovers in the first half Penn State ended a close game with only 12 total while creating 9 steals thanks to some tenacious defense.
What's Next:
Penn State gets Saturday off before finishing up the Charleston Classic against USC on Sunday at 3:30.
For the second straight night Penn State erased a substantial second half deficit.
The Nittany Lions won the game at the buzzer thanks to a poor inbound pass by Cornell and a layup by DJ Newbill as time expired.
Newbill had 26 points following his 35 point effort against Charleston the night before.
The Nittany Lions would start the game slow and see Cornell hit shot after shot en route to an eventual 13 point lead. Penn State would cut into the deficit to go down by only 9 at the break 37-28. The Nittany Lions played a much stronger second half but Cornell kept the lead just out of reach for most of the final 20 minutes of play.
Penn State finally tied the game with just under 5 minutes to go as both teams traded baskets back and forth. Cornell was steady at the free throw line and Penn State would find itself down 4 points with 16 seconds to play.
A Geno Thorpe layup cut into the lead but made free throws would negate the gains as the Nittany Lions looked poised to fall, down 4 with little time remaining. A missed shot and rebound by Penn State would found its way to John Johnson, who for the second night in a row hit a clutch three in the final seconds of regulation. That left the Nittany Lions down 2 with 4 seconds to play.
Cornell, out of timeouts, would heave the ball down the court and the errant pass would be intercepted by freshman Shep Garner who passed the ball ahead to DJ Newbill who in turn beat his man for a game winning lay up as the clock ran out.
Newbill led all scorers with 26 points and was supported by Garner's 4-of-7 shooting for 10 points, John Johnson's 6-of-9 shooting for 17 points and and 8 points and 6 rebounds by a foul troubled Brandon Taylor.
Turning Point:
John Johnson's three-pointer with 4 seconds to play gave Penn State hope and that hope was all the Nittany Lions needed to steal the game.
Player of the Game:
DJ Newbill had maybe an even better performance than his previous night's 35 point effort. His 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting, 4-of-5 from three, six rebounds and four steals comes less than 24 hours after a game in which he played 50 minutes. It was an incredible showing in a contest where nearly everyone expected Newbill to be tired.
Stat of the Game:
After 7 early turnovers in the first half Penn State ended a close game with only 12 total while creating 9 steals thanks to some tenacious defense.
What's Next:
Penn State gets Saturday off before finishing up the Charleston Classic against USC on Sunday at 3:30.
Cornell was inbounding the ball under its own basket with 4.8 seconds to play. Penn State had zero timeouts to call.
Shonn Miller, a senior, struggled to find an open teammate, threw it towards halfcourt and the pass was intercepted by Shep Garner who immediately found his teammate D.J. Newbill on the left wing.
Newbill took the pass, drove straight to the basket and hit a layup as time neared expiration to lift Penn State over Cornell 72-71.
Newbill was the driving force behind Penn State’s offense all night. The Philly native finished with 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting including 4-of-5 from deep.
John Johnson, a fellow City of Brotherly Love product, scored 17 points off the bench, providing a spark that was badly needed following a first half that saw Penn State trail 37-28.
Cornell (2-3) led nearly the entire game. Aside from a 4-2 Penn State advantage in the opening three minutes, the Big Red were in the driving seat the whole game. Penn State (3-1) trailed by as many as 17 in this one, but back-to-back field goals from Ross Travis and Johnson in a 40-second span made it a four-point game at the 8:12 mark of the second half.
Newbill made a layup, Johnson nailed two free throws and it was a tie game at 57 points apiece with 5:56 to play. After some back-and-forth Cornell’s Robert Hatter connected on two free throws to give Cornell a 67-63 advantage with 36 seconds left.
Newbill nailed a jump shot, Cornell’s Galal Cancer made two free throws and then Johnson drained a 3-pointer with 4.8 seconds to play after a Jordan Dickerson miss and a Ross Travis offensive rebound.
Johnson also sent last night’s game against Charlotte into overtime with a 3-pointer near the end of regulation.
