“Penn State took its shot at undefeated and unbeaten Illinois at the Jordan Center Wednesday night. With a strong home crowd, a bubbly student section that poured into the upper deck and a jam-packed press row all looking on, the Nittany Lions promptly fired a blank, losing 83-63.
“‘We had nothing to lose tonight, we had everything to gain,’ said freshman forward Geary Claxton, who paced PSU with 19 points and six rebounds. ‘Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way.’
“Any hope of this being a repeat of the last time No. 1 visited Happy Valley — Indiana’s thrilling double-overtime win at Rec Hall in 1993 — evaporated immediately, as the Illini opened with three uncontested shots and a 7-0 lead.
“With three smart, veteran guards and a pair of savvy big men, Illinois (26-0, 12-0 Big Ten) moves the ball as well as anyone in the nation. Not that it had to in this one. While State (7-17, 1-10) attempted several different defensive sets Wednesday – straight man and 1-3-1 zone included — there was no energy in any of them through the first 20 minutes. …”