Nov. 18, 2009
Game Notes - Charleston Classic
CHARLESTON, S.C., Nov. 18, 2009 - The Nittany Lion basketball team (2-0) will take on UNC-Wilmington (0-2) Thursday in the first round of the second-annual Charleston Classic in Charleston, S.C. The game will air live from Carolina First Arena on ESPNU at 4:00 p.m. and can be heard on the Penn State Sports Network (ESPN Radio 1450 locally).
Penn State is coming off an 80-61 victory over Robert Morris on Monday, a game in which freshman Tim Frazier and sophomore Chris Babb led the way with 19 and 15 points, respectively, and a combined 9-of-16 from three. Talor Battle, who leads the Nittany Lions averaging 17.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, was held to just eight in the contest. Penn State is averaging 10.5 threes per game in its first two contests and has gotten a pair of double-digit performances from 6-8 junior Jeff Brooks who posted 10 and 12 points, respectively, in wins over Penn and Robert Morris.
Penn State will be making its 67th in-season tournament appearance. The Lions have posted a 64-80 record in those tournaments while winning 10 championships and collecting 11 second-place finishes. The Classic will mark the beginning of five of the Lions' next six games away from the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State went 10-8 in games played away from the BJC last season. The Lions bring a seven-game win streak into the tournament dating to the start of their 2009 NIT Championship run.
UNC-Wilmington has lost its first two games to start the season, falling at Appalachian State (79-68) and at home to George Washington (76-71). Six-foot, five-inch guard Montez Downey led the Seahawks posting 15 points vs. George Washington, while 6-6 Keith Rendleman grabbed 16 boards. This will be the first meeting between the two programs.
The winner of Thursday's game will face the winner of Miami, Fla. vs. Tulane at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. The losers of the two games will meet at 12:30 p.m. Friday. Television arrangements for second round games will be announced following Thursday's competition. The Charleston Classic championship game will be played at 6:00 p.m. Sunday evening on ESPN2. In other first round action, South Florida will take on Davidson at 7:00 p.m. and South Carolina will face LaSalle at 9:30 p.m.
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