Dec. 31, 2011
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EVANSTON, ILL., JAN. 1, 2012 - Penn State (8-6; 0-1 Big Ten) will ring in the New Year with a Big Ten match-up at Northwestern (10-3; 0-1 Big Ten) on Sunday, Jan. 1. The game will tip off at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on ESPNU and can be heard across Pennsylvania on the Penn State Sports Network.
Penn State will look to continue its recent dominance over the Wildcats. The Lions have won six straight meetings with Northwestern and 10 of the last 11, including three in a row in Evanston. The Lions have posted double-digit margins of victory in each of the last four games vs. Northwestern with an average margin of 17 ppg over that span.
Penn State will be playing on New Year's Day for the fifth time in program history, the last coming with a 79-68 victory at Northwestern on Jan. 1, 2008. Penn State is 4-1 on New Year's Day with three games occurring between 1929 and 1940.
The Lions are continuing a five-day road trip to open the Big Ten season. Penn State traveled from Ann Arbor, Mich. to Evanston following a 71-53 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten opener for both teams on Dec. 29.
Tim Frazier posted his Big Ten leading sixth 20-point game to lead the Lions in the contest at Michigan. Frazier leads the Big Ten posting 6.9 assists per game and ranks third averaging 17.4 points per game. He is the only player in NCAA Division I averaging at least 17 points and 6.5 assists per game.
Penn State will return to the Bryce Jordan Center on Jan. 5 when the Nittany Lions take on Purdue in an 8:00 p.m. tip.
PENN STATE (8-6; 0-1 Big Ten) @ Northwestern (10-3; 0-1 Big Ten)
SUNDAY, JAN. 1, 2012 @ 7:00 P.M. (ET)
WELSH-RYAN ARENA (8,117), EVANSTON, ILL.
GAME INFO
TELEVISION: ESPNU: Adam Amin & Tim McCormick
RADIO: Penn State Sports Network; Local: 1450 AM; Sirius: CH 113; XM; CH 190
Brian Tripp (p-by-p) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
LIVE STATS & AUDIO:
COACHES:
PENN STATE: Patrick Chambers - 8-6 (1st at PSU); 50-34 (3rd Overall)
NORTHWESTERN: Bill Carmody - 170-180 (12th at NU); 262-205 (16th Overall)
RPI: Penn State: #155; Northwestern: #36
NEXT UP:
Penn State will return to the Jordan Center for a pair of games vs. schools from Indiana starting Jan. 5 vs. Purdue. The Boilermakers lead the series 26-10 and are 10-8 in State College. Penn State has dropped the last six games and 10 of the last 11 in the series, including a 63-62 buzzer-beater in West Lafayette last year. The Lions last win came 67-64 in the BJC in 2009.
THE GAME:
Penn State will be playing on New Year's Day for the fifth time in program history, the last coming with a 79-68 victory at Northwestern on Jan. 1, 2008. Penn State is 4-1 on New Year's Day with three games occurring between 1929 and 1940. The Lions continue a five-day road trip when they take on Northwestern on Jan. 1 in Evanston. The Lions traveled from Ann Arbor to Evanston following a 71-53 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten opener for both teams on Dec. 29. Penn State leads the series with Northwestern 26-12 and is 10-8 in Evanston. The Lions have won six-straight and 10 of the last 11 meetings vs. the Wildcats, including three in a row in Evanston. The Lions have posted double-digit margins of victory in each of the last four games vs. NU with an average margin of 17 ppg over that span. Northwestern's last win in the series came with a 53-51 victory in Evanston in 2007.
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN:
The Wildcats (10-3) fell 87-54 at Ohio State in their conference opener on Dec. 28. John Shurna, who leads the team posting 18.8 ppg and 5.9 rpg, hit just 5-of-18 in the game for 11 points. It marked NU's second straight loss after falling 87-79 at Creighton on Dec. 22. NU also has a 61-49 loss to Baylor in Evanston on the year and is 6-1 at home. The Wildcats are scoring 72.3 ppg with Drew Crawford (17.7) joining Shurna in double-figures. Shurna (36) and Crawford (27) have 63 of the teams 121 threes. NU has wins over LSU, Seton Hall and Georgia Tech on the year. They are giving up 67 ppg and allowing opponents to shoot 44 percent while being out-rebounded by nearly 5 per game. They are second in the Big Ten posting 17.5 assists per game and first with a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.
LAST YEAR VS NU:
Penn State posted a pair of double-digit wins downing the Wildcats 65-41 in State College, behind 19 points from Talor Battle and seven assists from Tim Frazier, and notching a 66-52 victory in Evanston behind 20 points from Jeff Brooks and Frazier's first career double-double with 10 points and a then career-best 10 assists. The Lions out-rebounded the Wildcats by a combined 22 boards in the two games. Penn State shot 62% in the second half of the victory in State College while NU hit 35% for the game, led by 10 points from Jershon Cobb. The Lions shot 56% for the game in Evanston while holding NU to 38% shooting led by 22 points from Michael Thompson on 4-of-6 from three. Penn State held NU leading scorer John Shurna to combined 17 points in the two games.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN:
Penn State opened the Big Ten season on the road for the third-straight season and will play back-to-back road games to open Big Ten play for the second-straight year. The Lions opened the 2011 Big Ten campaign with a pair of road games, winning at Indiana (69-60) in the conference opener before falling at Michigan (76-69). Penn State opened the 2010 Big Ten season with a loss at Minnesota (75-70).
FRAZIER POSTS 6TH 20-POINT GAME:
Tim Frazier led Penn State in scoring for the 11th time on the season posting his Big Ten leading sixth 20-point outing with 20 in the Lions' Big Ten opening loss at Michigan (12/29). Frazier has scored in double-digits in 12 games on the year. He accomplished that just 10 times in his first two seasons, reaching the 20-point mark once with 22 in the Lions' Big Ten Tournament semifinal win over Michigan State last year.
FRAZIER NAMED COUSY CANDIDATE:
Tim Frazier was named by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame among the candidates for the 2012 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award. Frazier, who is the only player in NCAA Division I currently averaging better than 17 points and seven assists per game, was one of five Big Ten players named to the list, which will be narrowed to 30 players in January and a final five on March 1. Frazier joined Trey Burke (Michigan), Aaron Craft (Ohio State), Lewis Jackson (Purdue) and Jordan Taylor (Wisconsin) among Big Ten players on the list. Frazier posted his fourth double-double of the year with 17 points and a career-best equaling 11 boards in a 74-67 Lion victory over Cornell (12/21).
LAST TIME OUT:
Michigan 71, Penn State 53, Dec. 29 • Ann Arbor, Mich.
Michigan followed an early 9-0 run with an 8-0 spurt to open up a 10-point lead midway through the first half. Penn State was within six, 23-17, with 6:34 to play in the first when Michigan closed the half on a 13-5 run pushing its lead to 36-22 at the half and eventually to as many as 22 points in the second in the Big Ten opener for both teams. Tim Hardaway, Jr., scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting. Tim Frazier led Penn State with his sixth 20-point game of the season (20), but was the only Lion in double-figures as Penn State shot 33 percent in the first half and 39 percent for the game. Michigan hit 5-of-10 from three in the second half and 47 percent for the game while getting 16 points off 13 Lion turnovers.
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.
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