Michigan
Penn State
Penn State Buzzer Beater Ends Wolverine Season
3/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CHICAGO -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team lost on a last-second shot to Penn State, 82-80, on Thursday (March 8) in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center. After a Wolverine turnover with under 10 seconds to play, the Nittany Lions shot an air ball, but PSU's Gyasi Cline-Heard gathered in the offensive rebound and layed in a reverse for the win
Bernard Robinson Jr. (Washington, D.C./New Hampton Prep) had a career-high 23 points and five rebounds to lead the Wolverines. LaVell Blanchard (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) added a double-double with 22 points and 13 boards, and senior Josh Asselin (Caro, Mich./Caro HS) had 16 points in his final game in the Maize and Blue.
Michigan (10-18) scored on its first possession as Asselin fed junior Chris Young (Plymouth, Mich./Catholic Central HS) underneath for a jump hook off the block for two. The Wolverines defense forced Penn State (18-10) to miss its first five shots from the field, as the Maize and Blue took an early lead. Robinson Jr. scored seven of Michigan's next nine points, with two layups and the first three for the Wolverines, from the top of the key with the shot clock winding down. Blanchard knocked down a turnaround jumper on the baseline in between Robinson Jr. buckets.
Both teams heated up from the field as the Nittany Lions took a slim lead. Freshman Avery Queen (Moreno Valley, Calif./Redemption Academy) ended a 6-0 PSU run with a shot-fake jumper in the lane. The Wolverines made six straight shots from the field, including another triple in the corner from Robinson Jr., and a sky-hook on the block from freshman Josh Moore (Newark, N.J./St. Thomas More Prep), bringing the Wolverines within three at 23-20 with 9:34 in the half.
Robinson Jr. continued his strong first half of play by following his own miss with a fade-away inside the paint. Blanchard scored on the next possession with a high-arcing jumper just off the free throw line extended. Minutes later, the Wolverines answered a 5-0 Nittany Lion run with a 12-0 streak of their own. Young gave the Maize and Blue a spark as he dunked right on two Penn State defenders. Queen took a steal and fed Asselin, who slammed home two more powerful Wolverine points. Queen was not done there, as he went the distance following a Nittany Lion miss. Robinson Jr. added a pair of assists as he found both Blanchard and Asselin open on the inside after driving the paint. After two makes from the foul line from Asselin, the Wolverines took a 36-32 lead with 1:54 in the half.
Michigan took a 42-37 lead into halftime as Queen got a last-second assist to Blanchard for a layup right at the buzzer. The Wolverines shot 59 percent for the half and had 14 assists by intermission.
Penn State came out of the locker room on a 9-2 run as they forced Michigan to four quick turnovers to take the lead back at 46-44. Blanchard showed that persistence pays off as he crashed the boards for a layup after two Wolverine misses and ended a 5-0 PSU run. The super soph continued his second-half tear, hitting two straight triples from the top of the key and in the corner to bring Michigan within two at 56-54 at the 13:37 mark.
The Wolverines turned the game into an up-tempo style of play as their transition game began to effect Penn State. Queen took a steal and found Robinson Jr. for the hoop and a foul. Then Robinson Jr. put a finger-roll right down the middle of the lane. Moore then got into the act as he took the ball on the wing off the break and lofted the ball to a streaking Asselin for two and a 62-61 Penn State lead with the clock showing 10:58.
The Nittany Lions extended the lead with an 8-0 run, mostly from the charity stripe. Michigan went three minutes before its next basket, which came after Young grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Robinson Jr. underneath for a deuce. Robinson Jr. then did the opposite, as he lobbed the ball to Asselin for an assist on the huge slam. Robinson Jr. single handedly brought Michigan within two points as he slashed his way for a bucket, then grabbed an offensive rebound and hit a fall-away to make the score 74-72 with 6:06 to go.
Blanchard kept the Maize and Blue close with a pull-up from just outside the key to stay within one point (76-75) heading into the final media timeout. Michigan's defense stayed strong, forcing Penn State to miss seven of its eight shots down the stretch, and the Wolverines took the lead after a Young jumper on the baseline with 2:59 in the game.
Penn State took the lead back at 80-79 with 1:34 left after a pair of free throws. With less than a minute to go, the Wolverines had two opportunities to break the 80-80 tie but was unable to convert. After Cline-Heard's go-ahead basket, the referees deliberated and put 0.3 seconds on the clock, but Michigan's court-long inbounds pass went out of bounds, securing the win for Penn State.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
