Nov. 21, 2012
Game Notes vs. Bucknell | Watch | Listen |
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., NOV. 21, 2012 - Penn State (2-2) will return to the Bryce Jordan Center on Friday to renew the oldest series in program history as the Bucknell Bison (5-0) come to town. The game will tip off at 4:30 p.m. and can be seen via BTN.com or heard live on the Penn State Sports Network with Steve Jones and Dick Jerardi calling the action.
Fans can take advantage of a special Black Friday ticket package as they can get four tickets to the game and a concession stand voucher good for $20 of food and drink for just $48. Penn State is also offering a special Thanksgiving ticket package for the three weekend sports events with fans able to purchase two tickets for the basketball game, two for the Penn State vs. Wisconsin football game on Saturday and two for the women's volleyball game vs. Michigan State Saturday night for just $139. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-Nittany.
Friday's game will be the first of a multi-year series between Penn State and Bucknell that currently is being slightly revised from the original announcement in June. Details on future game dates, including a matchup at Bucknell's Sojka Pavilion, will be announced at a later date. The first game in Penn State men's basketball history occurred in Lewisburg with the Bucknell taking a 24-4 victory in 1897. The Lions returned the favor later that year recording a 10-7 victory over Bucknell at The Armory on Penn State's campus for the first victory in the program's history. Penn State owns a 75-24 lead in the series with Bucknell, which stands as the fourth most prolific opponent in program history behind only Pittsburgh (144), West Virginia (119) and Syracuse (105). Penn State has won the last 11 meetings in the series, including a 63-60 overtime victory in the last meeting in 2006 at the Bryce Jordan Center.
The Nittany Lions will take the floor for the first time since losing All-Big Ten point guard Tim Frazier (Houston, Texas) to a season-ending Achilles tendon injury. Sophomore D.J. Newbill, who posted a career high 20 points in the Lions' last game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off vs. Akron will bring a 14. 5 ppg average into Friday's game. Junior Jermaine Marshall is posting 10.3 ppg and sophomore Ross Travis is coming off his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds vs. Akron and leads the team posting 6.3 rpg.
The Bison are off to a 5-0 start to the season, including an impressive season opening win at Purdue (70-65) and a victory over George Mason (61-56). Bucknell is led by 6-11 senior Mike Muscala who is posting 17.7 points,11.0 rebounds and two blocks per game and is also tied for the team lead with 11 assists. Senior guard Bryce Johnson is posting 13.4 ppg and leads the team with 14 threes on 45.2 percent from the arc. Bucknell returns four starters from a team that went 25-10 last year, won a second straight Patriot League regular-season championship and made the program's first-ever appearance in the National Invitation Tournament.
Single game tickets for men's basketball are available by calling 1-800-NITTANY or by visiting GoPSUsports.com/tickets or Ticketmaster. Single-game tickets for Nittany Lion games are $24 for lower bowl seats between the baselines, $18 for the lower bowl behind the baskets and upper level between the baselines and $15 for upper level behind the basket seats for adults and seniors. Youth tickets (18 and under) are $10, while Penn State student tickets (University Park or branch campus) are $5.
For all the latest information, notes, pictures and related links on Penn State basketball follow Associate Athletic Communications Director Brian Siegrist (@PSUSTRETCH) and the official Penn State men's basketball handle (@PennStateMBB) on Twitter and check GoPSUsports.com. The Nittany Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstatebasketball.
PENN STATE (2-2; 0-0 Big Ten) vs. BUCKNELL (5-0; 0-0 PATRIOT)
FRIDAY, NOV. 23, 2012 @ 4:30 P.M. (ET)
BRYCE JORDAN CENTER (15,261)
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.
GAME INFO
TELEVISION: BTN.com: using local radio feed
RADIO: Penn State Sports Network: Local (1450 AM); Steve Jones (p-by-p) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
LIVE STATS:
COACHES:
PENN STATE: Patrick Chambers - 14-22 (2nd at PSU); 56-50 (4th Overall)
BUCKNELL: Dave Paulson - 76-59 (5th at Buck); 338-179 (19th overall)
NEXT UP:
PSU will return to the Bryce Jordan Center on Nov. 28 for an ACC/Big Ten Challenge match-up vs. Boston College. The Lions posted a 62-54 victory at B.C. in last year's challenge, are 5-6 in Challenge games and have won four of their last five. Penn State is 6-6 all-time vs. B.C. The Big Ten won the Challenge 8-4 last year and has won the last three.
THE GAME:
The game will mark the 100th meeting between the two programs and the first game of a multi-year series that currently is being slightly revised from original announcement in June. Details on future game dates, including a matchup at Bucknell's Sojka Pavilion, will be announced at a later date. Penn State has not played at Bucknell since the 1976 season. The first game in Penn State men's basketball history occurred in Lewisburg with the Bucknell taking a 24-4 victory in 1897. The Lions returned the favor later that year recording a 10-7 victory over Bucknell at The Armory on Penn State's campus for the first victory in the program's history. Bucknell was Penn State's only opponent that season. Bucknell served as the opponent in the first four games in the Penn State program's history, with the teams splitting the outcomes 2-2. The teams met twice a year between 1897 and 1900. Penn State owns a 75-24 lead in the series with Bucknell, which stands as the fourth most prolific opponent in program history behind only Pittsburgh (144), West Virginia (119) and Syracuse (105). Penn State has won the last 11 meetings in the series, including a 63-60 overtime victory in the last meeting in 2006 at the Bryce Jordan Center.
