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Centre Daily Times | Georgetown’s early run dooms Nittany Lions:

“The mountain was too high. Or, depending on how you viewed it, the hole too deep. Either way, a lot of climbing by the Penn State men’s basketball team went for naught Monday in a 66-53 loss to Georgetown at the MCI Center.

“The Hoyas (3-1) scored the game’s first 17 points and held off a spirited Penn State run early in the second half. The Nittany Lions (5-3) committed five of their 19 turnovers on their first five possessions, and had nine turnovers when Aaron Johnson finally put Penn State’s first points on the board with a 3-pointer with 12:03 left in the first half.

“‘We didn’t come out of the gate,’ said Penn State men’s basketball coach Ed DeChellis, who saw his team’s four-game winning streak snapped. ‘We were bad … all of us were bad, it wasn’t just one guy.'”

Hoyas Report:

“43 Percent shooting from beyond the 3-point arc entering last night’s game for Georgetown, second best in the Big East behind Connecticut.

“PLAYER OF THE GAME

“When Penn State turned what seemed like a rout into a contest, Georgetown freshman forward Jeff Green stopped the Nittany Lions’ run in the second half. The 6-foot-9 Green became Georgetown’s go-to guy down the stretch. Green was unstoppable inside, scoring 13 of his 18 points in the second half. Georgetown’s prized freshman recorded the first double-double of his career with 18 points, 10 rebounds, six blocks and three assists. “

Hoyas use Lions as an Illini tuneup:

“Georgetown used the Big Ten’s worst team as a tuneup for the Big Ten’s — and the nation’s — best.

“Forward Brandon Bowman scored a season-high 28 points, and freshman Jeff Green added 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Hoyas held off Penn State 66-53 last night before 6,127 at MCI Center.

“The Hoyas (3-1) won their third consecutive game and snapped a four-game winning streak for Penn State (5-3). On Thursday, Georgetown will play host to top-ranked Illinois (7-0). “

Hoyas Start Fast, Hold On Near Finish:

“In the larger perspective of a 28-game season, Georgetown’s 66-53 victory over Penn State likely will be remembered merely for what it was — a win. But it was much more for Hoyas Coach John Thompson III and his players.

Last night at MCI Center before 6,127, this young Georgetown team made significant progress in its development by demonstrating unexpected maturity as it withstood a furious second-half rally by the Nittany Lions.

“‘This is a big win for this team,’ Thompson said. ‘It’s a big win because of how we won. . . . We could have caved in. We could have given in and said, ‘Okay, here we go.’ . . . It was the way our guys responded when they made a run at us — they made a big run at us — and we found a way to gather ourselves and rally and not just hold on, but we stretched [the lead] out again and then held them off at the end.’ ”

Penn State takes magic act on road to Georgetown:

“It appears Penn State’s men’s basketball team must tonight try to turn the same trick it did Wednesday — win without its starting backcourt in a Big East gym.

“Once was stunning; twice would qualify as miraculous.

“In an 83-80 win at Rutgers, the Lions played courageously, including freshman guards Mike Walker and Danny Morrissey. They combined for six threes and played 40 and 37 minutes, respectively.

The reasons both will have to play a lot again tonight at Georgetown (7:30, MCI Center, no TV) are the same as they were Wednesday. …”

Centre Daily Times | 12/06/2004 | Loss to Hoyas sticks with PSU:

“It was the sort of loss that eats at you, even if you weren’t a part of it.

“A detached retina kept Aaron Johnson out of Penn State’s 2003-04 season-opener against Georgetown, but the Nittany Lions’ burly forward felt the pain of the 79-78 defeat all the same.

” ‘That loss really hurt us,’ said a now-healthy Johnson, who will lead Penn State against the Hoyas at 7:30 tonight in the MCI Center, ‘because it was an emotional loss. You’d rather lose by 10 than one any day … Losing by 10, you just got flat-out beat, but we lost by one at the buzzer, and it was demoralizing.’

“In their first game under coach Ed DeChellis, the Nittany Lions watched a nine-point halftime lead disappear. With Penn State up one in the final seconds, since-departed guard Brandon Cameron went after a loose ball on an inbound play and was whistled for a foul on Georgetown’s Ashanti Cook, who hit both free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining to win the game….”

Lions blow out Lock Haven, battle Hoyas next:

“The final 2.2 seconds in which Penn State fell to Georgetown, 79-78, last year was a completely demoralizing loss for the Nittany Lions, one from which the team never appeared to fully recover in a 9-19 season.

“After a 94-46 win against Lock Haven (0-4) on Friday night, which followed an 83-80 upset over Rutgers Wednesday night, Penn State forward Aaron Johnson said the Lions (5-2) possess the confidence they need to prevent a repeat of last year’s season opener. Johnson was sidelined for last year’s game with a detached retina, but is ready to take revenge on the Hoyas tonight at the MCI Center.

” ‘Now that they have to deal with me, I am very happy with it,’ Johnson said. ‘That loss really hurt us because it was an emotional loss. You’d rather lose by 10 than one any day. We lost by one at the buzzer. It was demoralizing and it kind of hurt our whole team. This year our first losses taught us a lot and if we keep rolling, and stay together, we’ll do well.’

“Playing Div. II Lock Haven not only replaced the anonymous team that backed out on the Lions, but provided a little breathing room between two Big East contests.

” ‘We really needed this situation with the break,’ Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. ‘We did not want those games to be back-to-back. This game came at a good time.’ “

Penn State turns to freshmen:

“It would be hard to imagine the Penn State men’s basketball team without its freshmen.

“During the Nittany Lions’ 94-46 win over Lock Haven on Friday night at the Bryce Jordan Center, freshmen Geary Claxton, Danny Morrissey and Mike Walker started the game, with fellow freshmen Brandon Hassell and John Kelly came in as substitutions and all made big contributions.

“Due to the recent loss of sophomore guards Ben Luber and Marlon Smith, the Lions have been forced to rely heavily on their freshmen to pick up the slack. Luber has asked to be an inactive member of the team and Smith turned his ankle early in the Penn State victory over Rutgers on Dec. 1. With Luber and Smith unavailable, coach Ed DeChellis has used Morrissey and Walker as his primary guards over the last two games with Walker taking over point guard duties.

“DeChellis said after the game that he was pleased with being able to use many of his players in the game, but that he is looking forward to taking some of the weight off Morrissey and Walker’s shoulders.

“‘I think it is a good time for us to get everybody to play,’ Dechellis said. ‘I wish we had some more guys in the back court to replace Walker and Morrissey.'”

Penn State Rides Four-Game Win Streak into Showdown at Georgetown :

“The Penn State Nittany Lion basketball team will visit Georgetown on Monday, Dec. 6, for a 7:30 p.m. game at the MCI Center. The game is Penn State’s second vs. a Big East foe in six days and is part of a three-Big East foe in four game swing for the Lions. Penn State will enter the game with a 5-2 record and riding a four-game win streak after downing Lock Haven on Friday night. Georgetown will carry a 2-1 mark into the contest after grabbing an impressive 76-51 win at Davidson last Tuesday.

“Coming off its first ever win on the floor of a Big East foe, the Penn State Nittany Lion basketball team scored early and often against visiting Lock Haven, downing the Bald Eagles 94-46 in securing its most lopsided victory in over ten years. “

“Penn State Quotes “