Jan. 24, 2012
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UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., JAN. 24, 2012 - Penn State (10-11; 2-6 Big Ten) will attempt to end a 16-game losing skid to Ohio State (17-3; 5-2 Big Ten) Wednesday when the Lions take on the No. 3-ranked Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio in a 6:30 p.m. tip on the Big Ten Network. The game can also be heard live across Pennsylvania on the Penn State Sports Network.
Penn State has lost in eight-straight trips to Value City Arena, but nearly knocked off the then No. 2-ranked Buckeyes last year in Columbus. Penn State held a 61-60 lead in that game with 2:53 to play before falling 69-66. The victory was part of a 36-game home-court winning streak Ohio State will carry into Wednesday night, the second-longest in program history.
The team's last met in the 2011 Big Ten Tournament championship game in Indianapolis with the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes taking a 71-60 victory in the Nittany Lions' first-ever appearance in the game. Ohio State enters Wednesday tied atop the Big Ten Standings at 5-2 in conference play and leading the Big Ten in scoring (76.7 ppg) and scoring defense (57.4 ppg) in Big Ten play.
Penn State guar Tim Frazier continues to lead the Big Ten with ten 20-point or better games on the year after posting 21 in the Lions loss at No. 11 Indiana on Sunday. Frazier leads the Big Ten in scoring (19.4), assists (5.3) and steals (2.5) per game in conference play, the only player in any of the 32 NCAA Division I conference's to lead his league in those three categories.
Penn State will take the weekend off before returning to the Bryce Jordan Center on Tuesday, Jan. 31 to face Wisconsin in an 8:00 p.m. tip on the Big Ten Network.
PENN STATE (10-11; 2-6 Big Ten) vs. #4/3 OHIO STATE (17-3; 5-2 Big Ten)
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25, 2012 @ 6:30 P.M. (ET)
VALUE CITY ARENA (19,049) • COLUMBUS, OHIO
GAME INFO
TELEVISION: BTN: Eric Collins & Dan Bonner
RADIO: Penn State Sports Network; Local: 1450 AM; Sirius: CH 128; XM; CH 190
Steve Jones (p-by-p) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
LIVE STATS & AUDIO:
COACHES:
PENN STATE: Patrick Chambers - 10-11 (1st at PSU); 52-39 (3rd Overall)
OHIO STATE: Thad Matta - 207-60 (8th at OSU); 309-91 (12th Overall)
RPI: Penn State: #125; Ohio State: #9
NEXT UP:
Penn State will take the weekend off before returning to the Jordan Center to face Wisconsin, Jan. 31. The Badgers lead the series 26-10, but PSU has won two of the last three meetings, including a 36-33 victory in the 2011 Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals and a 56-52 victory in the BJC last year. The Badgers are 10-7 at the BJC. Three of the last five games have been decided by four points or less.
THE GAME:
Penn State will continue a two-game road swing and play the third of three-straight games vs. ranked opponents on Wednesday when the Lions head to No. 6 Ohio State. It will be the only regular season meeting with the Buckeyes who lead the series 30-13 and 16-4 in Columbus. Penn State has lost 16-straight games to Ohio State and eight-straight in Columbus, with the last win there coming in 2001 (78-75). The Buckeyes have posted double-digit victories in six of the last seven meetings, but edged out a 69-66 victory in Columbus last year to defend its No. 2 ranking. The teams last met in the championship game of the 2011 Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, Penn State's first-ever appearance in the game, with the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes winning 71-60.
FRAZIER NOW HAS 10 OVER 20:
Tim Frazier posted his Big Ten LEADING 10th game of 20 or more points with a team-high 21 in the Lions' loss at No. 11 Indiana (73-54) on Sunday. Frazier was a perfect 6-of-6 at the foul line, extending his recent run to 32-of-34 (94%) at the charity stripe in his last five games, and 7-of-18 from the floor while playing nearly all 40 minutes in the game. Frazier's 10 games of 20+ points, five in eight Big Ten games, have him ahead of Talor Battle's pace last year that saw the first-team All-Big Ten guard finish second in the Big Ten with 18 20-point games. Battle had nine such games and three in his first eight Big Ten games on Jan. 23 of last year.
LEADING THE BIG TEN:
Tim Frazier now leads the Big Ten in scoring (19.4), assists (5.3) and steals (2.5) and is fourth in free throw percentage (84.0%) in conference games. He is the only player in any of the 32 Division I conferences to rank first in scoring, assists and steals in conference play in their conference's statistics. Frazier is posting 29% of the scoring, 58% of assists and 32% of steals for the Lions this season and has led the team in scoring 15 times, in assists 21 times and in steals 12 times.
