STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Mike Rhoades stood near center court, Penn State fans filling in every space as they jumped up and down celebrating around the head coach.
Days after Rhoades announced the dismissal of Kanye Clary, Penn State’s leading scorer, the Nittany Lions did what felt unthinkable just hours ago: Penn State upset No. 12 Illinois, 90-89.
With each of the three free throws Penn State’s Zach Hicks drained with three seconds remaining, the third giving Penn State the 1-point lead it wouldn’t relinquish, the crowd of 6,150 belted out cheers. The intimate environment here in Rec Hall, the 6,500-person arena across campus from Penn State’s usual home in the Bryce Jordan Center, was built for moments like this.
There’s something special about playing here, something almost magical about playing in the 95-year-old facility where fans are close to the court, where the crowd can be a rowdy all night long. This place helps create a true home-court advantage. The gym was stuffy and sweaty. The students, filling in along the baseline, were boisterous all night long.
Down go the Illini pic.twitter.com/jcxoFxrnxV
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) February 22, 2024
“Wish we were back in the other place,” said Illinois head coach Brad Underwood, whose Illini (19-7, 10-5 Big Ten) were quickly ushered off the court during the storming. “They created a nice buzz and atmosphere. Congratulations to their administration for trying something new. That was a great environment for college basketball.”
Prior to Wednesday night, Penn State last played a basketball game in Rec Hall in 2015. Since moving into the 15,000-plus seat Bryce Jordan Center in 1996, a venue that was built for concerts and events and one that often looks and feels empty or hollow for college basketball, this night in Rec Hall was the backdrop for a season-defining moment for Penn State (13-14).
This was the kind of moment that could propel Rhoades’ entire program forward as he inches toward the finish of his first season at Penn State. It’s a victory that Rhoades said was as much about his team’s toughness as it was watching this group abide by the last words he wrote on the board before the team exited the locker room: Be a great teammate.
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“We went through a lot of stuff this year, but it’s all about moving forward,” Rhoades said. “Move your program forward. Move these young people forward. Move your staff forward. That’s me. That’s the way I was taught by my dad. You show up the next day and you go to work.”
What went wrong for the Illini?
Terrence Shannon Jr. was dialed in, finishing with a career-high 35 points, connecting on 10-of-18 shots. Shannon made 19 trips to the free throw line where he added 13 points.
Illinois led by 10 points with 2:30 left in the game and was up by as many as 14 points in the with 13:57 remaining. Hicks added five points in a 30-second span to cut the Lions’ deficit to five.
From there, Underwood’s team crumbled.
“We did just about everything wrong in the last two-and-a-half minutes,” Underwood said. “And, they made shots. Can’t give up 55 percent field-goal percentage in the second half and win. Disappointed in that.”
Penn State’s 8-0 run to end the game, highlighted by those three free throws from Hicks, was also Penn State’s first lead since 4:01 was left in the first half.
Fouling on a 3-pointer with the game on the line still irked Underwood nearly 30 minutes afterward.
“Everything. We didn’t do anything right,” he said. “We did everything we could possibly do to lose the game. From the foul on the last play, to the missed free throws, to turning the ball over against the press, to not getting a stop when we needed one. We missed two layups. … It was everything.”
Can Penn State play more games in Rec Hall in the future?
Rhoades knew the question was coming. Minutes after thanking Penn State’s operations staff and administration for allowing this game to be here he was asked if it’s viable to play more than one game here every so many years. Penn State has played here just four times since 1996.
Penn State has been creative with playing occasional games in Philadelphia at the Palestra, and Rhoades said he wants the administration to continue thinking “outside the box.” Penn State played a neutral site game at Madison Square Garden this season as well.
“Let’s not do the norm,” Rhoades said. “Let’s be different. Let’s go around the state and play. Let’s go around the Mid-Atlantic region and play anybody and figure it out. But man, this was old school. This was like check it up and let’s go play in a hot gym, which is what it’s all about. It’s a lot of fun and I hope we can. I hope we can. But, that’s more of an administrative question in their direction. But, they’re thinking outside the box too and I appreciate that.”
Penn State owns the Bryce Jordan Center and beyond men’s and women’s basketball it also uses it for graduation, concerts, career fairs and other events. The facility has never been a great basketball venue. The sight lines are rough and black curtains often cover the empty seats in the upper level, again the byproduct of having a venue with a capacity over 15,000.
Wednesday night, like the other Return to Rec games before it, reminded those in the facility of how unique the atmosphere can be when this place is loud and rocking. However, given all the other uses of Rec Hall — wrestling, volleyball, gymnastics, campus fitness classes — slotting men’s and women’s basketball in here regularly wouldn’t be easy, either.
Required reading
(Photo: Mitchell Layton / Getty Images)
