1. Let's get this right out on the table. I outwardly SOBBED when the buzzer sounded. Couldn't get to the game tonight, so watched with my kids. And I SOBBED. Not proud of it, but that FELT like the most heartbreaking, devastating loss I can remember, even moreso than the Iowa 3-point banker (and all of the other heartbreakers we've suffered over the years). Just a DAGGER on top of a GUT PUNCH, and against Penn Freaking State no less. I love this team, but damn damn damn why couldn't we just hit one of those shots at the end??
2. Baker had a rough, rough night, hounded by Wheeler all night, goes 0-10 (0-7) for ZERO points. Not the moment our best, most clutch player should be lodging a clunker. If he hits just ONE of those shots, we win. Just one. And I thought that last three was going down.
3. The game was lost when PSU clamped down on defense in the first half, and they went up by 18 at the half. We were flat as a pancake, flatter than a flatiron steak, flatter than planet earth on a "Flat Earth Society" map. The Not Ready for Primetime Players I guess, now 0-5 in sellout games at the RAC. Once again the moment was too big for us in the 1st half, and team played like they just met each other on the playground.
4. Heckuva rally in the 2nd half, though. Led by Harper's outstanding 2nd half (all 14 points in 2nd half) and Eugene just battling. And McConnell and Johnson with another really solid game too. Just couldn't overcome spotting the Nits that huge lead.
5. PSU's bench absolutely KILLED us. Watkins, Jones, and Bolton combined to go 13-23 from the field, 4-7 on threes, for a total of 32 points.
6. We go 11-23 from 3-pt range against Iowa on the road, and then 4-24 tonight at home. Lots of good looks that just didn't go down. Brutal.
7. Eugene did a solid job on Stevens, who had 18 points but he was only 8-24 from the field. And Eugene scored 23 on the other end, maybe EO's best game of the year.
8. The way we lost this game, with multiple opportunities at the end, so devastating, I don't know if Pike can get the team back up to play Indiana on the road. It will take a Herculean coaching effort to get the team back in the game mentally after this gut punch.
9. Did I mention that this was a DEVASTATING HEARTBREAKER of a loss?
2. Baker had a rough, rough night, hounded by Wheeler all night, goes 0-10 (0-7) for ZERO points. Not the moment our best, most clutch player should be lodging a clunker. If he hits just ONE of those shots, we win. Just one. And I thought that last three was going down.
3. The game was lost when PSU clamped down on defense in the first half, and they went up by 18 at the half. We were flat as a pancake, flatter than a flatiron steak, flatter than planet earth on a "Flat Earth Society" map. The Not Ready for Primetime Players I guess, now 0-5 in sellout games at the RAC. Once again the moment was too big for us in the 1st half, and team played like they just met each other on the playground.
4. Heckuva rally in the 2nd half, though. Led by Harper's outstanding 2nd half (all 14 points in 2nd half) and Eugene just battling. And McConnell and Johnson with another really solid game too. Just couldn't overcome spotting the Nits that huge lead.
5. PSU's bench absolutely KILLED us. Watkins, Jones, and Bolton combined to go 13-23 from the field, 4-7 on threes, for a total of 32 points.
6. We go 11-23 from 3-pt range against Iowa on the road, and then 4-24 tonight at home. Lots of good looks that just didn't go down. Brutal.
7. Eugene did a solid job on Stevens, who had 18 points but he was only 8-24 from the field. And Eugene scored 23 on the other end, maybe EO's best game of the year.
8. The way we lost this game, with multiple opportunities at the end, so devastating, I don't know if Pike can get the team back up to play Indiana on the road. It will take a Herculean coaching effort to get the team back in the game mentally after this gut punch.
9. Did I mention that this was a DEVASTATING HEARTBREAKER of a loss?
