Nov. 25, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., Nov. 25, 2011 - Penn State (5-1) will look to continue a strong early season behind the stellar play of guard Tim Frazier (Houston, Texas) when the Nittany Lions face Saint Joseph's (3-2) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Hagan Arena in Philadelphia. The game can be heard locally in State College on ESPN radio 1450 AM or at GoPSUsports.com.
The two programs will be meeting for the 24th time with Penn State holding a 14-9 advantage in the series and having won the last meeting, 66-57, last November in the Jordan Center. Frazier leads the Big Ten in assists (7.3) and ranks second in scoring (21.0) after his third double-double of the season Wednesday in a victory over Youngstown State. Frazier posted 26 points and a career-high 11 assists in the win, marking his fourth 20-point game of the season. Frazier is shooting a blistering 61.5 percent from the floor while posting 26.5 ppg in his last two outings.
Saturday's game will be a homecoming for the Lions coaching staff. Head coach Patrick Chambers, associate head coach Eugene Burroughs and assistant coach Brian Daly all are Philadelphia natives. Chambers and Burroughs both played at Episcopal Academy HS for Dan Dougherty while Daly played and later coached at Monsignor Bonner HS. Daly went on to be a four-year letterman for Saint Joseph's (1988-92), while Chambers played for 2011 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Herb Magee at Philadelphia University (Textile).
Penn State is in the midst of playing four out of five games away from the Jordan Center. Penn State will play on the road at Saint Joseph's Saturday (3:30 p.m.) and at Boston College on Wed., Nov. 30 (7:15 p.m.) as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
GAME INFO
TELEVISION: none
RADIO: State College Only Local: 1450 AM; ; Loren Crispell (p-by-p) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
WEB: Gametracker & Audio at: GoPSUsports.com
COACHES:
PENN STATE: Patrick Chambers - 5-1 (1st at PSU); 47-29 (3rd Overall) St. JOE'S: Phil Martelli - 303-211 (17th at St. Joe's); same overall
NEXT UP:
Penn State will complete a run of 4-of-5 games away from the Jordan Center when it takes on Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass., Wednesday as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. PSU owns a 4-6 record in Challenge games and has won three of its last four Challenge games, including its last two on the road. PSU is 5-6 all-time vs. B.C., having last faced the Eagles in an 88-65 loss at B.C. in 2001. B.C. has won four of the last five meetings. The Lions last won, 85-57, at home in 1999, and are 2-2 at B.C.
THE GAME:
Penn State will travel to Saint Joseph's for a Saturday afternoon match-up. The Lions lead the series 14-9 and won the last meeting, 66-57, at the Jordan Center in the second game of last season. PSU lost in its last trip to face St. Joe's in Philadelphia, 79-67, falling in 2007 at the Palestra. PSU is 6-5 all-time at St. Joe's. Saturday's game will be played on campus at Hagan Arena (4,200) and will be the Hawks' first official game there this season. Patrick Chambers' Boston University team downed St. Joe's, 85-79, last year in Boston. Penn State went 0-2 in non-conference road games last year (at Mississippi & Virginia Tech) and has lost its last three. The Lions will be looking for their first non-con road win since winning at Virginia (69-67) on Nov. 30, 2009. Penn State's last win in Philadelphia came with a victory at Penn (85-74) in 2008. This will be the Lions' sixth game in Philadelphia (fourth vs. a Philadelphia school) in the last five seasons. Penn State faced Rhode Island and Towson at the Palestra in 2008 as part of the Philly Hoop Group Classic. Penn State is 2-3 in the previous five games, 1-2 vs. Philly schools. Penn State is 25-71 all-time vs. Big Five schools when playing in Philadelphia.
ST. JOE'S TIES:
Penn State assistant coach Brian Daly was a four-year letterman at Saint Joseph's from 1988-92 playing for head coach Joe Boyle and then assistant coach Phil Martelli. Daly helped the Hawks earn two Big 5 championships before graduating in 1992. Daly's wife, Tracie, is Boyle's daughter. The Dalys have three children, Ryan, Colin and Keri.
BACK HOME IN PHILLY:
Penn State head coach Patrick Chambers, associate head coach Eugene Burroughs and assistant coach Brian Daly are all Philadelphia natives. Chambers and Burroughs both attended Episcopal Academy and played for Dan Dougherty. Daly attended Monsignor Bonner, earning Philadelphia Player-of-the-Year honors in 1988, and later served two stints as head coach at his alma mater (1996-2002 & 2006-09). Chambers, who played for 2011 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Herb Magee at Philadelphia University (Textile), is expecting around 112 family and friends in attendance at the game while Daly is expecting around 75. One Lion player, Southern Mississippi transfer D.J. Newbill, has Philly roots. Newbill, who is sitting out the season under NCAA transfer rules, earned PIAA Class AA Player-of-the-Year honors and Philadelphia Public League Player-of-the-Year honors at Philadelphia's Strawberry Mansion HS in 2010.
