Basketball: Patriots Lose To Lions

By Josh Miller

The Patriots lose to the Penn State Nittany Lions 77-73. This St. Patrick’s Day, the only green visible in Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center was worn by the handful of Mason fans during their matchup against #2 seeded Lions.

The game kicked off the first round in the 2009 National Invitational Tournament. The Patriots started off strong and maintained a steady two-point lead above the Lions for the first half. Both teams played a game of call and response, racing up and down the court. After sinking several crucial three-point shots, PSU eventually took the lead. Dre Smith slipped on the court during the final seconds of the half, allowing PSU yet another three to end the half at 38-31, Lions.

At the start of the second half, Mason tightened up on the reigns and quickly closed PSU’s lead with a three-point shot followed by another two after Jamelle Cornley of Penn State left the game with a shoulder injury. John Vaughan sank two free-throws and tied the game at 38-38 just minutes into the second half.

Both teams again fought for the lead until the final few seconds of the game. Darryl Monroe’s two points with one minute left on the clock put Mason ahead by one. Then Smith was fouled and made both free throws, giving Mason the lead of 65-62 with just under five seconds on the clock. In an astonishing play, PSU’s Talor Battle sinks a three pointer as the buzzer sounds, pushing the game to overtime. From there, the Nittany Lions quickly established a lead with multiple three-point shots, finally beating the Patriots 77-73.