Nittany Lions' party is simply too abundant for in awe of Bulldogs

Nittany Lions' party is simply too abundant for in awe of Bulldogs
Penn State senior center Julian Moore was doing the maths in his head, making an attempt to recollect specifically what percentage times he has competed in Madison Sq. Garden throughout his Nittany Lion career.

It is simple to grasp however he may have lost track.

Tuesday night, the Nittany Lions two-faced Mississippi State in associate NIT match at the “World’s Most far-famed Arena.” For the record, it absolutely was Penn State's sixth look at flavourer over the last 3 seasons.

Which most likely explains why the Lions appeared like they belonged within the spotlight whereas the poor Bulldogs appeared like lost bumpkins. PSU won 75-60, and it absolutely was not nearly that shut.

“The advantage is we’ve been in here,” Lion coach Pat Chambers same. “That was Mississippi State’s initial time in here. and that they had 3 or for guys that has ne'er been to the big apple. therefore we tend to had a bit little bit of a bonus once it involves that.”


A little bit of associate degree advantage? think about that the Penn State players area unit, therefore, want to enjoy within the NY, that once the team bus was in associate degree accident on the streets of NYC before a giant 10 Tournament game against Northwestern at The Garden last month, a number of them slept through it.

Meanwhile, once Tuesday’s game started, the Mississippi State players seemed like that they had been hit by a bus.

“Obviously, No. 1, being in big apple town, and No. 2, enjoying within the Garden — I assumed perhaps we tend to were somewhat awed therewith,” MSU coach mountain Howland aforesaid.

The Lions conjointly benefitted from a by all odds pro-Penn State crowd.

“Madison Sq. Garden may be a special place, everybody is aware of that,” guard Shep Garner aforesaid. “When we tend to play here, it’s quite a sort of a win-or-go-home scenario. therefore you would like to play huge. There’s plenty of fans here, plenty of fan support, therefore you don’t need to allow them to down. Our fans start off. we've plenty of latest royal line fans, plenty of fans from the tri-state space. therefore that’s however it's.”

Penn State’s recent flavorer appearances embody a loss to Michigan in Jan of 2016, a convert St. John’s in the Gregorian calendar month of the subsequent season, and so a 2-1 showing at the B1G Tournament last month. Add in Tuesday’s win and you're viewing a 4-2 record.

Garner appears significantly reception here. In his last 2 games — a loss to Purdue within the huge 10 semifinals and also the convert the Bulldogs — he poured in a combined twelve 3-pointers.

“The fans were wonderful tonight,” PSU forward Lamar Stevens aforesaid. “We extremely fed off their energy. enjoying here, we tend to invariably feel softer. Shep invariably plays well within the Garden. therefore we tend to feed off of Shep. It undoubtedly sounds like home.”

Next up for PSU at flavorer is Thursday’s confrontation with Utah for the NIT crown (7 p.m., ESPN).

It will be Moore’s seventh game within the arena and also the last game of his career.

He can’t look forward to it to induce here.

“It’s a crazy crowd with big apple town and a giant Penn State fan base here in the big apple,” he said. “We love returning to The Garden.”