Dec. 6, 2011
Watch the Next Game Primer Video Preview
Toys for Tots Night; Fans receive reduced ticket price when bringing an unwrapped gift
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., Dec. 6, 2011 - Penn State (6-3) will look to rebound from its first tough loss of the season, a 72-70 defeat at the hands of Ole Miss on Sunday, when it takes on Lafayette (3-5) Wednesday in a 7:00 p.m. tip at the Bryce Jordan Center. The game can be viewed on BTN.com or can be heard on the Penn State Sports Network.
Wednesday will be Toys for Tots Night at the Jordan Center. Adults will receive a $5 ticket to the game when bringing an unwrapped toy to the gates. Students and youth will receive free admission with a toy. United States Marines will be stationed at the Jordan Center entrances to collect toys. Season ticket holders can bring a toy to Stand 500 (Near Portal 15) and redeem it for a voucher for a free soft drink at the concession stands.
Penn State got 17 points from Tim Frazier (Houston, Texas) and a career-high 15 from Sasa Borovnjak (Belgrade, Serbia) on Sunday, but couldn't close down the stretch after leading for more than 16 minutes in the second half of Sunday's loss to the Rebels. Frazier enters the week ranked first in the Big Ten in scoring (19.1), first in assists (7.1), third in steals (2.3) and seventh in rebounding (5.8) as he leads the Lions in every category.
Penn State will look to match its seven non-conference wins from last year's NCAA Tournament team with a victory over the Leopards. Lafayette has lost its last three games, but is coming off a tight loss at home to Long Island, 82-80, on Monday in a game in which it hit 11 threes. Penn State downed Long Island 77-68 in the Jordan Center earlier this year.
Wednesday will mark the last home game for the Lions until Dec. 18 as Penn State next travels to Pittsburgh to take on Duquesne (7:00 p.m.) at the Consol Energy Center on Saturday before getting next week off for finals.
PENN STATE (6-3; 0-0 Big Ten) vs LAFAYETTE (3-5; 0-0 Patriot)
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7, 2011 @ 7:00 P.M. (ET)
BRYCE JORDAN CENTER (15,261) • UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.
Frazier Leads Big Ten in Scoring & Assists (T7th in NCAA)
GAME INFO
TELEVISION: BTN.com: Jeff Lowe (p-by-p); Glenn Sekunda (analyst); Gabrielle Shirley (sideline)
RADIO: Penn State Sports Network: Local: 1450 AM; Sirius: CH -; XM; CH - Steve Jones (p-by-p) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
WEB: Gametracker & Audio at: GoPSUsports.com
COACHES:
PENN STATE: Patrick Chambers - 6-3 (1st at PSU); 48-31 (3rd Overall) LAFAYETTE: Fran O'Hanlon - 229-247 (17th at Lafayette); same overall
RPI: Penn State: #90; Lafayette: #295
NEXT UP:
Penn State will head to Pittsburgh to take on Duquesne Saturday at the Consol Energy Center. It will be the 43rd meeting with PSU holding a 24-18 lead in the series and a 7-12 record at Duquesne. PSU posted a 77-73 victory over the Dukes last December in the BJC. It was the first meeting since 1994 between the programs that first met in 1924.
THE GAME:
Penn State will continue a two-game home stand Wednesday when it takes on Lafayette. Penn State leads the series 12-3, is 7-1 at home vs. Lafayette and is 25-0 all-time against teams that were members of the Patriot League at the time the game was played. The teams last met in 2008 with the Lions taking an 83-55 win in the BJC. Penn State will be looking for its seventh non-conference win, which would equal its total from last year's NCAA Tournament team that went 7-4 in the pre-Big Ten campaign. Lafayette will be playing two games in three days as the Leopards fell to Long Island, 82-80, Monday in Easton, Pa.
SCOUTING LAFAYETTE:
Lafayette (3-5) looks to snap a three-game losing streak after falling, 82-80, to Long Island Monday in Easton. Ryan Willen led the Leopards with 21 points in the game in which Lafayette made 11 threes and led by 10 points in the first half. The Leopards suffered a 15-point loss at defending Ivy League champ Princeton last Wednesday. Senior guard Jim Mower has scored in double figures in seven of eight games and has led the team in scoring in four games. Mower (17.9 ppg) is averaging 3.0 threes per game and has 22 on the year. Senior forward Ryan Willen's production has jumped significantly in the 2011-12 season. He is averaging 16.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Willen has done much of his scoring at the line where he is 42-of-55. The Leopards have wins over St. Francis (PA) and St. Francis (NY) and Farleigh Dickinson on the year. They shoot 41 percent from three with 77 treys on the year, but are giving up 77 ppg and being out-rebounded by five per game. In the team's two biggest losses of the season, Lafayette was beaten soundly on the boards - at LaSalle by 17 and at Princeton by 11 boards. LUI out-rebounded them by eight.
