Penn State Men Ready For Final

March 25, 1998 / 3:21 AM EST / CBS/AP

Penn State's men will now get a chance to match what their women's team has already accomplished.

Freshman Joe Crispin scored 18 points and the Nittany Lions advanced to the championship of the NIT on Tuesday night with a 66-60 win over Georgia.

Penn State (19-12) will meet a familiar foe in Thursday night's final. In Tuesday's other semifinal, Minnesota defeated Fresno State 91-89 in overtime, and will now play Penn State in an all Big Ten title game. The teams split their two meetings during the regular season.

"I think both teams were pulling pretty hard for each other," said Penn State center Calvin Booth, who had 11 points and five blocks.

The Fresno State-Georgia consolation game will precede the title game and match Bulldogs vs. Bulldogs.

During a timeout with Penn State leading 55-54 late in the game, the crowd at Madison Square Garden was informed that Penn State had won the women's NIT by beating Baylor.

Penn State fans erupted into chants of "We are Penn State" and the Nittany Lions responded down the stretch by outscoring the Bulldogs (19-15) 11-6 in the final 3:42.

"Really?" Booth said when told of the women's win. "I didn't hear that. I guess we have to win now."

Pete Lisicky had 13 points for Penn State, and made a pair of late 3-pointers to stop Georgia.

Freshman Jumaine Jones led the Bulldogs with 23 points and 15 rebounds, and Michael Chadwick had 12 points.

Trailing 46-36, the Bulldogs picked up their defensive pressure and went on a 13-4 run to close within 50-49. But Lisicky bailed out Penn State by draining a 3-pointer with five minutes left.

"His entire four years here, he's been a guy who does things like that," said Penn State coach Jerry Dunn. "There are players who want to take shots during the game. He wants to take a shot if the game is on the line."

With the Nittany Lions applying tough defense on the perimeter, the Bulldogs were unable to get a good look. But Penn State went cold from the field, and Georgia grabbed a 56-55 lead with 2:53 left on two free throws from Jones.

Crispin hit both ends of a 1-and-1 on Penn State's next trip, and after a miss and foul by Georgia, Booth made one free throw to put the Lions ahead 57-56.

After Chadwick missed a 3, Lisicky hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1:45 left.

"Lisicky made a big 3, and I thought that was the shot we couldn't come back from," Georgia coach Ron Jirsa said.

Penn State junior forward Jarrett Stephens sustained a serious injury to his left knee in the first half when he was fouled by 250-pound Larry Brown while driving to the basket. Brown, the starting tight end on Georgia's football team, was called for an intetional foul after he sent Stephens flying into the basket support.

"It's just not the way the game should be played," Dunn said.