...AND HE'S CLUTCH TOO!:
Not only is junior guard Tim Frazier posting statistical numbers matched by very few players in the nation, he now can add "clutch" to his resume after sinking a 12-foot, game-winning floater with eight seconds to play to break a tie game and send Penn State to a 54-52 victory over No. 22/25 Illinois in the Bryce Jordan Center (1/19). Frazier stepped into the role occupied by Talor Battle over the previous four seasons and hit nothing-but-net in the first game-winning attempt of his career.
LIONS TO HONOR PATERNO:
Penn State's players will wear a black band on their jerseys in honor of legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno who passed away at the age of 85 on Jan. 22 in State College. Coach Patrick Chambers and the team planned to pay their respects to Coach Paterno and his family at a public viewing on the Penn State campus shortly before their departure for Columbus on Tuesday. The winningest coach in the history of major college football (409), the legendary teacher, mentor and humanitarian had been diagnosed with lung cancer last November and recently had been hospitalized. A member of the Penn State coaching staff for 62 seasons, and the Nittany Lions' head football coach since 1966 (nearly 46 years), he was among the first three active coaches to be inducted into the National Football Foundation's College Hall of Fame, in 2007.
FRAZIER LEADS BIG TEN/3RD NATIONALLY IN 20-POINT GAMES:
Tim Frazier LEADS the Big Ten with 10 20+-point outings on the year, and has five of those in Big Ten play including three-straight between Jan. 8-Jan. 15. Frazier has led the Lions in scoring in 15 games and scored in double-digits in 19 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.
Big Ten Leaders In 20-point Games on the Year
1. Tim Frazier, PSU 10
2. John Shurna, NU 9
3. William Buford, OSU & Drew Crawford, NU 6
NATIONAL Leaders In 20-point Games on the Year (Jan. 23)
1. Terrell Stoglin, Maryland 13
2. Kevin Jones, West Virginia 12
3. Tim Frazier, PSU 10
J'Covan Brown, Texas 10
Maalik Wayns, Villanova 10
FRAZIER POSTING RARE NUMBERS:
Tim Frazier is averaging 18.0 ppg, 6.4 apg, 5.0 rpg and 2.3 spg this season. He is on a pace to join LIU's Charles Jones (1997-98) as the only two Division I players to reach those minimums in a season since 1996-97.
18.0+ ppg, 6.4+ apg, 5.0+ rpg and 2.3+ spg
Division I Players Since 1996-97
PPG APG RPG SPG
1997-98 Charles Jones, LIU 29.0 7.4 5.2 2.9
2011-12 Tim Frazier, PSU 18.0 6.4 5.0 2.3
TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENT:
Tim Frazier has improved his scoring average by 11.7 ppg over last year, the largest improvement in the Big Ten this season and second largest over the past 15 seasons.
Big Ten Largest Scoring Improvement, 2011-12
1. Tim Frazier, PSU 6.3 18.0 +11.7
2. Meyers Leonard, ILL 2.1 13.3 +11.2
3. Ben Brust, WISC 0.7 9.5 +8.8
4. Jared Berggren, WISC 2.4 11.0 +8.6
Big Ten Largest Scoring Improvement, since 1996-97
Sharif Chambliss, PSU (00-01-01-02) 1.3 14.6 +13.3
Tim Frazier, PSU (10-11-11-12) 6.3 18.0 +11.7
Meyers Leonard, Ill(10-11-11-12) 2.1 13.3 +11.2
John Shurna, NW (08-09-09-10) 7.3 18.2 +10.9
Darius Morris, Mich (09-10-10-11) 4.4 15.0 +10.6
LAST TIME OUT:
#11 Indiana 73, Penn State 54, Jan. 22 • Bloomington, Ind.
Penn State held a 29-27 lead at the half after holding the Hoosiers to 41% shooting and 2-of-7 from three in the first half, but saw Indiana hit its first four threes of the second half and use and 18-6 run in the opening seven minutes to grab a 45-35 lead. The Hoosiers would shoot 65% from the floor and 5-of-9 from three in the half with Assembly Hall roarring. Penn State would hit just 23% in the half and 4-of-17 from three for the game and would never get closer than nine the rest of the way. Tim Frazier paced PSU with 21 points and walk-on Nick Colella added a career-high 11 on 3-of-5 from three off the bench. Freshman Cody Zeller paced IU with 18 points. IU out-scored the Lions 30-16 in the paint, despite 15 PSU offensive boards, and 46-25 in the second half.
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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