There's something to be said for desperation as motivation, and Penn State has been on both the bad and good ends of that in the past few days.
Michigan State, coming off two straight losses and trying to avoid an 0-2 start in the Big Ten, was desperate for a win Wednesday night and beat the Nittany Lions, 67-58, at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Micah Shrewsberry admitted his team played tight in that one, which was obvious.
The Lions found themselves in the same position Saturday afternoon, having lost two in a row and knowing they could not afford an 0-2 start in league play.