Penn State advances in NIT with overtime win

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Talor Battle scored eight of his game-high 24 points in overtime and tied the game with a 3-pointer at the end of regulation as Penn State defeated George Mason, 77-73 on Tuesday night in the first round of the NIT.

Dre Smith hit two foul shots with 5 seconds left in regulation to give George Mason a 65-62 lead before Battle hurried down the court for his buzzer-beating 3 for Penn State (23-11).

Battle hit two more 3s in overtime, scoring all but four of Penn State’s 12 points in the extra frame.

John Vaughn’s deep 3 with 7.7 seconds in OT drew Mason (22-11) within 75-73, but Stanley Pringle hit two foul shots with 7.0 seconds left to finally seal the win.

Penn State moves on to face Rhode Island at the Jordan Center on Thursday night.

Penn State needed late-game dramatics after George Mason erased a nine-point deficit in the first half and traded leads with the Nittany Lions down the stretch.

Darryl Monroe scored two key buckets in the final three minutes of regulation, including a layup with 1:01 left that gave Mason a 63-62 lead.

Battle missing a runner in the lane as the shot clock expired and slipped on another drive to turn the ball over with six seconds left.

Pringle then fouled Smith, who hit his two late foul shots before Battle’s buzzer-beater.