UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Tony Carr corralled the inbounds pass that traveled the length of the court. In front of two Buckeyes somehow, someway the sophomore tight roped the base line and turned the layup into a successful three-point play.
“We go over that play sometimes, but it never ends like that,” Carr said. “That was crazy. ... Man, everything just worked out perfectly.”
Everything did work out perfectly for Penn State basketball on Thursday night as they completed the season sweep of No. 8 Ohio State in dominant fashion, this one with a 79-56 victory.
The sophomore Carr grinned on the court as the Bryce Jordan Center crowd erupted after he made the play before the end of the first half to widen the lead to 24 points, sensing that this just might be their night. By the end of the evening as fans stormed the court and the players stood atop the scorer’s table to belt out the alma mater it certainly was a moment that had been years in the making for this program.
James Franklin was pretty amped after Penn State beat No. 8 Ohio State. Here he was in the midst of the court storming. pic.twitter.com/CiYIza08fI
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) February 16, 2018
For Penn State (19-9, 9-6 Big Ten) reeling off their fourth consecutive victory keeps the Nittany Lions in the hunt as their push for the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid since 2011 received a big boost. With three regular season games left, on the road against No. 6 Purdue, at home against No. 22 Michigan and on the road against Nebraska, Penn State not only bolstered their resume with this victory in front of a crowd of 10,981, but it also proved what Pat Chambers had in mind when he hit the recruiting trail a few years ago in desperate need of elite players to say yes to a program that needed players to buy in.
With them bought in the Lions are an NCAA Tournament bubble team and one that showcased enough athleticism that if and when they play like they did on this night they won't be an easy out for anyone the rest of the season.
“It’s another step in the right direction and we have to continue this process,” Chambers said. “Our slogan is climb, right? This climb has not been easy and we’ve fallen off the cliff and we’ve gotten back up. That’s the amazing thing I’m seeing. We’ve gotten back up.”
Penn State did more than just get up since they last beat then No. 13 Ohio State at the buzzer last month. They've won six of their past seven games and there’s no doubt they’re playing their best basketball – and some of the best basketball this program has seen in at least the past decade – right now. Carr led the way with another masterful performance but the depth of this team is much more evident than in years past.
Limiting the Buckeyes to 21 points in the first half the Lions showed up as that aggressive, defensive-minded team that Chambers stressed since his first day on the job. Defense and rebounding needed to be their identity from the get-go and add some big-time athletes to that mix like Carr who dropped 30 points, Mike Watkins who had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks, Nazeer Bostick who Chambers said has been an All-Star in his role and this team proved it could play and dominate a top-10 team.
“We definitely made a statement,” Carr said. “We’re not a pushover and that last win (against Ohio State) wasn’t a fluke. We just want to keep getting better, keep winning games and keep making statements.”
It was a statement for the on-court product as much as it was for the fans who crowded an arena that hasn’t had much to cheer for during most of Chambers’ six-plus seasons at the helm. The students came early and were decked out in white, bringing noise to a venue that had life injected back into it even before the game started. The fog machine roared and the flames shined above the court during introductions as Penn State even amped up their pyrotechnics for this one.
Penn State students are making this one really, really loud tonight. Great atmosphere in here. pic.twitter.com/5l0544Z7j3
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) February 16, 2018
Chambers said he sat there pregame looking at the students filling up their sections while taking it all in. This was a big moment for the program no doubt, but capitalizing on that goes a long way in helping shape the future of it.
"It was great to see that student section at capacity," he said. "It was great to see the section behind them at capacity. That's what got me excited like something special is happening, but we can't let that get to us."
This is what he wanted to build when the doors on the recruiting trail slammed in his face but he kept knocking anyway. To see this team, the one with the once heralded Philadelphia recruits and Josh Reaves get it done left Chambers smiling as he dodged the court storming just in time. Then, he reflected.
“There’s speed out there. We know what it is to have speed and speed kills,” Chambers said. “It’s good to have it, but it took a lot. There needed to be yeses. I give DJ Newbill a lot of credit for giving us a yes, Brandon Taylor giving us a yes and they opened the door for the other guys like Shep, Naz, Tony, Lamar, Mike Watkins.”
Those yeses turned into the exclamation mark on the night as Carr exited the game with 1:27 remaining to a loud ovation from the crowd. As students stormed the court and were greeted by an amped up James Franklin who took in the game near athletic director Sandy Barbour there was a lot for Penn State basketball to be excited about. Having a chance to play meaningful basketball in March is still on the table.
"Life is all about memories and moments like that," Carr said after getting swallowed up in the sea of students on the court. "I just want to cherish it, enjoy this moment and just keep hoping to win more games."