The 1953–54 Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team represented Pennsylvania State University in intercollegiate basketball during the 1953–54 season. The team competed as an independent and played its home games at Rec Hall in University Park, Pennsylvania. The team was led by head coach Elmer Gross in his fifth season, with Jack Sherry serving as team captain.
Season Summary
The Nittany Lions finished the season with an overall record of 18–6. They were ranked No. 9 in the final AP Poll. The team made it to the 1954 NCAA tournament's Final Four, which remains the only Final Four appearance in Penn State men's basketball history.
During the regular season, Penn State posted notable results including a triple-overtime victory over Pittsburgh (91–85) on January 28, 1954. The team also defeated West Virginia twice, once at home and once on the road.
NCAA Tournament Run
In the 1954 NCAA Tournament, Penn State opened with a 62–50 win over Toledo in the first round at Fort Wayne, Indiana. In the quarterfinals held at Iowa Field House in Iowa City, the Nittany Lions upset No. 14-ranked Louisiana State University (78–70) and then defeated No. 6-ranked Notre Dame (71–63), ending Notre Dame's 18-game winning streak. In the Final Four at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri, Penn State lost to eventual national champion La Salle (ranked No. 2) by a score of 54–69. The team rebounded to win the third-place game against No. 11 USC, 70–61.
Roster and Personnel
- Head coach: Elmer Gross (5th season)
- Team captain: Jack Sherry
- Home arena: Rec Hall
Schedule and Results
Regular season:
- Dec 5, 1953: Washington & Jefferson – W 66–41
- Dec 12, 1953: at Penn – W 72–67
- Dec 18, 1953: at American – W 65–52
- Dec 19, 1953: at NC State – L 74–89
- Jan 6, 1954: Syracuse – W 77–63
- Jan 9, 1954: Colgate – W 78–58
- Jan 13, 1954: at West Virginia – W 74–66
- Jan 16, 1954: at Navy – L 58–62
- Jan 27, 1954: at Bucknell – W 49–43
- Jan 28, 1954: Pittsburgh – W 91–85 (3OT)
- Feb 3, 1954: at Gettysburg – W 64–51
- Feb 6, 1954: West Virginia – W 85–68
- Feb 13, 1954: at Pittsburgh – L 62–74
- Feb 19, 1954: at Colgate – L 63–75
- Feb 20, 1954: at Syracuse – L 69–71
- Feb 24, 1954: Gettysburg – W 76–67
- Feb 27, 1954: Rutgers – W 76–59
- Mar 4, 1954: Georgetown – W 61–54
- Mar 6, 1954: Temple – W 67–52
1954 NCAA Tournament:
- Mar 9, 1954: vs. Toledo (First Round) – W 62–50
- Mar 12, 1954: vs. No. 14 LSU (Quarterfinals) – W 78–70
- Mar 13, 1954: vs. No. 6 Notre Dame (Quarterfinals) – W 71–63
- Mar 19, 1954: vs. No. 2 La Salle (Final Four) – L 54–69
- Mar 20, 1954: vs. No. 11 USC (Third-place game) – W 70–61
Rankings
The team was ranked No. 9 in the final AP Poll of the season.
