Booth proves that Quakers are 'Not Penn State'

Penn State pivotman Calvin Booth proved too much for the Quakers to handle Saturday. STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State senior center Calvin Booth's 20-point performance on Saturday gave him a place in Lions' history. The center's shot with 8:42 remaining gave Penn State a 53-39 lead and put Booth at the 1,000-point mark for his career. Unfortunately, what the shot represents in Penn's history is just another two points in Booth's assassination of the Quakers. When he first arrived in Happy Valley, no one expected much from Booth offensively. The 6'11" center was primarily recruited as a shot blocker and rebounder. "I don't think anyone was really sure what he could do," Penn State coach Jerry Dunn said. "As a kid in high school he was probably more of a forward than a center." But judging by Booth's 10.3 points per game this season, he clearly does not take others' opinions to heart. Following the game, Penn State captain Danny Earl told reporters that he provided Booth with encouraging words throughout the contest. "I kind of turned and yelled at Calvin once or twice," Earl said. "I don't really remember what I said but it was something like, 'come on, let's go'." But when Booth was asked what those inspiring phrases were, his response was simply, "I don't know. I wasn't paying any attention to him." While Booth scored the Lions' first two points of the afternoon, Quakers' center Geoff Owens did a pretty good job neutralizing him throughout the first half. The center scored just six points, connecting on 3-of-6 shot attempts, and did not take a single trip to the free throw line. But the second half was a completely different story. Following a media time-out with 14:40 remaining and Penn State ahead by two, Penn's Mike Sullivan fouled Earl on a three-point attempt. Despite the dramatic backwards somersault that Earl took to draw the referee's attention, he managed to connect on both the shot and the ensuing free throw. "I already heard the whistle so I don't know why I did that," Earl said of his tumbling act. Earl's performance certainly excited both the crowd at the Bryce Jordan Center and his teammates, especially Booth. The four-point play increased the Lions lead to five and sparked a 22-4 Penn State run. "I think I might have been a little tired before then," Booth said. "[Dunn] took me out for like two minutes and then when I came back in I was fresher and I was able to knock down some shots." Booth amassed 8 points and two blocks in the run as his team amassed a 23-point lead, 62-39. "We challenged him unintelligently a number of times during that second half stretch. He blocked a number of our shots in a row," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "You can't do that against a good team and a good player like Booth. "They went to him a number of possessions in a row there, and I don't think we guarded him very well." According to Dunphy, attempting to contain Booth showed the Quakers that they have some work to do on defense in the paint, especially Owens. "I think he learned a lot today," Dunphy said. "I certainly hope so. Geoff's going to be a very good basketball player." Booth agreed. "It looks like he's doing all right for himself," he said. "I'm a good shot blocker but anyone who's got a sky hook, you can't really get to. He's got that move and it's an arsenal. He looks like a nice player." As for his own production, Booth's numbers against Penn spelled the Quakers' downfall. Along with his 20 points, the center finished with nine rebounds, four assists and three blocks. The 20 points were especially impressive, considering the fact that he was being guarded by the 6'11" Owens. More surprisingly for a big man, Booth finished the game a perfect six-for-six from the charity stripe. He has now connected on 15 straight free throws and his season average is up to 81.1 percent. But the turn-around jumper Booth scored from the left block with 8:42 remaining was his most memorable shot of the game. The basket, assisted by Earl, brought his point total to 17 for the game and his career total to 1,000. Not only did it allow the Penn State senior to reach a career milestone, but the bucket also proved a bullet through the heart of Penn's comeback hopes.