Penn State vs. Michigan State In-Game Blog

0:00: THAT'S IT!!! I waited for the double zero on the clock to post it. Still don't believe this game is officially over. Without question the most impressive performance out of PSU in a very, very long time. Great play by Battle and Frazier. Jeff Brooks was a beast on defense, and came through in the clutch with big shots when the team needed him offensively. Drew Jones and D.J Jackson didn't contribute much. But it doesn't matter. Ladies and Gentlemen, GRAB YOUR DANCING SHOES, PENN STATE IS GOING TO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT!!!!!!!! 61-48 PSU!!!!!

Also, be sure to check out Tim's post from earlier today, comparing this run with 2001.
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2:52: Still up 10 but could be more. Jeff Brooks with the huge block, but couldn't convert on the fastbreak. MSU came right back down and scored. Could be 15 point differential. Brooks comes back with another MONSTER block to send us into a media timeout. Still not over yet. Remember, MSU has a lot of shooters. Penn State looked complacent on the last offensive possession. If that continues on defense, Michigan State could get the offensive shots it desperately needs. 55-45 PSU!!!!

Lady Lions headed to the Big Ten championship, rout Illinois 79-64

The Lady Lions are on their way to the Big Ten final against whichever team wins tonight's Michigan State/Ohio State, following their up-and-down 79-64 demolition of a red-hot Illinois squad today in Indy. Big Ten freshman of the year Maggie Lucas finished with 23 points, including five 3-pointers to break the Big Ten single-season record, and five rebounds. The team's lone senior, Julia Trogele, was equally dynamic with 20 points and nine rebounds.

Lady Lions roll Purdue 73-61, likely lock up NCAA berth

There wasn't a whole lot going for Penn State coming into today's game against Purdue. The Boilermakers swept the Lady Lions in the regular season, both wins coming in convincing fashion. Taking into account the previous editions of this matchup so far this season, one would expect Purdue to hold the "2" in front of their name, with Penn State the "7".

But the No. 2 seed Lady Lions finally found a way to beat No. 7 seed Purdue, and it couldn't have come at a better time than this afternoon in Indianapolis, as Penn State downed the Boilermakers 73-61 to advance to the semifinal round of the Big Ten tournament. The Lady Lions will face the winner of the Michigan-Illinois game, which will tip off this afternoon.

Lady Lions to face Purdue in Big Ten 2nd Round

Purdue was expected to beat Indiana tonight in the opening round of the Big Ten women's tournament. But what wasn't expected was a close 66-62 final score. The Boilermakers had two players scoring in double digits--Drey Mingo (21) and Brittany Rayburn (23, 12 via free throws)--but were out-rebounded 40-30, while Indiana couldn't overcome sloppy turnovers and lower shooting percentage.

This is arguably the toughest bottom-half seed any 2nd round team will face tomorrow. Penn State was swept this season by Purdue, a series which featured one 10-point loss for the Lady Lions, and another 3-point loss that was much worse than it looked (PSU was down big most of the game). But Purdue showed some weakness against Indiana, which could, could be exploited by Penn State.

Lady Lions earn a No. 2 seed and 1st round bye for Big Ten Tournament

Penn State just wrapped up a very nice 22-8 regular season--with a team which returns nearly intact for next season--but the work is far from over. And in fact, the toughest part of the season, or at least the most high-pressure stage, is still on deck.

The Lady Lions took advantage of a down year in the Big Ten to grab the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament, which starts this Thursday.

In any other year, probably a No. 2 seed would be a relief. But if you take a look at which team Penn State is likely to face in its first game, there is no rest for the weary Lady Lions. Purdue swept Penn State this season, the only team to do that in a two-game series (Michigan State and Penn State only played once) in 2011. Indiana is very unlikely to pull the upset, so Penn State should count on having one final try to dispatch the Boilermakers, a game which also happens to be in their home state of Indiana.

Beyond that, Wisconsin will likely advance over Illinois, setting up what should be one of the most intriguing games in the second round against Michigan. The Wolverines haven't been impressive, but beat all the right teams to get that first round bye. Wisconsin has used a very strong middle portion of the season to scare almost any team it faces. Ideally here, Penn State would like Michigan to advance past the Badgers.

There is no point in projecting the final, but I will say I like the Spartans to take the title over either Penn State or Purdue. I'm probably wrong. The bracket:

Lady Lions avoid meltdown against Indiana, hopefully sparking some urgency

Julia Trogele (Photo: PSU)

Penn State nearly face-planted into the hardwood of Assembly Hall, as the Lady Lions trailed the Hoosiers by as many as 16 points. Penn State (21-6,10-3) trailed for 39 minutes and 20 seconds. But taking a one-point lead--their first of the night--with 40 seconds left was all the Lady Lions needed to avoid a huge upset and what could have been an even bigger let-down after failing to rise to the occasion Thursday night in a loss to Michigan State.

With just three regular season games left on the schedule, Penn State is in a position to win or tie for a Big Ten title, or at least hold on for a second-place finish heading into the conference tournament. Of course, the Michigan State game was supposed to be the moment when this team put everything together and prove it's ready for prime-time.