Feb. 28, 2011
Tuesday night showdown will feature five senior honored 30 minutes before tip
"Big Mac Night" All Tickets to the game redeemable for a free McDonald's Big Mac
White-out; Free T-shirts at the door (while supplies last) & shakers on every seat
Watch the Next Game Primer Video Scouting Report
Seniors Talk About Playing on Senior Night Here
Follow the In-Game Blog Here
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; March 1, 2011 - If you're a basketball fan in central Pennsylvania it doesn't get much better than Tuesday night when Penn State (15-12; 8-8 Big Ten) looks to strengthen its NCAA Tournament resume in a showdown with No. 1 Ohio State (27-2; 14-2 Big Ten) in a 9:00 p.m. tip at the Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions will honor a tremendous five-person senior class that includes one of the all-time greats in a ceremony 30 minutes prior to tip.
The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network with a standout crew of Gus Johnson, Jimmy Kennedy and Charissa Thompson in the house and can be heard live on the Penn State Sports Network, 1450 AM locally, and on Sirius channel 122 and XM radio channel 143.
All tickets to the game are redeemable at State College McDonald's locations for a free Big Mac through March 8 and fans will receive free T-shirts at the door while supplies last. Shakers will be placed on each of the 15,261 seats in the Jordan Center as Penn State looks to "Whiteout the Buckeyes."
Fifth-year seniors David Jackson and Andrew Jones and fourth-year seniors Talor Battle, Jeff Brooks and Steve Kirkpatrick will be honored prior to the game. They have logged a 68-59 record thus far in four seasons of action which included a Penn State single season win record of 27-11 in 2008-09 and the program's first-ever national tournament title in the 2009 NIT. They have combined to record 4,525 points, 2,248 rebounds, 806 assists and 307 steals in 540 games played and 403 starts. The class contains one of the program's all-time top scorers and assist leaders (Battle), a top-12 career rebounder (Jones), four players that will have logged at least 500 rebounds and 700 career points, and the all-time leaders in games played (Jackson) and starts (Battle).
A victory Tuesday would mark the program's first-ever in 12 games vs. No. 1 ranked teams and the highest ranked opponent ever beaten in State College. Penn State has three wins vs. Top 25 teams on the year, all at home which is a program record for home wins. The record for Top 25 victories in a season is five set in 2001. Four would equal the second-best total in program history set in 2009.
Penn State gave the then No. 2-ranked Buckeyes a scare in Columbus earlier this year before falling by three, 69-66. Penn State got a season-high 19 points from Jackson and 15 from Battle and led, 61-60, following a Battle steal and lay-up with 2:53 to play. Jared Sullinger led OSU with 19 in the game and scored the last six points for the Buckeyes with a pair of three-point plays on the block. Aaron Craft added 19 on 4-of-6 from three. Penn State won the rebounding battle (29-17) and shot 56 percent in the game. Ohio State leads the series 28-13 and has won the last 14 meetings. Penn State is 7-10 in State College and last won vs. Ohio State with a 64-47 victory at the Jordan Center in 2004.
Jeff Brooks enters Tuesday having shot 16-of-19 (84%) from the floor in his last two games while averaing18.0 ppg.Tim Frazier logged his first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 10 assists in the Lions last win at Northwestern. His 10 points marked his third double-figure scoring game in the last four as he has averaged 10.5 ppg (4th on team), 7.2 apg (1st), 4.3 rpg (2nd) while posting a 3.2 assist-to-TO ratio over that span.
With three assists vs. Northwestern, Battle became the FIRST Big Ten Player EVER to post 2,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists. He stands SIX rebounds shy of becoming just the 3rd in NCAA Div. 1 to post 2,000/600/500.
Ohio State raced past Indiana on Sunday to post an 82-61 victory in which leading scorer and rebounder Jared Sullinger played just 12 minutes. The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten with a 14-2 mark and are on pace for an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed with a 27-2 record overall. Sullinger is an All-America candidate averaging 17.4 ppg and 9.8 rpg in his first year. Three other Buckeyes average double-figures and four have 20 or more threes on the year led by Jon Diebler, the all-time Big Ten leader in threes made, who has 78 on the year. Ohio State leads the Big Ten in scoring (77.2), field goal percentage (49.3), three-point percentage (39.9) and steals (7.72).
Nittany Lion Basketball single-game tickets can be purchased by calling the ticket office at 814-865-5555, visiting GoPSUsports.com or through Ticketmaster. Single-game tickets are $18 for the lower bowl and $15 for upper level tickets for adults. Youth tickets (18 and under) are $7 for the lower bowl and $5 for upper level seating, while Penn State student tickets (University Park or branch campus) are $5 for each of the 19 home contests.
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.
-NITTANY LIONS-