PHILLY TIES:
Longtime Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon played at Villanova, graduating in 1970, and once coached at Monsignor Bonner HS (1986-89) in Philadelphia. Penn State Coach Patrick Chambers spent five seasons on Jay Wright's staff at Villanova (2004-09) and assistant coach Brian Daly graduated from Monsignor Bonner (1988) and played two seasons under O'Hanlon, winning the Catholic League Championship in his senior year. Daly later served two coaching stints at the high school (1996-2002 & 2006-09).
FRAZIER LEADS BIG TEN IN SCORING & ASSISTS (7TH IN NCAA):
Entering the week, junior guard Tim Frazier ranked 1ST in the Big Ten in scoring (19.1), 1ST in assists (7.1), 3RD in steals (2.3), 7TH in rebounding (5.8) and 1ST in minutes (34.9). • He ranks in the top 10 of six statistical categories in the Big Ten. • As of Dec. 4, he ranks TIED FOR SEVENTH IN THE NCAA in assists. • He has posted FIVE 20-point outings, two career-high point totals and raised his scoring average by nearly 13 ppg from last year (6.3 to 19.1) • Has posted three double-doubles on the year. • Has three games of 10+ assists on the year and posted a career high in either scoring, assists or rebounding (or both) in four games on the year. • Leads Penn State in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Frazier has 64 assists (the next closest Lion 10) and 21 steals (next closest Lion 9) on the year. • Named to Collegehoopsnet.com November All-Big Ten team. Joined by Drew Crawford (NU), John Shurna (NU), Jared Sullinger (OSU) and Robbie Hummel (PU).
BOROVNJAK BREAKS LOOSE FOR CAREER HIGH:
Redshirt sophomore Sasa Borovnjak is developing into a solid low-post scoring threat for Penn State after missing last season with an ACL injury. • Shooting a team-high 60 percent (18-30) from the floor on the year. • Came off the bench to go a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor for a career-high 15 points in a loss to Ole Miss (12/4). Scored most of his baskets going strong on the block vs. a long, athletic and tall Rebel front line. • Posted nine points on 4-of-8 shooting vs. Long Island • Tore the ACL in his right knee in Penn State's very first pre-season practice of 2010-11.
BENCH PRODUCTION:
Led by Sasa Borovnjak's career-high 15 points, Penn State's bench produced its sixth 20+ point outing of the season and out-scored the opponent's bench for the seventh time in nine games in the Lions' loss to Ole Miss. Only Hartford and USF have out-scored Penn State's bench (both producing 30 points). Penn State averaged 6.0 ppg from its bench last year led by 75 points from Billy Oliver. The last time the Lion bench produced better than 20 ppg was in 2007-08 (20.3)
FOUR SCORERS/70+:
Penn State displayed its most balanced offensive attack of the season putting four scorers in double-digits for the first time on the year while falling 72-70 to Ole Miss (12/4). Tim Frazier (17), Sasa Borovnjak (15), Jermaine Marshall (10) and Cam Woodyard (10) all posted double-digits. The Lions posted 70+ points for the fourth time on the year. Penn State reached that mark five times in 34 games last year.
MARSHALL PROVIDES SCORING SPARK/ CAREER HIGH 22 POINTS:
Red-shirt sophomore Jermaine Marshall has been a scoring spark early this season. • Has posted three double-digit scoring outings in PSU's last five games, all coming against Big Six conference opponents, including 10 vs. Mississippi in his last game. • Averaging 10.8 ppg over last five games. • Made first career start vs. Ole Miss (12/4). • Scored 15 first half points, including the Lions' last 10 of the half, on his way to a career-high 22 points and eight rebounds in Penn State's win at Boston College (11/30). Marshall hit 8-of-16 from the floor and a career-best 3-of-6 from three in the game. • Posted eight first half points on his way to 14 in Penn State's victory over South Florida (11/20). Against USF, Marshall had a pair of driving three-point plays in the first half to give Penn State its first lead and hit a pair of second-half threes to finish 5-of-8 from the floor and 2-of-5 from three. • Returned to practice on Nov. 10 after being suspended prior to the start of pre-season practice due to a violation of team rules.
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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