STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (12/23/07) – Three PSU players scored 10 or more points as the Penn State men’s basketball team defeated Colgate, 66-48, on Sunday, Dec. 23, at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Geary Claxton led all players with 14 points for the Nittany Lions. Jamelle Cornley posted 12 points, and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Jeff Brooks contributed 10 points off the bench.

Senior Kendall Chones (Cleveland, Ohio) paced Colgate with nine points. Junior Alex Woodhouse (Alexandria, Va.) had eight points and a game-high nine boards off the bench, as well as two blocks. 

After trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, the Raiders used a 17-6 run that spanned the break to make it a five-point game early in the second. But Penn State proved too strong, using an 18-6 run to open up a 17-point advantage, 51-34, with 7:34 left in the game. The Nittany Lions earned their largest lead of the game, 63-43, with 2:16 on the clock before Colgate scored five of the last eight points to set the final at 66-48.

PSU scored the first six points of the game, but after a called time out, Colgate scored twice to pull within two. However, the Lions kept the Raiders off the board over the next five minutes and scored 11 straight points to open up a 17-4 lead. The teams traded baskets for much of the remainder of the first half before Colgate began its tear that brought it back to within five.

The Raiders shot just 29.6 percent (8-of-27) from the floor in the first half, but sank 12-of-30 shots (40.0%) in the second half. PSU went 24-for-63 (38.1%) on field goals for the game.

When the Raiders return from the holiday break, they will visit New Hampshire on Sunday, Dec. 30, to cap a six-game road swing. Game time is 1:00 p.m.