A Win for the Weary
They did it, Nittany Nation! So many times this season, I was all prepared to whip up one of my positive posts proclaiming victory with a few minutes to go, only to watch a win slip through our fingertips. It’s been a season full of misery, to say the least, and that's probably an understatement, but not last night, my friends. Last night we earned the right to storm the court and nobody is going to fault us for doing so. A two-loss Michigan squad sporting a No. 6 ranking rolled into Happy Valley and walked away on the wrong side of the scoreboard as Penn State finally prevailed 75-69.
It was a win for the weary indeed after so many close ones that have gotten away. Credit Lamar Stevens for his monster game when he finally took command and just would not be denied on either end of the court. Credit Jamari Wheeler for his incredible hustle on defense, Josh Reaves for his electricity, Mike Watkins for being a beast underneath, with fellow big man John Harrar, and credit freshmen Rasir Bolton and Myles Dread for growing up right before our eyes. Maybe more important than anything, credit Pat Chambers for not allowing a team with only one conference win to hang their heads and throw in the towel. Last night was not a game the highly ranked Wolverines gave away, it was a game that our Nittany Lions won fair and square, on their own terms. They outplayed, outhustled, outshot, and outsmarted their opponent. They earned the right to celebrate.
Where the Lions go from here, nobody knows. A trip to Purdue, who coincidently was one of the many teams Penn State fell too when they should have won, looms ahead on Saturday, and as they just proved, the Big Ten Conference is as deep as it gets in college basketball. Nothing’s a given on any given night but it’s safe to say a two-win streak for Penn State basketball would certainly be nice to talk about this weekend. There is no more playing for tournament seeds. There’s no talk of being on any bubbles this late in the season. There’s nothing left to play for but pride and these guys are playing with the heart of a Lion at the moment. There has been no quit in this squad and last night, they finally proved themselves. Today, the team can finally say, “We did it, Nittany Nation,” and after all the lows we’ve been through, it’s a feeling that’s way overdue!
It was a win for the weary indeed after so many close ones that have gotten away. Credit Lamar Stevens for his monster game when he finally took command and just would not be denied on either end of the court. Credit Jamari Wheeler for his incredible hustle on defense, Josh Reaves for his electricity, Mike Watkins for being a beast underneath, with fellow big man John Harrar, and credit freshmen Rasir Bolton and Myles Dread for growing up right before our eyes. Maybe more important than anything, credit Pat Chambers for not allowing a team with only one conference win to hang their heads and throw in the towel. Last night was not a game the highly ranked Wolverines gave away, it was a game that our Nittany Lions won fair and square, on their own terms. They outplayed, outhustled, outshot, and outsmarted their opponent. They earned the right to celebrate.
Where the Lions go from here, nobody knows. A trip to Purdue, who coincidently was one of the many teams Penn State fell too when they should have won, looms ahead on Saturday, and as they just proved, the Big Ten Conference is as deep as it gets in college basketball. Nothing’s a given on any given night but it’s safe to say a two-win streak for Penn State basketball would certainly be nice to talk about this weekend. There is no more playing for tournament seeds. There’s no talk of being on any bubbles this late in the season. There’s nothing left to play for but pride and these guys are playing with the heart of a Lion at the moment. There has been no quit in this squad and last night, they finally proved themselves. Today, the team can finally say, “We did it, Nittany Nation,” and after all the lows we’ve been through, it’s a feeling that’s way overdue!
