Jan. 30, 2012
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UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., JAN. 30, 2012 - Penn State (10-12; 2-7 Big Ten) will take on it fourth-straight ranked opponent Tuesday as the Nittany Lions return to the Bryce Jordan Center to face No. 19 Wisconsin (17-5; 6-3 Big Ten) in an 8:00 p.m. tip on the Big Ten Network. It is "Dollar Dog Night" in the BJC and fans will receive a Penn State Basketball Nerf Hoop set while supplies last. Penn State students will also receive a Penn State Basketball Snapback hat.
Penn State will return to the BJC for the first time since knocking off No. 22 Illinois, 54-52, on Jan. 19. That game marked the beginning of a four-game run against ranked opponents, the longest in the nation this year.
Penn State has won two of the last three meetings with the Badgers, including a 36-33 victory in the quarterfinals of the 2011 Big Ten Tournament and a 56-52 victory in the BJC last year. The Badgers were ranked on both occasions. Three of the last five games in the series have been decided by four points or less.
It will be a match-up of two of the best guards in the nation. Penn State guard Tim Frazier leads the Big Ten in assists (6.3) and ranks second in scoring (17.9) and steals (2.2) while Wisconsin guard Jordan Taylor, a pre-season All-American, ranks fourth in conference games scoring 16.3 ppg. The Badgers bring a five-game win streak into Tuesday and stand one-game out of first place in the Big Ten standings.
Penn State will hit the road on the weekend when they take on Iowa (11-11; 3-6 Big Ten) in Iowa City on Saturday in a 3:00 p.m. tip on ESPNU.
PENN STATE (10-12; 2-7 Big Ten) vs. #19/20 WISCONSIN (17-5; 6-3 Big Ten)
TUESDAY, JAN. 31, 2012 @ 8:00 P.M. (ET)
BRYCE JORDAN CENTER (16,261) • UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.
GAME INFO
TELEVISION: BTN: Dave Revsine & Jimmy Jackson
RADIO: Penn State Sports Network; Local: 1450 AM; Sirius: CH 92; XM; CH -
Steve Jones (p-by-p) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
LIVE STATS & AUDIO:
COACHES:
PENN STATE: Patrick Chambers - 10-12 (1st at PSU); 52-40 (3rd Overall)
WISCONSIN: Bo Ryan - 259-96 (11th at UW); 642-199 (28th Overall)
RPI: Penn State: #129; Wisconsin: #26
NEXT UP:
Penn State will continue a run of four of five games on the road at Iowa Saturday. It will be the first trip to Iowa City since a 67-64 loss there in 2010. The Lions are 3-13 all-time at Iowa, which leads the overall series 22-12. Penn State has lost in its last eight trips to Iowa, with the last win coming 78-73 in 2001. PSU posted a 65-51 win last year in the BJC and has won four of the last seven meetings.
THE GAME:
Penn State returns to the floor after a weekend off to face Wisconsin in the Jordan Center Tuesday. It will be the Lions' fourth-straight game against a ranked foe and their first in the BJC since beginning the string Jan. 19 with a victory over No. 22 Illinois (54-52). The Badgers lead the series 26-10, but Penn State has won two of the last three meetings, including a 36-33 victory in the 2011 Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, the lowest scoring game in Tournament history, and a 56-52 victory in the BJC last year. The Badgers are 10-7 at the BJC. Three of the last five games in the series have been decided by four points or less. Penn State has scored more than 60 points just three times in the last 15 meetings.
CVC SNEAKERS:
Penn State's coaching staff will wear sneakers for the Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers awareness weekend - a nationwide annual event in which coaches across the country unite for a common cause - fighting cancer! Penn State will hold its annual Coaches vs. Cancer "Band Together Day" on Saturday, Feb. 11 vs. Nebraska. The event raised $27,000 last year for Coaches vs. Cancer-Penn State. Penn State will donate $3 from every single game ticket sold and fans can purchase $3 "Band Together" rally towels at the game. Coaches vs. Cancer-Penn State has raised nearly $2 million in the last 16 years and now sponsors a year-round schedule of seven events to raise funds and awareness.
PHILLY CONNECTION:
Coaches Patrick Chambers (Newtown Square, Pa.) and Bo Ryan (Chester, Pa.) were raised in areas approximately 12 miles apart and about 20 minutes west of downtown Philadelphia and will square off for the first time Tuesday.
