Penn short on answers in 70-55 loss to Penn State

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - For the first five minutes last night, Tyler Bernardini made shot after shot for Penn and let Penn State know it would be in for a difficult season opener.

Then, just as quickly, Bernardini stopped himself more than the Nittany Lions did, with what Penn coach Glen Miller called "careless fouls and a lack of discipline."

The critique may have been harsh, but it was correct. With Bernardini playing just 17 minutes, the Quakers couldn't find enough scoring from their other players and fell to the Lions, 70-55, in front of 7,507 at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Bernardini came out on fire against the Nittany Lions, who unfurled their 2009 NIT championship banner before the game. He sank his first four shots and had 10 points with the game barely more than five minutes old.

But the 6-foot-6 junior then committed two quick fouls and saw spotty action the rest of the first half. He picked up his next two fouls early in the second half and never got into a rhythm, finishing with 12 points.

"I just think that he took himself out of the game," Miller said. "What would have happened if he was in the game for 28, 32 minutes - which he should have played - I don't know. Careless fouls . . . it's been a problem in practice."

Bernardini, Penn's top scorer last season with a 13.7-point average, agreed.

"Fouls really took me out of it," he said. "There's no one else to blame. I have to be a little more disciplined playing off the ball. I've just got to realize I have to be on the floor. It wasn't smart."

The Quakers shot just 37.5 percent from the field and suffered through two droughts of about six minutes without a basket. Jack Eggleston went 5 for 6 and led Penn with 13 points, but guard Darren Smith, who returned after missing nearly two full seasons with injuries, made only 1 of 11.

Penn State junior Talor Battle, one of the best point guards in the Big Ten Conference, led all players with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Whenever Penn made a dent in the Lions' lead, Battle had the answer.

After Eggleston's layup with seven minutes remaining kept the Quakers close at 54-48, Battle penetrated for three baskets - a nice stop and go move in the lane, a runner and a layup - to boost the Penn State lead to 12.

Miller saw some encouraging signs. Penn's big men, particularly Conor Turley, played well in the absence of Andreas Schreiber, who saw only nine minutes of action due to foul trouble. Zach Rosen had eight points, seven rebounds, and six assists.

But with two days to prepare before heading to the Main Line and the season's first Big Five game Monday night against No. 5 Villanova, Miller wants to see less carelessness.

"We have to tighten up our execution," he said. "We have to hit foul shots. There's very little margin for error."