Penn State Fends Off Irish Rally in NIT Semifinal

Penn State made JoePa proud.

Talor Battle scored 17 points, Andrew Jones had career highs of 16 points and 15 rebounds, and the Nittany Lions hung on for dear life after squandering a big lead in a 67-59 victory over Notre Dame on Tuesday night in the NIT semifinals.

Jamelle Cornley added 15 points and Stanley Pringle had 10 for Penn State (26-11), which set a school record for wins in a season and will play Baylor for the championship Thursday night.

Cheered on by football coach Joe Paterno, the Nittany Lions beat one of their former gridiron rivals at their own game, relentlessly pounding Luke Harangody inside and harassing sharpshooter Kyle McAlarney whenever he touched the ball on the perimeter.

Harangody, a second-team All-American, finished with 17 points to lead the Irish (21-15).