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Now, the fifth-year senior point guard is fully recovered, and the players around him are more confident in their scoring ability. Their improvement has allowed him to focus on distributing the ball, and that approach has yielded some impressive numbers. Through 12 games, Frazier was leading the Big Ten in assists at 7.6 per game and also was No. 1 in the country in total assists with 91. Frazier said he's perfectly content to Penn State falters vs. Princeton in 'Return to Rec' When Tim Frazier knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing with 16 minutes, 12 seconds left to play in Penn State's game against Princeton on Dec. 14, he and his teammates took a commanding 44-26 lead and soaked up rapturous cheers from the 6,188 fans who had crammed into Rec Hall for the Nittany Lions' "Return to Rec" game. Those fans created a partylike atmosphere in the old gym, which hadn't played host to a Penn State men's basketball game in 17 years. And for much of the game, they had plenty to celebrate. It seemed as though nothing could go wrong for the home team. But a late-game shooting spree by the Tigers and a complete collapse by the Lions helped Princeton prevail in overtime, 81-79. The outcome put a damper on what was otherwise a thrilling day for the program. "We're a free throw away, a stop away, from being up here celebrating, because it should be celebrated, " Penn State coach Patrick Chambers said, thanking all those who helped to create a compelling environment. "What went on here today is amazing." get into the paint, pass to teammates and let them convert the shots. As long as the Nittany Lions prevail, he's happy. "I've always said I'm going to do whatever it takes to win," he said. "Sometimes it's assists, sometimes it's rebounds, steals and just getting stops. Whatever it is, as long as we get the win at the end, I feel like the emotion afterward is always the same, regardless of what it is. " Travis said a lot of hard work went into the team's early-season accomplishments, The Tigers, no doubt, were just as amazed as Penn State. With the Lions leading 60-42, a Princeton team that had been ice cold to that point in the game suddenly came to life. The Tigers outscored Penn State 24-6 to send the game to overtime, then built a five-point lead in the extra period and stopped Frazier's last-second attempt to tie the score. Starting with a Will Barrett 3pointer, the Tigers unloaded a barrage of 3-balls, converting on 5 of 6 from beyond the arc and 7 of 9 from the floor. "They had some open ones. It just takes a little while for those guys to get going, Chambers said. "On any " given night, it could be anybody. We knew Will Barrett really could get it going, and he did. "I feel bad for our players. They really wanted to come in here and perform well and play well, and maybe that's what happened at the end. [There was] too much pressure put on these kids to excel and play well in Rec Hall [and] they were a little tight at the end. " Frazier and D.J. Newbill tied for the team lead with 24 points each, but even they weren't immune. The two guards combined to commit 13 of the Lions' 20 turnovers, uncharacteristic lapses for a team that had gone into its matchup with Princeton averaging only nine turnovers per game. Newbill said he never felt as though the game was slipping away. "I thought we were going to win," he and he added that players intend to put just as much effort into the upcoming Big Ten season. "We haven't had the greatest past two years, so I wouldn't even say it's much of a relief to start winning," he said. "We've worked, and we've got a whole new squad this year. Everybody is buying in. We're definitely not satisfied with any of this, we're still humble and hungry, but we're still going to put in the work, and we've I got a long way to go. " said. "I think everybody in the huddle thought we were going to win that game." The Tigers, he said, "made shots, and they made us make mistakes and they made us pay for it." Penn State had a chance to avoid overtime, but Frazier's 3-point shot clanked off the rim at the end of regulation. Once the overtime period began, Princeton maintained its momentum, taking a five-point lead on a Hans Brase layup. The Lions drew to within two points in the final seconds, and looked to have a shot at sending the game to double overtime. Allen Roberts' full-court inbounds pass to Frazier landed in the senior's hands near the basket, but Frazier's contested shot rolled off the rim as he fell to the floor. Frazier and Chambers seemed to be looking for a foul call on the play, but they refused to blame the officiating for Penn State's inability to extend the game. "Even if I did get fouled, the call could have gone either way," Frazier said. "I still should have made the shot." Chambers said Penn State got the look it wanted at the end of the game. "It's unfortunate it comes down to that," he said. "[Frazier] is a fifthyear senior, and that's going to weigh on him. "He was so proud to play in this building. My team was so proud to be here. [But] 20 turnovers, when you're averaging nine – I think they just tried to do too much." - N.B.

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