FOUR RANKED IN A ROW:
Wisconsin will mark the fourth-straight ranked opponent for Penn State in the last two weeks, the longest such string for any Big Six conference team this season and believed to be the longest in the nation this year. It will be the third time since 2005-06 the Lions will play four or more ranked opponents in succession. The Lions faced a program record five-straight ranked foes (and 7 in 8 games) at the beginning of January last season, a string that marked the longest in the Big Ten last year. Penn State went 2-3 in last year's string with wins over No. 18 Michigan State and No. 16 Illinois at the Jordan Center. Penn State is 1-2 in its current stretch, with a 54-52 victory over No. 22 Illinois (1/19) at the BJC. Wisconsin will mark the seventh ranked foe on the year. The Lions also played five-straight ranked foes in the Big Ten during the 2005-06 season.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN:
The Badgers (17-5) are coming off a 57-50 victory over No. 16 Indiana in Madison on Thursday giving them a five-game win streak, their longest in Big Ten play since 2008-09. They stand a game out of first place in the Big Ten at 6-3 and have won three of their first four Big Ten road games, winning at Nebraska (64-40), at Purdue (67-62) and at Illinois (67-63) while falling at Michigan (59-41). Ben Brust led UW with 13 points in the win over IU. Pre-season All-American Jordan Taylor leads UW on the season posting 13.9 ppg and 4.3 apg and has upped his scoring to 16.3 ppg in Big Ten play to rank fifth in the conference. Jared Berggren (10.6) is the only other Badger averaging double-figures for a UW team that ranks 10th in the Big Ten in scoring offense (65.2) and field goal percentage (43.4%) but first in scoring defense (49.6), field goal percentage defense (36.3%) and three-point percentage defense (26.8). They also rank third in three-point percentage (37%) and threes made (7.7). Josh Gasser ranks second in the Big Ten hitting 50% (27-54) of his threes, while Ryan Evans is fourth with 6.7 rebounds per game.
LAST TIME VS. WISCONSIN:
Penn State won two of three meetings with the Badgers last season including a 36-33 victory over No. 13 UW in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament that stands as the lowest scoring Big Ten Tournament game in history. Penn State also posted a 56-52 victory over No. 15 UW in State College. The Badgers shot under 43% in both games and got to the foul line just three times in both contests. In State College, Talor Battle led Penn State with 22 points, 20 in the second half, and Andrew Jones added 14 boards for a PSU team that shot 63% in the second half to overcome a 29-20 halftime deficit. Jon Leuer had 18 and Jordan Taylor 16 or the Badgers, who shot 54% in the first half but just 32% in the second. In Indianapolis, Wisconsin shot just 29%, 2-of-21 from three and 1-of-3 at the line, and was led by Taylor's 16 points. Penn State hit four of its first five shots to take a 14-0 lead before UW's first score at 12:33. Battle had nine on 3-of-18 shooting to lead PSU, which shot just 33%. Battle's three with 2:24 to play gave PSU a 35-30 lead and made him Penn State's all-time leading scorer.
THE FRIENDLY CONFINES/ROAD CHALLENGE:
Penn State logged a season-high 82 points vs. No. 12 Indiana on Jan. 8 at the BJC and is averaging 69 ppg, 42% from the floor and 35% from three at home. Penn State has scored more than 70 points in seven of 12 home games. The Lions have struggled offensively away from the BJC averaging just 54 ppg, 34% from the floor and 25% from three in 10 contests while going 2-8. Penn State has scored more than 60 points (62 at B.C.) just once away from the BJC. The Lions shot 31% and scored 54 points in their last road outing, a 78-54 loss at No. 6 Ohio State.
COLELLA GETS CALL:
Nick Colella has been put on scholarship for the spring semester. The junior, who began his career at the Division III Penn State-Behrend campus, joined the team as a walk-on last season after serving as a practice player with the Lady Lions in his first month on campus and going through the try-out process. He has played 16 minutes or more in five Big Ten games and is averaging 15.4 mpg in conference play. Colella earned his playing time with his performances during a series of "toughness" practices in early January following the Lions' opening Big Ten games on the road and with his solid left-handed jumper that has provide a scoring spark from the three-point arc.
• Hit a career-best 3-of-5 from three for a career-high 11 points in 24 minutes of action at No. 11 Indiana (1/22).
• Scored five points in 20 minutes of action at No. 6 Ohio State (1/25).
• Hit a three in the Lions' win over Purdue (1/5) and in loss to Indiana (1/8).
LAST TIME OUT:
#4/3 Ohio State 78, Penn State 54, Jan. 25 • Columbus, Ohio
Penn State missed its first seven shots from the floor and started 1-of-13 from the field and 0-4 from the line in Columbus as the No. 3-ranked Buckeyes jumped to an early double-digit lead and were never threatened. The Lions shot 31% in the game and saw OSU shoot 50% from the floor and 24-of-34 at the foul line to cruise to a 78-54 victory. Tim Frazier led the Lions with 16 points and four assists, but was held to 6-of-17 shooting. Jermaine Marshall added 14 points and six boards. The Lions shot just 22% in the first half while the Buckeyes took a 38-18 halftime lead. Jared Sullinger logged 20 points and 13 rebounds despite sitting for the final seven minutes. Ohio State won the rebounding battle 43-35 and the Lions were called for 26 fouls.
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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