Lions can't claw past Indiana in 3OT thriller

Trailing 106-102 with 40 seconds left to play in a third overtime at Indiana Wednesday night, Penn State head coach Patrick Chambers was still confident.

His Nittany Lions, having battled back from a 13-point first half deficit, were in the fight of their young careers. Not once, not twice, but three times Penn State saw a game clock hit 0:00 with a tie score.

Inbounding the ball off a forced turnover, in spite of a 10-point deficit just a minute earlier, Chambers was left still feeling optimistic about his team's chances.

"Even in the last one when the place was rocking and they took a nice lead, we got the ball back down four with 40 seconds to go. Really good position to be in," said Chambers. "I thought we could run a good play, missed the shot, they got the rebound and made their free throws. But to get back in it in the third overtime like that showed a lot of guts, a lot of heart and a lot of courage. We can build off of that."

Instead, the Nittany Lions couldn't close the deficit beyond those four points, a Shep Garner jumper bouncing harmlessly off the rim and into the hands of Indiana's De'Ron Davis. With Hoosier guard Josh Newkirk sinking both free throws on the other end, the capper of a career-best 27 point effort, the Nittany Lions ultimately fell 110-102 in the first-ever triple-OT game at Assembly Hall in front of 17,222 fans.

(Video via @insidethehall)

Seeing what he called one of the best games he'd ever seen Newkirk play, that the Indiana guard was able to sink those free throws in the third and final overtime was a matter of disagreement to Chambers in the first place.

Though a late lead slipped away in regulation, the Nittany Lions appeared to have the Hoosiers on the ropes with seconds ticking away in the first overtime period. Taking the ball with just nine seconds remaining, Newkirk pushed inside and released a left-handed layup just as the red ring around the backboard lit to indicate time's expiration.

Called good on the floor, a lengthy review by three officials wound up as a confirmed call, leaving Chambers aghast by what he clearly perceived to be a shot taken after the buzzer.

Saying earlier that he had no comment on the play, Chambers instead directed reporters' attention to his team's 17-of-29 performance from the free throw line and its negative effect on the game's outcome.

"It shouldn’t come to that. It shouldn’t come to the refs. It shouldn’t come to Newkirk’s shot. If you take care of business and you make your free throws then we’re not sitting here 4-6," said Chambers.

Still, asked again later in his short postgame remarks if the lengthy review had a negative impact on his team, Chambers hedged.

"I think everybody in the gym saw it because you didn’t hear anybody saying it wasn’t the other way. Even the gym was like ummm…." said Chambers.

As Chambers indicated, though, free throws in crucial moments were a monumental piece of the game's equation for both teams. Ahead by two points with 22 seconds left to play, Lamar Stevens' hit the first, but not the second, to open up Indiana's game-tying opportunity to hit both free throws. Leading by a pair in the first overtime, Garner missed a second free throw that would have similarly given the Lions a 3-point advantage before Newkirk's buzzer-beating layup.

Indiana wasn't immune to the same affliction with Devonte Green failing to sink either free throw, allowing Tony Carr's foul in the lane to send the true freshman to the free throw line. Hitting both, the true freshman closed the gap in what had been a six point deficit for the Nittany Lions just 70 seconds prior, sending the game into its fateful third overtime.

Looking to draw positives from the experience, Chambers said the youth among his team would have plenty to learn as it looks to rebound back at home against Rutgers on Saturday afternoon (1 p.m., ESPNU).

"Our freshmen really played well. i thought they made some big plays for us throughout the day, throughout the game, throughout the overtimes. They’re mature beyond their years. That’s why I’m excited to get back to work tomorrow and coach them," said Chambers. "We’re not going to sulk, we’re not going to feel sorry for ourselves. We’re going to wake up tomorrow and we’re going to get back to work, because that’s what you do. And then we’ll try to get better Friday and try to get a win on Saturday. That’s the goal."

The Nittany Lions fell to 12-11 on the season and 4-6 in the Big Ten with the loss.