Same sad story for NU
It was a feel-good night at Northwestern, right up until the start of the second half.
Wildcats sophomore Kevin Coble returned to the court after missing the first nine games to be with his mother, Carlys, while she underwent chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer in Arizona. Better yet, Carlys was sitting in the sixth row behind the bench, wearing a purple No. 44 jersey (Kevin's number) and greeting a long line of well-wishers.
Coach Bill Carmody had hoped the Cobles' return would give NU an emotional lift.
Turned out the Wildcats needed boosts in other areas -- the same ones that have dogged them for years.
Penn State had no interest in playing along with the sentimental story line. Capitalizing on their size and athleticism, the Nittany Lions dominated after halftime and handed NU a 79-68 loss before 3,619 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
After pacing Penn State for 20 minutes, the Wildcats (5-5, 0-1) fell apart early in the second half.
Their 3-point shooting vanished. So did their ball movement. And they never bothered to seal off the lane.
Taking a 35-34 lead into the second half, NU scored just 4 points in the first 9:16 as Penn State (9-4, 1-0) pulled away to a 15-point lead. The Lions shot 61.5 percent after halftime.
"We have a lot of work to do on defense," said Wildcats point guard Juice Thompson, who had a double-double (17 points, 10 assists) in his first league game.
"A team can't come into your place and shoot 60 percent," Carmody said.
Forwards Jamelle Cornley (22 points, 11 rebounds) and Geary Claxton (18 points, 11 rebounds) dominated inside, slashing past and leaping over NU defenders. The two combined to shoot 18-for-26 as Penn State scored 40 points in the paint.
"Those guys are like men amongst boys," Carmody said. "We had nothing to stop them."
Coble scored 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting in 23 minutes off the bench, displaying both his trademark shooting and the rust of a player who last played March 8. One moment he swished a 3-pointer and stole the ball, the next he was whistled for a double-dribble.
"This is a high level to be away from," Coble said. "It took a little bit of time to settle down. It was a little surreal being back and realizing that it was actually happening and what it means to me."
The crowd stood and cheered when Coble entered the game with 10:11 left in the first half. He misfired on two 3-pointers before connecting from beyond the arc to give NU a 30-28 lead.
"It was a big relief to finally get it out of the way," Coble said. "It was great to see the signs and the standing ovation when I went in. Little things like that will really help clear my head."
NU stormed out to an 18-9 lead but seemed to stagnate on offense after Craig Moore picked up his second foul. The Wildcats survived until halftime but never could regenerate their shooting rhythm.
Afterward, Carmody challenged Thompson to take greater control.
"When Craig went down, it got sloppy," Carmody said. "I said, 'That's your responsibility. You have to go out and take the ball 'cause that's what you do. You run this team. It's your team. Go.' "