Nov. 12, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Nov. 12, 2009 - The Nittany Lion basketball team will embark on its 114th season on Friday when Penn State takes on intrastate rival Penn at 7:30 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center. Fans attending the game will receive a replica of the Nittany Lions 2009 NIT Championship banner while supplies last. The NIT Champions will be honored prior to tipoff.
The game will be streamed live on the BigTenNetwork.com and can be heard on the Penn State Sports Network with the "Voice of the Nittany Lions" Steve Jones and Dick Jerardi once again teaming up to call the action. The game will air locally on ESPN Radio 1450 WQWK.
Penn State returns three starters and eight lettermen from a team that posted a school-record 27 wins and claimed the program's first-ever national tournament title in the 2009 NIT. First-team All-Big Ten selection Talor Battle, a preseason Naismith and Wooden Award player of the year candidate, returns after averaging 16.7 ppg and setting a school record with 189 assists. He is joined by two fellow returning starters in 6-10 forward Andrew Jones and 6-7 forward David Jackson. The Nittany Lions routed Slippery Rock, 82-51, in exhibition action last Friday.
Under fourth-year head coach Glen Miller, Penn returns its leading scorer from last year in Tyler Bernardini (13.7 ppg), its leading rebounder in junior Jack Eggleston (5.9 rpg), and the Ivy League's top assist and assist/turnover ratio man in sophomore point guard Zack Rosen. Overall, the Quakers return 55.5 percent of their scoring from a year ago. The Quakers were picked third in the Ivy League preseason media poll.
Penn State season basketball tickets, PNC Bank Flex Book plans (10 tickets to use at any game for $99) or single game tickets can be purchased by visiting GoPSUsports.com, Ticketmaster or calling 814-865-5555. Single-game tickets for Nittany Lion games are $18 for lower bowl seating, $15 for upper bowl seating and $7/$5 for youth. Penn State also offers special group ticket rates (15 fans or more) of $10 for adults.
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