The Johnson long ball forced Cornell to take a timeout, when it set up an out-of-bounds play that never came to fruition and Newbill won the game.
Garner joined Newbill and Johnson in double-digits with 10 points and Brandon Taylor scored eight.
Hatter and Cancer each scored 17 for Cornell while Miller contributed 15. But Miller’s turnover proved costly as Penn State took full advantage to win the game in the final seconds.
Penn State will take on Southern California at 3:30 PM on Sunday.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — D.J. Newbill saw the clock running out and knew the best chance he had for a Penn State win was a driving layup. Nittany Lions coach Patrick Chambers wouldn't have expected anything less.
Newbill had 26 points, including the game-winning layup that went through right before time ran out to lift Penn State to a 72-71 victory at the Charleston Classic on Friday night.
"You know, that's an older guy understanding the situation. Steal, down one, rip it, get to the basket, see what happens," Chambers said of Newbill. "I'm so proud of him."
Newbill had four 3-pointers and also added six rebounds, four steals and two assists for the Nittany Lions (3-1), who next face Southern Cal for fifth place in the eight-team tournament Sunday.
The Big Red (2-3) were up 71-70 with four seconds left but threw the inbounds pass into the backcourt to beat the five-second clock. Geno Thorpe picked it up and passed to Newbill on the left side. Newbill dribbled the baseline and went up for the winning shot before time ran out.
It was the first lead for Penn State (3-1) since going up 4-2 less than three minutes into the game.
Cornell coach Bill Courtney said the plan was for Shonn Miller to throw the ball long to Galal Cancer. But the senior guard got caught up in bodies and the ball sailed out of reach until Thorpe tracked it down and kicked it up to Newbill.
"Another couple of dribbles (by Thorpe) and time runs out," Chambers said.
Officials took a look at the replay to make sure before declaring Penn State the winner.
John Johnson had 17 points, including a high arcing 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left that drew the Nittany Lions to 71-70.
Cancer and Robert Hatter had 17 points each for Cornell.
"It's just unfortunate because our kids played so well," Courtney said. "We just couldn't get the ball inbounds."
Penn State takes on Southern Cal for fifth.
It was a dramatic change of fortune for the Nittany Lions in Charleston. They rallied from 17 points down against Charlotte on Thursday night only to fall 106-97 in double overtime.
"Definitely come out and watch us play because we're definitely going to entertain you," Chambers said.
Cornell had already matched its win total from last season's 2-26 campaign and came out seeking victory No. 3 against the Big Ten Conference opponent.
Things were tight until midway in the opening period when the Big Red broke out for a 14-2 run. Hatter made two 3-pointers while Dave LaMore and Miller had two baskets apiece.
When Miller hit a jumper with 5:11 left, Cornell led 31-18.
Penn State closed things to 33-26 on Newbill's third 3-pointer of the period. But Devin Cherry had two foul shots and a layup down the stretch to send the Big Red to the locker room ahead 37-28.
DRAMATIC MOMENTS
D.J. Newbill's winning shot came a game after he drove to the basket at the end of the first overtime in a tie game against Charlotte. Newbill's shot was blocked and the 49ers went on to win in double overtime.
HITTING FOUL SHOTS
Cornell looked like it would seal the game at the foul line, hitting six straight in the final 42 seconds. The Big Red finished 21 of 22 from the free throw line.
TIP INS
Penn State: D.J. Newbill's 35 points in Thursday night's double-overtime loss to Charlotte are the most by a Big Ten player this season.
Cornell: The Big Red have gotten an early boost from the return of Galal Cancer, who took a year away from basketball last year. Cancer is averaging 11 points a game.
UP NEXT
Penn State will play Southern Cal for fifth place at the Charleston Classic on Sunday.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — D.J. Newbill saw the clock running out and knew the best chance he had for a Penn State win was a driving layup. Nittany Lions coach Patrick Chambers wouldn't have expected anything less.
