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UF Falls To Penn State In NIT Quarterfinals

The Associated Press

Penn State's Jamelle Cornley goes for two of his game total 23 points over Florida's Alex Tyus.

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By MIKE DiFERDINANDO

Tribune correspondent

Published: March 25, 2009

GAINESVILLE - The Gators' season and senior Walter Hodge's career came to an end Tuesday night.

Penn State beat Florida 71-62 and eliminated the Gators from the National Invitation Tournament in the quarterfinal round.

Hodge scored seven points in his final game at the O'Connell Center.

Senior forward Jamelle Cornley, who did not play in Penn State's second-round win against Rhode Island, led the Nittany Lions with 23 points and 12 rebounds.

Cornley partially separated his left shoulder in PSU's first-round win against George Mason.

Stanley Pringle added 15 points for Penn State (25-11).

The two teams traded baskets for most of the first half.

But with just more than four minutes to play before intermission, Erving Walker knocked down his third 3-point basket to give UF a seven-point lead - the Gators' largest lead to that point.

But Penn State rallied, knocking down back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 33-32 halftime lead.

The Gators (25-11) failed to score a basket in the final four minutes of the half.

Penn State increased its lead in the second half, but UF cut the deficit to a point after two Nick Calathes free throws with a little more than 12 minutes to play.

The Nittany Lions answered, going on an 8-0 run to take their biggest lead of the game.

Trailing by 10 with 5:29 to play, Florida went on a 9-1 run that brought the Gators within 3 points with a little more than a minute to play.

But Penn State iced the game with back-to-back baskets and six free throws.

Walker led the Gators with 16 points. Center Alex Tyus finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.

BAYLOR 74,

AUBURN 72

AUBURN, Ala. - Curtis Jerrells grabbed a key rebound, then made one of two free throws with 6.9 seconds left, helping Baylor advance to the semifinals of the NIT with a victory against Auburn.

Kevin Rogers added 19 points and nine rebounds to help the Bears (23-14) extend their improbable run after finishing ninth in the Big 12 Conference and going 59 years without a postseason win.

The Tigers (24-12), who matched the second-best win total in program history, had two chances in the final seconds to at least tie it.

Trailing 73-72, Auburn forced a turnover on the inbound pass with 16 seconds left. DeWayne Reed attempted a leaner and was fouled, but missed both free throws and Jerrells rebounded the second.

Rasheem Barrett's 3-point try bounced off the left side of the rim at the buzzer.

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