Hawkeyes outlast Nittany Lions in double-overtime

Penn State had already stolen a win from Iowa on Jan. 24 in Happy Valley, blitzing the Hawkeyes late after getting outplayed for most of the game. Several weeks later, the Nittany Lions were about to eclipse Iowa once again in the endgame phase of a Big Ten battle. This time, however, Jake Kelly would not allow his club to get swept by the kids from State College.
 
Kelly not only stuffed the stat sheet, but repeatedly made key plays in money situations, to carry Iowa past PSU, 75-67, in a double-overtime dandy that will knock down the Lions' seeding, but not eliminate Ed DeChellis's charges from the NCAA Tournament field. Iowa might be the tenth-place team in its conference, but this act of survival showed just how much coach Todd Lickliter has earned the trust and respect of his players. Facing the end of a difficult, injury-ravaged season, the Hawks could have crumbled when the studs from State mounted a devastating late-game push to send the game into extra time, but the home team managed to persevere in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
 
The main reason for Iowa's gutsy and glorious home-court finale in 2009 was Kelly, a guard who--in the absence of backcourt mate Jeff Peterson--has taken on an extra workload for all of his teammates. Despite being the marked man in every game Iowa has played in recent weeks, Kelly has continued to post solid numbers and contribute in a number of ways. This game was not only a profile in customary Kelly courage; it represented the sophomore's best performance of the year.

Kelly's heroics, in an ironic twist, were set up by a sensational comeback from a Penn State outfit that's made a habit out of finding a furious finishing kick to win games at the wire. Down 51-42 with two minutes left in regulation, the Lions--behind the steals and shotmaking of guards Talor Battle and Stanley Pringle--ripped off 14 points to take a 56-54 lead with just 34 seconds remaining. It was at this moment that Kelly began to show a level of resolve that had not existed earlier in the season.
 
Kelly first rescued the Hawks when he gave forward Jarryd Cole a great entry pass to set up a game-tying basket with 10 seconds left. When Battle missed for PSU on the ensuing possession, Iowa--once in front, but then perilously close to losing--had ultimately stopped the bleeding just in time. But the fun was just starting in Iowa City.
 
In the first overtime, Kelly hit two threes, one of them good for a 62-61 Iowa lead at the 1:51 mark. Penn State big man Jamelle Cornley responded with his own ballsy trifecta to re-tie the score at 64-all with 35 seconds left, but because of Kelly's confident shooting, the Hawkeyes lived to fight into a second extra stanza.

When in double overtime, Kelly remained accurate while Battle, Pringle, and Penn State's other snipers lost their shooting touch. With just 55 seconds left in this 50-minute marathon, Iowa's tenuous 68-67 lead turned into a 71-67 advantage when Kelly banged in one last trey, his fourth of the day in eight tries. Iowa truly outlasted Penn State, and avoided the temptation to wilt after the Lions' bold run at the end of regulation; yet, a more precise analysis would suggest that it was Jake Kelly who outlasted Talor Battle in a matchup of two stellar Big Ten guards.
 
Battle did accumulate 26 points on the afternoon, but the Lion-hearted scorer ran on empty in both overtime periods after leading the charge for the visitors in the final two minutes of the second half. No longer able to get to the foul line, Battle--who went 9-of-11 at the charity stripe--lost the best part of his game on this particular day. Kelly, on the other hand, remained effective and potent until the final second of this draining duel. When all was said and done, Kelly didn't just have a team-high 22 points; the Carmel, Ind., native dished out a game-high 11 assists and even found a way to collect 4 rebounds and 2 steals. And oh, one more thing: Kelly also managed to block 2 shots.
 
Iowa might reside at the bottom section of the Big Ten standings, just one notch above Indiana. However, with the way Jake Kelly is carving up opponents, the Hawkeyes figure to be a very tough out at the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.

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