Newbill had 26 points, including the game-winning layup that went through right before time ran out to lift Penn State to a 72-71 victory at the Charleston Classic on Friday night.
"You know, that's an older guy understanding the situation. Steal, down one, rip it, get to the basket, see what happens," Chambers said of Newbill. "I'm so proud of him."
Newbill had four 3-pointers and also added six rebounds, four steals and two assists for the Nittany Lions (3-1), who next face Southern Cal for fifth place in the eight-team tournament Sunday.
The Big Red (2-3) were up 71-70 with four seconds left but threw the inbounds pass into the backcourt to beat the five-second clock. Geno Thorpe picked it up and passed to Newbill on the left side. Newbill dribbled the baseline and went up for the winning shot before time ran out.
It was the first lead for Penn State (3-1) since going up 4-2 less than three minutes into the game.
Cornell coach Bill Courtney said the plan was for Shonn Miller to throw the ball long to Galal Cancer. But the senior guard got caught up in bodies and the ball sailed out of reach until Thorpe tracked it down and kicked it up to Newbill.
"Another couple of dribbles (by Thorpe) and time runs out," Chambers said.
Officials took a look at the replay to make sure before declaring Penn State the winner.
John Johnson had 17 points, including a high arcing 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left that drew the Nittany Lions to 71-70.
Cancer and Robert Hatter had 17 points each for Cornell.
"It's just unfortunate because our kids played so well," Courtney said. "We just couldn't get the ball inbounds."
Penn State takes on Southern Cal for fifth.
It was a dramatic change of fortune for the Nittany Lions in Charleston. They rallied from 17 points down against Charlotte on Thursday night only to fall 106-97 in double overtime.
"Definitely come out and watch us play because we're definitely going to entertain you," Chambers said.
Cornell had already matched its win total from last season's 2-26 campaign and came out seeking victory No. 3 against the Big Ten Conference opponent.
Things were tight until midway in the opening period when the Big Red broke out for a 14-2 run. Hatter made two 3-pointers while Dave LaMore and Miller had two baskets apiece.
When Miller hit a jumper with 5:11 left, Cornell led 31-18.
Penn State closed things to 33-26 on Newbill's third 3-pointer of the period. But Devin Cherry had two foul shots and a layup down the stretch to send the Big Red to the locker room ahead 37-28.
DRAMATIC MOMENTS
D.J. Newbill's winning shot came a game after he drove to the basket at the end of the first overtime in a tie game against Charlotte. Newbill's shot was blocked and the 49ers went on to win in double overtime.
HITTING FOUL SHOTS
Cornell looked like it would seal the game at the foul line, hitting six straight in the final 42 seconds. The Big Red finished 21 of 22 from the free throw line.
TIP INS
Penn State: D.J. Newbill's 35 points in Thursday night's double-overtime loss to Charlotte are the most by a Big Ten player this season.
Cornell: The Big Red have gotten an early boost from the return of Galal Cancer, who took a year away from basketball last year. Cancer is averaging 11 points a game.
UP NEXT
Penn State will play Southern Cal for fifth place at the Charleston Classic on Sunday.
A night after sending the game into overtime with a last-second assist, Penn State guard D.J. Newbill connected on the game-winning shot Friday, hitting a layup to beat the buzzer and give the Nittany Lions a 72-71 win over Cornell in the consolation bracket of the Charleston Classic.
What went right: Penn State played some solid defense down the stretch, holding the Big Red to just 14 points over the final 9 1/2 minutes. Newbill was again superb offensively, pouring in 26 points a night after scoring 35 against Charlotte, and John Johnson again provided some scoring punch and some energy off the bench. The Nittany Lions, playing on tired legs after going 50 minutes the night before, battled back from not one but two double-digit deficits, and found a way to gut out a game in the final minutes after a tough loss on Thursday.
What went wrong: The Nittany Lions' big men once again failed to show up in the scoring column, as Ross Travis, Donovon Jack, Jordan Dickerson and Julian Moore combined for five points between them and Brandon Taylor had just eight points and was 0-for-4 from 3-point range. Penn State couldn't find the basket early on and allowed a Cornell team that had been shooting 30 percent from the arc coming into the game to connect on 8 of 21 threes, most of them in the first half.
