Feb. 3, 2012
DON'T MISS: COACHES VS. CANCER "BAND TOGETHER" DAY, SAT., FEB. 11 VS. NEBRASKA
• $3 FROM EVERY TICKET GOES TO CVC
• $3 RALLY TOWELS AT THE DOOR - SUPPORT CVC
• SILENT AUCTION ON THE CONCOURSE
• CANCER SURVIVORS & FAMILIES GET UP TO 4 FREE TICKETS - contact Nathan Leopard (Nathan.Leopard@cancer.org, 814-234-1023) of the American Cancer Society.
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Penn State Basketball Show Live Thursdays from Damon's Grill
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., FEB. 3, 2012 - In the midst of four of five games on the road in the unforgiving Big Ten, Penn State (10-13; 2-8 Big Ten) will look to end a three-game losing skid Saturday when it takes on Iowa (12-11; 4-6 Big Ten) in Iowa City in a 3:00 p.m. (ET) tip live on ESPNU.
The Big Ten remains the top rated conference in the RPI and leads the nation with five teams ranked in the top 25. Penn State will be playing its first opponent in five games that does not appear in the Top 25 rankings. The Lions are coming off a tough loss to No. 19 Wisconsin, 52-46, Tuesday in the Jordan Center in a game in which Penn State was within two with 3:36 left to play.
Tim Frazier (Houston, Texas) posted his Big Ten leading 11th 20-point or better game in that contest and currently ranks third in the nation in 20-point outings. He brings 415 points, 146 assists and 49 steals into the weekend and needs just four assists to join Talor Battle and Joe Crispin as just the third player in Penn State history to post 400 points and 150 assists in a season. He is quickly closing in on becoming the first Lion ever to post 500 points, 150 assists and 50 steals in a season.
Sophomore Jermaine Marshall (Etters, Pa.) posted his 12th double-digit scoring outing in his last 16 games on Tuesday and is averaging 12.2 ppg over that stretch with three 20-point outings.
Iowa is coming off a 63-59 victory over Minnesota in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday, a victory that ended a three-game losing skid. Matt Gatens led the Hawkeyes in that game with 18 points.
Penn State will continue its run of four of five games on the road on Wednesday when the Lions take on No. 9 Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. The Spartans will represent the fifth ranked foe in six games for Penn State.
PENN STATE (10-13; 2-8 Big Ten) @ Iowa (12-11; 4-6 Big Ten)
SATURDAY, FEB. 4, 2012 @ 3:00 P.M. (ET)
IOWA CITY, IOWA • CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA (15,500)
GAME INFO
TELEVISION: ESPNU: Mark Brown & Tim McCormick
Online stream: ESPN3.com
RADIO: Penn State Sports Network; Local: 1450 AM; Sirius: CH 93; XM; CH 192
Steve Jones (p-by-p) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
LIVE STATS & AUDIO:
COACHES:
PENN STATE: Patrick Chambers - 10-13 (1st at PSU); 52-41 (3rd Overall)
IOWA: Fran McCaffery - 23-31 (2nd at Iowa); 274-208 (16th Overall)
RPI: Penn State: #133; Iowa: #118
NEXT UP:
Penn State will complete a run of four of five games on the road and play its fifth ranked foe in six games at Michigan State on Wednesday. The Lions downed MSU 61-48 in last year's Big Ten Tournament semifinal and have won two of the last three vs. MSU. The Spartans lead the series 29-7 overall and 18-1 in East Lansing, with PSU's win coming 72-68 in 2009.
THE GAME:
Penn State will continue a run of four of five games on the road at Iowa Saturday. Penn State is 2-8 in games away from the BJC on the year and 0-5 in Big Ten play. It will be the Lions' 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. Penn State posted a 65-51 win last year in the Jordan Center and has won four of the last seven meetings with Iowa.
SCOUTING IOWA:
The Hawkeyes (12-11) ended a three-game losing streak Wednesday with a 63-59 victory over Minnesota in Iowa City. Matt Gatens led Iowa with 18 points and Roy Devyn Marble added 12 for a Hawkeye team that shot 37% and 4-of-14 from three, but posted 11 steals, forced 16 turnovers and scored 15 fast break points while dominating the paint scoring, 30-10. Gaten leads Iowa with 13.7 ppg on the season and 35 threes. Marble averages 11.4 ppg. Iowa is 4-6 in the Big Ten, but just 2-3 at home with losses to Purdue (79-76), Ohio State (76-47) and Nebraska (79-73). Iowa ranks last in the Big Ten giving up 72.4 ppg and allowing opponents to shot 45.8% on the year. They lead the Big Ten in steals (8.3) and are fourth in scoring (74.0) despite making a Big Ten low 5.0 threes per game. They have given up at least 70 points in each of their 11 losses on the year.
