Jan. 18, 2011
Watch the Next Game Primer Video Scouting Report with Coach Preston
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Jan. 18, 2011 - Penn State (10-7; 3-3 Big Ten) will head to West Lafayette, Ind. Wednesday as the Nittany Lions complete a program record five-straight games vs. ranked opponents when they take on No. 13-ranked Purdue (15-3; 4-1 Big Ten) in an 8:30 p.m. (ET) tip on the Big Ten Network.
The game can be heard live on the Penn State Sports Network, 1450 AM locally, and on Sirius channel 121 and XM radio channel 141. Penn State's schedule is currently ranked as the 10th hardest in the nation in the RPI.
The Nittany Lions shot a season-high 55.6 percent from the floor and won the rebounding battle 29-17 in their near upset win at No. 2 Ohio State (69-66) on Saturday in Columbus. Penn State has won the rebounding battle in three-straight games vs. ranked opponents and has held No. 2 Ohio State, No. 16 Illinois and No. 18 Michigan State a combined 46 points (15.4 ppg) below their season scoring averages.
Over the last three games, Penn State's four senior starters have all risen to the occasion as all four are averaging double-digit scoring over that span led by Talor Battle (18.0), David Jackson (12.3), Andrew Jones (12.0) and Jeff Brooks (11.7). Jackson posted a season-high 19 points in the loss at Ohio State. Battle enters Wednesday's action as the Big Ten's leading scorer posting 20.5 ppg. He brings 1,875 career points to West Lafayette as he leads all active Big Ten players and is fast closing on becoming just the 22nd 2,000-point scorer in conference history.
Battle will match shots against Purdue's E'Twaun Moore who is the second-leading active Big Ten scorer with 1,843 points coming into Wednesday. Moore and Purdue suffered a 68-64 upset at West Virginia on Sunday and bring a two-game losing skid into Wednesday. JaJuan Johnson led the Boilers with 26 points on Sunday and leads the team and is second in the Big Ten posting 20.3 ppg. Johnson is shooting 50 percent from the floor and leads the Big Ten blocking 2.39 shots per game. Moore averages 17.7 ppg and has 39 threes. The Boilers are 4-1 in the Big Ten having lost at Minnesota, 70-67.
Wednesday's game will mark the second meeting in two weeks for the teams. Purdue posted an 83-68 victory in State College on Jan. 5 getting a career-high 20 points from Ryne Smith and 15 points and 15 boards from Johnson. Purdue dominated the boards 46-31 in that game, the last in which Penn State was out-rebounded. Penn State got 18 points from Battle and 18 from Jermaine Marshall off the bench. Purdue leads the series 25-10, has won five in a row, is 14-2 in West Lafayette having won four-straight at home in the series. PSU's last win in West Lafayette came in 2006, 69-60.
For all the latest information, notes, pictures and related links on Penn State basketball follow Assistant Athletic Communications Director Brian Siegrist on Twitter (@PSUSTRETCH) and check GoPSUsports.com. The Nittany Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstatebasketball.
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