Feb. 4, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., Feb. 5, 2009 - Riding a four-game Big Ten win streak, the longest in the conference, Penn State will look to make it a record five Thursday when they take on Michigan in Ann Arbor. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. tip on the Big Ten Network and can be heard live on the Penn State Sports Network.
The 17-5 Nittany Lions enter Thursday's tip of in a four-way tie for second place in the conference with a 6-3 Big Ten mark. They are coming off a 72-68 upset of No. 9 Michigan State in East Lansing on Sunday. Talor Battle led the Lions with 29 points in that game and was named the National Player of the Week by CollegeHoops.net. Battle has joined the frontrunners for the Conference Player of the Year as he leads the league with 19.0 ppg and 5.3 apg and a Big Ten leading 11 20-point outings on the year.
Battle, senior forward Jamelle Cornley and senior guard Stanley Pringle are the only trio in the Big Ten to rank among the Top 10 in conference scoring. The Nittany Lions are a perfect 13-0 on the year when all three reach double-digits.
The Nittany Lions will be looking for just their second win ever at Michigan and their first since 1999. Penn State has shot 53 percent from the floor in its last three games as the Lions have posted their best Big Ten start since 1996. A third road win in the Big Ten would equal the Lions' most ever in a season, last achieved in 2006 under Coach Ed DeChellis, and would also mark a five-game Big Ten winning streak, the longest in program history.
After being ranked in the Top 25 earlier this season after wins over Duke and UCLA, Michigan has lost five of its last six Big Ten games, including a 67-49 loss at Purdue last Saturday. DeShwan Sims and Jevohn Shepherd had 10 points in that game. The Wolverines bring a 14-8 record (4-6 Big Ten) into Thursday. Manny Harris is one of the top players in the Big Ten scoring 17.2 ppg and adding 7.5 rpg. Sims is posting 15.4 ppg and 7.7 rpg. The Wolverines lead the Big Ten with 8.55 threes per game, but rank last shooting 32.3 percent from three and 42.0 percent from the floor.