LAST TIME VS. IOWA:
In the lone meeting last year, Penn State posted a 65-51 victory in State College behind 23 points from Talor Battle and 22 from Jeff Brooks on a career-best four threes. The Lions dominated the boards, 30-21, behind 10 rebounds from Andrew Jones and shot 53% from the floor and 10-of-11 from the foul line. Iowa was led by 11 points from Jarryd Cole and 10 from Matt Gatens. The Hawkeyes jumped to an early 11-point lead, but Penn State closed the first half on a 10-0 run to lead 29-28 at the half and shot 58% in the second. The game was close until Penn State opened a 55-45 lead with 3:27 to play. Iowa shot 37% in the game and 7-of-18 from three.
FRAZIER LOOKS TO JOIN BATTLE & CRISPIN AS 3RD LION TO POST 400 & 150:
Tim Frazier enters the weekend with 415 points, 146 assists and 49 steals on the year. He is the SIXTH Lion ever to eclipse 300 points and 150 assists in a season and could become just the THIRD to eclipse 400 points and 150 assists - joining Talor Battle (635 points and 189 assists in 2009) and Joe Crispin (649 points and 178 assists in 2000). Frazier is on pace to become the FIRST LION EVER to post a top 10 season in scoring, assists and steals in the same year. He could become the FIRST LION EVER to eclipse 500 points, 150 assists and 50 steals in the same year. Frazier is currently THIRD among active career assist leaders in the Big Ten with 392 (Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor leads with 416).
MARSHALL NOW A SOLID SCORER:
Jermaine Marshall posted 13 points vs. No. 19 Wisconsin and has established himself as a consistent scorer, posting 12 double-digit outings and 195 points (12.2 ppg) in his last 16 games. Marshall had posted a total of two double-digit outings and 98 points (2.9 ppg) in the first 34 games of his career. Marshall has posted three 20-points games (including a career-best 22 in a win at Boston College) and made 27 threes, twice hitting a career-high three treys, on the year. He had six threes in 28 games last year.
CVC "BAND TOGETHER" DAY FEB. 11:
The event, which raised more than $27,000 last year for Coaches vs. Cancer-Penn State, is slated for a 1:00 p.m Saturday tip vs. Nebraska on Feb. 11. It is a bringing together of survivors and their families, fans, Penn State coaches and players and cancer fighting organizations from around the Centre Region. Penn State will donate $3 from every single game ticket sold and fans can purchase $3 "Band Together" Rally Towels at the game as well as participate in a silent auction of sports memorabilia. Penn State invites all cancer survivors and their families to use up to four FREE tickets to the game by contacting Nathan Leopard (Nathan.Leopard@cancer.org, 814-234-1023) of the American Cancer Society (ACS). 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.
HONORING PATERNO:
Penn State players will wear a black "JVP" patch on their jerseys for the remainder of the season in honor of legendary Penn State football coach Joseph Vincent Paterno who passed away at the age of 85 on Jan. 22 in State College. The winningest coach in the history of major college football (409), the legendary teacher, mentor and humanitarian had been diagnosed with lung cancer in November. 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.
NATION'S BEST FOUR RANKED IN A ROW:
Penn State became the first team in the NCAA this season to play four-straight ranked foes when it fell to Wisconsin, 52-46, on Jan. 31 in the Jordan Center. Penn State went 1-3 during the stretch, with a 54-52 victory over No. 22 Illinois (1/19) at the BJC. It marked the third time since 2005-06 the Lions played 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.
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 67.5 ppg, 42% from the floor and 35% from three at home. Penn State has scored more than 70 points in seven of 13 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.
LAST TIME OUT:
#19/20 Wisconsin 52, Penn State 46, Jan. 31 • University Park, Pa.
Penn State shot 45.8% in the first half and held Wisconsin to just 27% shooting and 17 points to lead 23-17 at the halftime break. The tables turned in the second half as the Lions went cold shooting 27% and were out-scored 35-23 as the Badgers hit 45% from the floor and got late scoring from Jordan Taylor. After hitting just one of its first 13 shots in the second half and trailing by seven, Penn State was within two, 40-38, with 3:36 to play, but couldn't capitalize on four chances to tie or take the lead and never got that close again. Tim Frazier scored 17 of the Lions' 23 second-half points on his way to 21 points and seven assists. Taylor led UW with 18 points and five assists - 15 in the final five minutes and 10 of those at the foul line. PSU had 12 offensive boards, but just two second-chance points.
All of Penn State's games can be heard live on the Penn State Sports Network throughout Pennsylvania with Steve Jones and Dick Jerardi calling the action. "The Penn State Basketball Show" featuring Nittany Lion coach Patrick Chambers and Steve Jones airs each Thursday live from Damon's Grill in State College. Fans are encouraged to attend the live broadcast or call in their questions for the coach at 1-800-52LIONS.
Nittany Lion Basketball single-game tickets or group tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY, visiting GoPSUsports.com or through Ticketmaster. Single-game tickets are $18 for the lower bowl and $15 for upper level tickets for adults. Youth tickets (18 and under) are $7 for the lower bowl and $5 for upper level seating, while Penn State student tickets (University Park or branch campus) are $5. Penn State also offers special basketball group ticket rates for groups of 15 fans or more. Nittany Lion group rates are $10 for adults and $5 for youth.
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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