20 & 10 AGAIN!:
For the third time in just six games, junior Tim Frazier posted at least 20 points and 10 assists in a game in Penn State's win over Youngstown State. Frazier shot 8-of-11 from the floor for a team-high 26 points and added a career-best 11 assists, tying the eighth best game total in Penn State history. It marked Frazier's fourth career double-double (third of the season) and his fifth career 20-point game (4th of the season). Frazier now leads Penn State in points, rebounds, assists, steals and field goal percentage.
FRAZIER IN THE BIG TEN RANKINGS:
Junior guard Tim Frazier ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring (21.0), first in assists (7.3) and third in steals (2.5). He has scored in double-digits in seven straight games, dating to last season, and in eight of his last nine, including five 20-point outings, four this season, and three career-high point totals.
SCOUTING St. JOE'S:
The Hawks bring a 3-2 mark into Saturday after falling in double overtime at Iona, 104-99, on Wednesday. The Hawks have yet to play a home game, posting victories at Western Kentucky (72-61) and vs. Georgia Tech (66-53) and Tulsa (79-75) in the Charleston Classic. They also fell to Seton Hall (78-70) at the Classic. Four Hawks average double-figures led by Carl Jones posting 23.8 ppg. Jones (8-16), who had 25 in the loss at Iona, and Langston Galloway (17-34) both shoot 50 percent from three. The Hawks are shooting 50 percent from the field and 45.6 percent from three while posting 77.2 ppg. Opponents are scoring 74.2 ppg while shooting 40 percent. The Hawks are being out-rebounded on the year and commit 3.4 more turnovers a game than opponents.
GETTING HOT:
After struggling shooting for the most of the first five games this season (including 28.9% in the first half), Penn State has hit better than 50 percent from the floor in each of its last three halves to improve to 5-1, including a smoking 60 percent from the floor and 7-of-10 from three in the first half of game six - a win over Youngstown State. Penn State's 56.5 percent shooting for the game vs. YSU is a season high and equaled the Lions' season-best posted last year. The Lions finished 11-of-22 from three in the game, also a season high. Tim Frazier leads the way for Penn State shooting 50.6 percent on the year (6-of-11 from three) and 16-26 (61.5%) from the floor and 3-5 (60%) from three in the last two games.
BOARDIN':
Penn State leads the Big Ten posting 14.5 offensive rebounds per game. Penn State had a season-high 18 offensive rebounds vs. Kentucky.
BENCH PLAY:
Penn State got a season-best 30 points off the bench vs. YSU and has gotten 20 or more points in the last three games. The Lions bench is averaging 22.8 ppg on the year.
MARSHALL PROVIDES SPARK:
Jermaine Marshall came off the bench to post eight first half points on his way to a season-best 14 in Penn State's victory over South Florida. He got eight off the bench in the win over YSU giving him 22 points and four threes in the last two games. Against USF, Marshall had a pair of driving three-point plays in the first half to give Penn State its first lead. He hit a pair of second-half threes to finish 5-of-8 from the floor and 2-of-5 from three while adding three steals a pair of rebounds and a block. The sophomore returned to practice on Nov. 10 and saw action in his first game of the season in Penn State's second contest vs. Radford on Nov. 14. Marshall was suspended prior to the start of pre-season practice due to a violation of team rules and had not participated in any practices or team functions prior to Nov. 10.
Season tickets for Nittany Lion Basketball are $200 for adults, $170 for faculty/staff and seniors, $80 for youth (18 and under) and $59 for students. Lady Lion Basketball season tickets are $117 for adults, $91 for faculty/staff and seniors and $52 for youth. Penn State students will be admitted for free to Lady Lion basketball games beginning this season.
PNC Flex Books are also available again this year for $99. The Flex Book gives fans 12 vouchers, 10 that can be redeemed in any combination for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball tickets throughout the year and two extra vouchers for the Nittany Lions' Coaches Vs. Cancer game on Feb. 11 vs. Nebraska and the Lady Lions' Think Pink game on Feb. 26 vs. Minnesota.
For all the latest information, notes, pictures and related links on Penn State basketball follow Associate 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-