Top performers: Newbill added six rebounds, four steals and two assists, Johnson had 17 points and Shep Garner had 10 points for the Nittany Lions, who improved to 3-1.
Guards Robert Hatter and Galai Cancer had 17 points apiece for Cornell (2-3), which also got 15 from Shonn Miller and 11 from Devin Cherry.
Statworthy: Penn State's bench outscored Cornell's 24-11. … The Nittany Lions had just seven assists on 26 baskets. … Cornell connected on 21 of 22 free throws; Penn State was 13 of 17. … Travis was 0-for-3 at the free-throw line and is now 0-for-9 on the season. … Newbill played 39 minutes a night after playing just shy of 50.
Final thoughts: Patrick Chambers is getting his team plenty of practice in late-game situations. The Nittany Lions continue to tightrope the line between victory and defeat, the result of both a gritty attitude and some fearless playmaking by their guards and some lingering issues -- poor defensive rotations, lack of offensive balance -- throughout the game. Penn State gets a day off before concluding tournament play with a 3:30 p.m. game Sunday against USC, which defeated Drexel 72-70 on Friday. The Nittany Lions will need to give Newbill some help (and some rest) and play the kind of solid team defense they did down the stretch Friday (when, interestingly, they stayed with a small lineup with Taylor, Travis and three guards) if they're going to knock off the Trojans and make it a 2-1 weekend.
Newbill finished with a game-high 26 points, six rebounds and four steals for the Nittany Lions (3-1), who will play USC in the fifth-place game on Saturday. John Johnson provided PSU a spark off the bench with 17 points, while Shep Garner chimed in with 10 points on 4-of-7 efficiency from the field.
Robert Hatter and Galal Cancer led Cornell (2-3) with 17 points apiece. Shonn Miller contributed 15 points, while Devin Cherry tallied 11 points, six assists and seven boards. The Big Red will square off with Drexel for seventh place on Saturday.
Cornell submitted an impressive offensive performance in the opening 20 minutes of the contest en route to a 37-28 halftime lead. The Big Red sank 5- of-11 tries from beyond the arc and all six of their free-throw attempts in the first half. PSU was limited to 31 percent efficiency from the floor before the break.
Cornell cooled off to shoot just 36.4 percent from the field in the second stanza. The Nittany Lions battled back behind a 60.7 percent clip from the floor. PSU trailed, 71-67, with 14 seconds remaining in regulation. Newbill's game-winning layup came moments after Johnson cut the deficit down to a single point. Garner recorded a steal off of Miller to set up Newbill's late game heroics.
The Nittany Lions finished with a 37-28 advantage in total rebounds and outscored Cornell, 30-14, in the paint.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - D.J. Newbill had 26 points including the driving layup as the buzzer sounded to lift Penn State to a 72-71 victory over Cornell at the Charleston Classic on Friday night.
The Big Red (2-3) were up 71-70 with four seconds left but threw the inbounds pass into the backcourt to beat the five-second clock. Geno Thorpe picked it up and passed to Newbill on the left side. Newbill dribbled the baseline and went up for the winning shot before time ran out.
It was the first lead for Penn State (3-1) since going up 4-2 less than three minutes into the game.
John Johnson had 17 points, including a high arcing 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left that drew the Nittany Lions to 71-70.
D.J. Newbill had 26 points including the driving layup as the buzzer sounded to lift Penn State to a 72-71 victory over Cornell at the Charleston Classic on Friday night.
The Big Red (2-3) were up 71-70 with four seconds left but threw the inbounds pass into the backcourt to beat the five-second clock. Geno Thorpe picked it up and passed to Newbill on the left side. Newbill dribbled the baseline and went up for the winning shot before time ran out.
It was the first lead for Penn State (3-1) since going up 4-2 less than three minutes into the game.
