Penn State upends No. 8 Michigan State

Tom Izzo and No. 8 Michigan State were upset by Penn State, 85-76.

(Saturday, February 2nd)

Final Score: Penn State 85, (8) Michigan State 76

University Park, PA - Stanley Pringle scored 19 points as Penn State knocked off No. 8 Michigan State, 85-76, sparking a raucous celebration at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Talor Battle added 17 points and Jamelle Cornley chipped in with 15 for the Nittany Lions (11-10, 3-6 Big Ten), who snapped a six-game losing streak. Mike Walker also finished with 10 points, and David Jackson added nine, all coming from the free throw line.

Penn State went 34-of-51 from the charity stripe in the contest, including 16- of-20 in the closing minutes, and earned its first win over a ranked team in two years.

“It was a great win for our kids,” said Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis. “We have had some crazy things happen and our kids hung in there and fought and made some plays tonight and made some free throws when we had to. Hopefully we got a little confidence back and you know, it was great for our fans and for our students. The students were tremendous. People came out even though we lost a bunch in a row. Our kids laid it on the line and we were able to win a game. So, I am very happy for our players and the fans.”

Kalin Lucas ended with 18 points and also dished out seven assists for the Spartans (19-3, 7-2), who were riding a five-game win streak and had been off to the best start in their 109-year history. Goran Suton donated 13 points before fouling out and Raymar Morgan had 11 in defeat.

Leading by three at the break, Penn State continued to pour it on at the start of the second half, building a nine-point edge on back-to-back treys by Pringle.

The visitors continued to trail, though they later used a 7-0 run to pull within 56-54. Battle knocked down a jumper at the other end, briefly curbing the momentum, but the Spartans fired off the next six points to grab the lead, 60-58, with 9:50 remaining.

Both squads traded buckets from there, with Penn State jumping back on top and eventually holding a five-point margin, 76-71, on a pair of Jackson free throws inside of two minutes to play.

The Spartans then made it a one-possession game, 76-74, but the home squad iced the game at the line. Jackson made a pair, and then Cornley dropped one- of-two after drawing a foul on Suton, sending him to the bench for good with 55 seconds left.

At crunch time, Battle knocked down his second chance on another trip back to the line, and though the Spartans pulled within four, 80-76, Pringle went back to the stripe twice for the Nittany Lions and put the game out of reach.

Fans then rushed the court as the buzzer sounded, while the band played the school’s alma mater.

“It feels like a million dollars,” said Battle. “It’s just one of those feelings that you can talk about forever. When you are done playing the game and everyone storms the court and are holding people up.”

Penn State more than held its own in the early going, and continued to run with a small lead from the opening tip. It was 12-9 on a Jeff Brooks jumper a little more than six minutes in. Though the Spartans made it a one-point game, they continued to trail until Marquise Gray’s dunk made it 19-19 about four minutes later.

Michigan State then took a 21-19 lead on a Gray layup, and continued to run in front, though the game was tied up four times over the next three minutes.

The Spartans looked to earn some breathing room as they made it 36-30 on a Travis Walton free throw, but the Nittany Lions answered with a 6-0 run, tying it on Battle’s trey with 2:38 left.

Both sides then traded threes, but Danny Morrissey sent Penn State into the break on top when he hit a three with 34 seconds left, making it 42-39.

Game Notes

It was Penn State’s first win over a ranked opponent since beating No. 6 Illinois on the road on Feb. 4, 2006…This was the fourth game in 10 days for the Spartans…Michigan State was 6-2 on the road coming into the game…Michigan State needs one more win to record their ninth 20-win season in the last 11 years…MSU still leads the all-time series, 24-4, including an 8-3 advantage in games played at University Park.

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