Jan. 6, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Jan. 6, 2010 - The top two scorers in the Big Ten conference will face each other for the fifth time on their careers when Penn State's Talor Battle (18.8 ppg) and Michigan's Manny Harris (19.8 ppg) collide Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center in a nationally televised game on ESPN2.
It will be Faculty/Staff Night at the Jordan Center with all Penn State faculty and staff able to purchase $5 tickets. Also any youth under 18 wearing a game jersey will be admitted free to see two of the nation's top point-guards and national finalists for the Bob Cousy Award compete.
The Nittany Lion basketball team (8-6; 0-2 Big Ten) will look to get its first Big Ten win of the season and third win in the last four games over Michigan when the Wolverines (7-6; 1-1 Big Ten) visit. Michigan is coming off an impressive 73-64 victory over No. 15 Ohio State in which Harris posted 24 points and fellow All-Big Ten candidate DeShawn Sims logged 28.
Battle and Harris have posted some epic battles during their careers, the highlight of which was a 28-point, 13-rebound, six-assist effort by Battle in leading Penn State to a 69-61 victory at the Jordan Center in 2008 in a game in which Harris posted 29 points and five boards. Battle is averaging 21.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg when facing Harris at the Jordan Center.
The Nittany Lions have won 12 of their last 15 Big Ten home games and is 36-9 at home over the last three seasons, but will be looking to end a two-game losing skid and post its first win at the Jordan Center since shooting better than 53 percent at home in victories over Gardner-Webb and American on Dec. 19 and Dec. 21. This will be the fourth game for the Lions in a six-game stretch broadcast on an ESPN Network. Penn State is 1-2 so far in the run, but has gone 8-3 in its last 11 ESPN appearances and is 12-4 on ESPN in the last two seasons.
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.
Penn State summer sports camps offer the very best in individual and team instruction, and now is the time to start planning for summer 2010! With 26 sports to choose from, not only will campers get the absolute finest instruction from some of the nation's elite coaches, but they'll also enjoy Penn State's terrific campus and state of the art facilities. And Penn State sports camps pride themselves on providing each camper a safe environment with twenty-four hour supervision and on-site medical personnel. Registration fills up fast, so get your information today by visiting www.psusportcamps.org , or calling (814) 865-0561."
-NITTANY LIONS-