Galal Cancer and Robert Hatter had 17 points each for Cornell, which faces Drexel for seventh place game Sunday.
It was a dramatic change of fortune for the Nittany Lions in Charleston. They rallied from 17 points down against Charlotte on Thursday night only to fall 106-97 in double overtime.
Cornell had already matched its win total from last season's 2-26 campaign and came out seeking victory No. 3 against the Big Ten Conference opponent.
Things were tight until midway in the opening period when the Big Red broke out for a 14-2 run. Robert Hatter made two 3-pointers while Dave LaMore and Shonn Miller had two baskets apiece.
When Miller hit a jumper with 5:11 left, Cornell led 31-18.
Penn State closed things to 33-26 on Newbill's third 3-pointer of the period. But Devin Cherry had two foul shots and a layup down the stretch to send the Big Red to the locker room ahead 37-28.
Next up, Penn State will play Southern Cal for fifth place at the Charleston Classic on Sunday.
POSTGAME NOTES
Penn State 72, Cornell 71
Nov. 21, 2014
TD Arena (Charleston, S.C.)
Penn State 72, Cornell 71
Nov. 21, 2014
TD Arena (Charleston, S.C.)
TEAM:
- Penn State trailed by as many as 13 before erasing an 11-point second-half deficit to earn the win with a buzzer-beating layup from D.J. Newbill.
- The 13-point deficit is the largest comeback for a win since the Nittany Lions overcame a 13-point disadvantage to defeat Indiana on the road, 66-65, Feb. 12, 2014.
- Penn State led for all of :07 in the entire contest. The game-winning bucket was its first advantage since the 17:38 mark in the first half.
- The game featured seven ties and three lead changes. Cornell led for 32:39 of the game.
- Penn State shot just 31 percent from the field in the first half, but improved to 60.7 percent in the second period. The Nittany Lions were 17-28 from the field in the second frame, including a 4-9 showing (44.4 percent) from behind the arc. The seven made 3-pointers for the game tie a team season high.
- The Nittany Lions move to 3-1 on the year and 1-1 in the Charleston Classic.
- They will close out the tourney vs. Southern California at 3:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPN3. PSU is 1-0 all-time vs. the Trojans, defeating them 70-61 March 20, 1954, in the NCAA third-place game. Jesse Arnelle had 25 points. SERIES:
- Penn State moves to 6-5 all-time against the Big Red, while head coach Patrick Chambers moves to 3-0 against Cornell in his career at both Penn State and Boston University.
- The Nittany Lion victory improves Penn State to 19-12 all-time against teams in the Charleston Classic field after the loss to Charlotte and win over Cornell.
D.J. Newbill, senior guard
- With 26 points, Newbill recorded his second-consecutive 20-plus point outing this season and 22nd of his career.
- Newbill tallied 15 first-half points going 3-3 from 3-point range and 4-8 from the field. He finished the evening 4-5 from the 3-point line.
- His four 3-pointers tie a career high initially set Thursday vs. Charlotte.
- Newbill has led the team in scoring in all four games this season.
- He is averaging 24.0 ppg through four games, tied with Nebraska’s Terran Petteway for the highest average among Big Ten players.
- With 1,204 career points, Newbill moves into sole possession of No. 18 on the Penn State all-time career scoring list. He is 40 points shy of tying Monroe Brown (1989-92) for 17th.
John Johnson, senior guard
- Johnson set a season-high mark with 17 points, shooting 6-9 from the field and 4-4 from the free-throw line.
- Thirteen of Johnson’s 17 points came in the second half, including a 3-pointer with :04 on the clock to make it a one-point game, 71-70.
Shep Garner, freshman guard
- Garner put up double-figure scoring (10) for the fourth consecutive game of his career.
- With two steals, his final steal of the evening led to Newbill’s game-winning buzzer-beater.
Ross Travis, senior forward
- Grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, marking the third-consecutive game he’s recorded at least nine boards.
- Travis is averaging 8.0 rebounds per game, tied for fifth among Big Ten players.
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