The first half would best be described as sloppy, as neither team shot particularly well.  Jermaine Marshall was the Lions’ lone bright spot, putting in 9 points on 4 of 8 shooting, including a couple tough, athletic plays to get to the basket and beat IU’s shot blockers.  The rest of the PSU offense was 4 for 19 from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.  The Indiana defense deserves plenty of credit for those numbers, as PSU struggled to get into any sort of rhythm on offense.  The Hoosiers applied plenty of pressure on the ball, and did not allow the Lions to get much going to the basket.  Indiana was better, but not by much, at just 37% from the floor, but they did connect on 5 three pointers, and grabbed 8 offensive rebounds.

The second stanza began exactly how the first did, only with the Hoosiers scoring 8 unanswered this time before Chambers took a timeout just 65 seconds in.  All told, the Hoosiers would hit 6 of 9 threes in the second half, and made their way to the line 23 more times as PSU never came closer than the 14 points they trailed by at the break.  D.J. Newbill did score 14 of his PSU leading 18 in the second half, while grabbing 7 boards.  Indiana’s Victor Oladipo lead all scorers with 19.  Player of the year candidate Cody Zeller was held to 0 field goals, scoring only 2 free throws.  It’s a testament to the depth Tom Crean has assembled that a potential lottery pick was held without a field goal, and the game was never in doubt.

As for PSU, this looks like a tired team, both physically and mentally.  Newbill’s nearly 36 minutes per game, all while running the point, seem to be taking a toll on his burst, and leading scorer Jermaine Marshall does not have the consistent burst we saw earlier this year.  It is tough to imagine the now 0-7 Big 10 start not weighing on players and coaches alike mentally too.

Things do not get easier as Penn State plays host to #14 Ohio State on Saturday at noon in the Jordan Center.  The game will air on BTN, and is PSU’s annual Coaches vs. Cancer showcase.

Follow VBR Lead Editor Matt de Bear on Twitter for all the latest on Penn State

THE LAST TIME OUT

Penn State faced Wisconsin in their Big 10 opener Thursday night in the Kohl Center, a building Penn State has never won in.  Penn State got off to a slow start, but hung with Wisconsin through the first 10 minutes, until the Badgers went on a run to end the 1st half 29-18.  Wisconsin controlled much of the 2nd half, leading by as much as 13, until Penn State went on a run that ultimately closed it to a 50-49 deficit with 3 minutes to play, but would not get any closer, as the Badgers closed the game on a 10-2 run to win 60-51.  Jermaine Marshall lead Penn State with 19 points, and D.J. Newbill added 12, including 2 thunderous dunks, one of which made ESPN’s Top 10.  The Badgers shot 26 free throws, to Penn State’s 1.

ABOUT THE HOOSIERS

Dec 21, 2012; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Cody Zeller (40) drives to the basket against the Florida Atlantic Owls during the second half at Assembly Hall. Indiana won 88-52. Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

Indiana opened the season as the top ranked team in the country, and has looked like a legit national title contender.  The lone blemish on their 13-1 record is an 88-86 loss to now #17 Butler.  The Hoosiers have been an offensive juggernaut, ranking #1 nationally in points per game (87.9), 7th in field goal percentage (51%) and 11th in assists per game (17.5).  They are lead by Player of the Year candidate Cody Zeller, who averages over 16 points and 8 rebounds per game.  He is one of 5 Hoosiers that average in double figures, the others being Victor Oladipo, Christian Watford, Will Sheehy, and Jordan Hulls.  As a team, IU is shooting over 41% from beyond the 3-point arc, and 11th nationally with 41 rebounds per game.

THE MATCHUP

If not for the upset loss to Butler, Penn State would be hosting the top ranked team in the country, and there wouldn’t be much argument about it.  Tom Crean has the Hoosiers playing at an extremely high level in his 5th season on the bench, one that poses matchup problems to most teams in the country, but especially a Penn State team still finding itself.  PSU’s defensive performance on Thursday against Wisconsin was a step in the right direction, but Indiana’s shooters are going to challenge the Lions in a way they have not seen all season.  And if that’s not enough, a potential top 5 NBA pick is inside with Zeller.  Penn State needs to control the tempo and make shots to stay in this game.  I expect Oladipo, Sheehy, and Watford to find their jump shot early, making it a long night for PSU.

Follow VBR Lead Editor Matt de Bear on Twitter for all the latest on Penn State

It’s unknown whether the solemn pre-game moment had anything to do with it, but both squads got out to horrible starts in the first half. Neither team could get into a rhythm for long distance, as Indiana went 2 for 7 and Penn State 2 for 9 from three-point land before the break. As has become the usual, Penn State’s hustle and offensive rebounding prowess led to the game becoming closer than the Lions’ opponents probably anticipated. Led by Sasa Borovnjak and the king of intangible Matt Glover, Penn State dove and scrapped their way to an 8 to 3 advantage in the offensive rebound department. That led to a 29-27 PSU lead at the half.

The Lions also did a good job closing out Indiana on the perimeter, but the interior defense was another story. Freshman Cody Zeller continued his remarkable season with 12 first half points thanks to some nifty post moves. Penn State was able to hold Meyers Leonard of Illinois in check during the upset win on Thursday, but Zeller, despite being a year less experienced, is more polished with his post game. He also proved to be an adept defender with 4 blocks on the game to go with 18 total points.
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