BATTLE OFF AND RUNNING

The Nittany Lion basketball team proved that its game against the Penn Quakers was nothing more than a Training Day, winning its season opener 70-55 on Friday night. Star guard Talor Battle earned much of the Glory, netting 27 points to go along with his 10 rebounds and four assists to lead the team in all three categories.

Junior Jeff Brooks played great as an Inside Man, and was the only other Lion to score in double figures, chipping in ten points in 27 minutes, perhaps showing that this is the year He Got Game. Guards Chris Babb, Tim Frazier, Cameron Woodyard and Adam Highberger shot just 31%, making fans Remember the Titans of last year's sharpshooting backcourt.

Penn, from Philadelphia, hung tough with the Nittany Lions for most of the night, but the Lions showed tremendous Courage Under Fire to pull away with a late surge and win their fifth straight conference opener.

Oh yeah, Denzel Washington was at the game to watch his son, a freshman on the Quakers, play.