STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Geary Claxton had 19 of his game-high 20 points in the first half and Penn State used a 16-3 run through the first 5:04 of the second half to cruise to a 93-40 victory over the Canisius College men's basketball team on Friday night. The 53-point win was the Nittany Lions' largest in 54 years, while the margin of defeat marks the worst loss in the 105-year history of the Canisius men's basketball program.
Canisius freshman Elton Frazier (pictured) had his first career double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds while fellow freshman Greg Logins and sophomore Jovan Robinson each had six points for the Griffs. Canisius shot just 26.3 percent (15-for-57) from the field and 13.8 percent (4-for-29) from 3-point range.
“I told the guys we have some decisions to make,” Canisius coach Tom Parrotta said. “We have to lick our wounds, work hard and come back to work the next day. No one cares that we're young. No one is feeling sorry for us, and we shouldn't feel sorry for ourselves.”
Claxton scored seven early points, including hitting 2-of-2 from three, as Penn State (2-0) took a 19-5 lead 8:00 into the contest. Canisius (0-2) came out cold hitting just two of their first 16 from the field and suffered through a five minute scoring drought. The Griffs finally broke the drought at the 9:54 mark after Logins knocked down a three from the top of the key. Penn State extended its lead to 17 points after Mike Walker drilled a 3-pointer from the left side, the first of eight straight points for the senior guard, but led by just 13 with 3:05 to play in the first half after a Frank Turner jumper.
Claxton scored seven of the host Nittany Lions' next nine points in a 9-0 run over a 2:00 span and took a 44-24 lead into the break after a last-second tip-in from Frazier. In the opening moments of the second half, Penn State scored 17-straight points to post a 37-point margin with 15:10 to play in regualtion time. During that stretch, guard Danny Morrissey hit three 3-point field goals, as he finished the game with 17 points after going 6-for-8 from the field and 5-for-7 from behind the arc.
Claxton posted his second consecutive double-double and the 19th of his career in 20 minutes of action, while Walker closed out the night with 11 points on a 3-for-8 performance from 3-point land. Penn State shot 43.2 percent (32-for-74) from the field and 37.1 percent (13-for-35) in the win.
The Griffs will continue their five-game road trip on Tuesday, Nov. 20, when they play at Navy. Game time in Annapolis, Md., is set for 7 p.m.
Game Notes: The game on Friday night marked just the second all-time meeting between the two schools in basketball, and the first since March 29, 1995, when the Nittany Lions beat the Griffs 66-62 in the NIT Final consolation game in Madison Square Garden... Elton Frazier's double-double makes him the first Canisius freshman to post a double-double in points and rebounds since Rigoberto Sargeant had 11 points and 11 boards in the 2004-05 season opener against Howard... Freshman Tomas Vazquez-Simmons was credited with six rebounds and two blocks Friday night to give him five blocked shots in his first two college games.
