Of all of the things that have plagued the Nittany Lions during their losing streak, the most troublesome emerged Saturday. As the second half went along — and the game remained close — it was obvious that Penn State did not have the juice to pull out the win. The Lions were lethargic and lazy on the floor. Outside of reserve RayQuawndis Mitchell, there was zero enthusiasm on the bench. It was jarring to witness, especially compared to the energy coming from the Bucknell bench.
And so it was with 2:50 remaining in the game and PSU leading 62-61, that Bison 7-footer Noah Williamson hit his third-3-pointer of the season (on his 17th attempt) to put Bucknell in front, 64-62. The visitors’ bench erupted (see above), in another display of emotion.
The Penn State bench, meanwhile, featured a mixture of visible disgust, disappointment and disinterest (also see above). Nobody other than Rhoades was standing. Nobody was encouraging the men on the floor.
Mind you, the Lions were trailing by TWO POINTS with plenty of time remaining. But the game was over. Indeed, PSU never led again as Bucknell closed with a 16-5 run.
Basketball can be a fickle game, one where variables one can’t always control come into play. Maybe a team’s shots aren’t falling. Maybe an opponent that usually struggles offensively heats up. Maybe the officials are having a tough time.
But there is zero excuse for a lack of energy, especially in a close game. To their credit, neither Rhoades nor senior captain Puff Johnson tried to offer one.
“That’s unacceptable,” Johnson said. “Especially knowing what happened these last three games.”
Speaking of which…
_______________
Read the full article here
