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Turner Battle

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA ­ Buffalo led Penn State by as many as 14 points, but a second-half rally propelled the Nittany Lions to a 68-60 victory on Saturday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center.

The Bulls (3-7) played a solid first half of basketball, leading the Nittany Lions by as many as 14. Ahead by two with 4:37 on the first half clock, the Bulls went on a 12-0 scoring run. The run was sparked by eight-straight points, including two three-pointers, by Calvin Cage (Bowie, MD/Bladensburg). The Bulls headed into the lockerroom at halftime holding a nine-point advantage. It was their first halftime lead in a road contest this season. The Bulls shot 46.9 percent (15-32) and outrebounded Penn State 24-13 in the first stanza.

UB got tentative at the start of the second half allowing Penn State (5-6) to mount an 18-2 scoring run and turn a nine-point UB advantage into a seven-point Penn State lead in the first five minutes of the second half. The Bulls battled back and cut the lead to three points on several occasions, but could get no closer. A key factor for Penn State's success in the second half was its presence on the offensive glass. After being held to one second chance point in the first half, the Nittany Lions managed 17 second chance points in the second half. Penn State also converted on 16 free throws to Buffalo's four.

"Our guys got cautious and hopeful in the second half and wanted the game to come to an end," Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon said. "It's a mindset that we have to get rid of to be successful away from home." With the loss, the Bulls slip to 0-6 on the road this season.

Turner Battle (Kernersville, NC/East Forsyth) did his best to rally the Bulls and led all scorers with a career-high 21 points. Senior center Joe Veal (Chicago, IL/Osborn) made a nice contribution with eight points and a career-high seven rebounds.

All five of Penn State's starters finished in double-figures in the scoring column and tallied all but six of the Nittany Lion's points. Brandon Watkins led Penn State, which won its fifth straight game, with 14 points. Jan Jagla recorded a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Saturday's game brought a close to the Bull's non-conference slate. UB will resume conference play on Wednesday night when it hosts Marshall at Alumni Arena.