FRAZIER SUFFERS SEASON-ENDING INJURY:
Senior guard Tim Frazier, a preseason candidate for both the Wooden and Naismith national player of the year awards, will miss the remainder of the 2012-13 season due to an injury suffered in the Nittany Lions' third game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Frazier had played in every game (101) the last three plus seasons. He suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in his left leg and the 2012 first-team All-Big Ten guard was scheduled to undergo surgery to repair the injury Tuesday. A preseason All-Big Ten selection, Frazier was leading Penn State with 21.7 ppg and 5.0 apg per game and was second with 6.0 rebounds per game through three games. He suffered the injury in the Nittany Lions' fourth game, a Nov. 18 contest vs. Akron in Puerto Rico, leaving the floor at the 14:30 mark of the first half. Frazier, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection on schedule to graduate in May with a degree in Supply Chain and Information Systems from the Smeal College of Business, is eligible to apply to the NCAA for a medical redshirt season after the completion of the 2012-13 campaign. He had posted 25 straight double-digit scoring game, 14 of which were 20+ point outings, and had led Penn State in scoring in 28 of the last 35 games, scoring 20+ points in nine of his last 13, prior to the Akron game.
SCOUTING BUCKNELL:
The Bison are off to a 5-0 start to the season, including an impressive season opening win at Purdue (70-65) and a victory over George Mason (61-56). Bucknell is led by 6-11 senior Mike Muscala who is posting 17.7 points,11.0 rebounds and two blocks per game and is also tied for the team lead with 11 assists. Senior guard Bryce Johnson is posting 13.4 ppg and leads the team with 14 threes on 45.2 percent from the arc. The Bison are posting 70 ppg and shooting 46.7 percent as a team and have won their five games by an average of 11.4 ppg. Bucknell returns four starters from a team that went 25-10 last year, won a second straight Patriot League regular-season championship and made the program's first-ever appearance in the National Invitation Tournament.
PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF WRAP-UP:
• Penn State went 1-2 in the sixth annual Puerto Rico Tip-Off in Bayamon, PR Nov. 15-18. The Lions fell to No. 6 N.C. State (72-55) and Akron (85-60) while downing Providence (55-52, OT).
• Penn State averaged 56.7 points per game and shot 35% from the field and 23% from three in three games in Puerto Rico. The Lions grabbed 44 offensive rebounds and averaged 14.6 per game in Puerto Rico. They also collected 24 steals to average 8.0 spg.
• Penn State played and won its first overtime game under coach Patrick Chambers with a 55-52 OT win over Providence in its second game.
• Tim Frazier led Penn State with 23 points and 19 points in the first two games prior to suffering an injury at the 14:30 mark of the first half of the Lions' third game vs. Akron. He did not return and did not score breaking a string of 25 straight double-digit scoring games.
• Penn State got 80% of its points (88 of 110) from its starting backcourt of Frazier, Newbill and Marshall in the first two games of the Tip-Off prior to Frazier's injury in the third game.
• D.J. Newbill posted a career high 20 points on 8-of-17 shooting and added six rebounds and five assists in the Lions' third game vs. Akron.
• Ross Travis (10 vs. Akron) and Jon Graham (10 vs. N.C. State) both posted career high rebounding totals in the tournament. Travis also logged his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds vs. Akron.
NEWBILL HITTING HIS STRIDE:
D.J. Newbill averaged 14.0 ppg (tied with Tim Frazier for the team lead) and 5.0 rpg while shooting 50 percent (17-34) from the field in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Newbill played 35 minutes per game in the tournament and added nine assists and four steals. Newbill also handled some point guard duties in the first two games of the tournament before taking over entirely in the third game after the loss of Tim Frazier to injury early in the first half. Newbill ranks 10th in the Big Ten in scoring (14.5) and third in minutes played (35.2)
TAYLOR LEADING TEAM IN SHOOTING:
Freshman Brandon Taylor has proven to be an efficient offensive peformer early in his career. He led Penn State shooting 58.3 percent (7-12) to average 5.3 ppg in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off and is now leading the team shooting 50 percent (7-14) on the year. Taylor posted a career high 10 points of 4-of-6 from the floor and 2-of-4 from three in a loss to Akron in the final game of the Tip-Off.
RADIO SHOW DEBUTS THURSDAY, NOV. 29 at DAMONS:
The "Penn State Basketball Show" featuring head coach Patrick Chambers and the "Voice of the Nittany Lions" Steve Jones will debut Thursday, Nov. 29 at Damon's Grill in State College. The show airs from 6:05-7:00 p.m. Fans are encouraged to ask questions of the coach live and in-person or by calling 1-800-52LIONS.
ONYEAKA JOINS ROSTER:
Penn State added 6-5 forward Kevin Onyeaka (Harrisburg, Pa.) to the roster through the open walk-on tryout process held in Oct. 22. Onyeaka played two seasons at Penn State Mont Alto and is a senior academically in his second year at the main Penn State campus.
LAST TIME OUT: AKRON 85, PENN STATE 60, Nov. 18, 2012 • Puerto Rico Tip-Off
Leading 9-8 with 14:30 to play in the first half, do-everything guard Tim Frazier left the game with an Achilles tendon injury and did not return. Penn State battle through its best offensive half of the season in his absence and took a 36-32 lead to the locker room behind 14 first half points from D.J. Newbill. But, the Lions couldn't sustain the effort without Frazier and saw the Zips use a 22-5 run to start the second half to take a 54-41 lead with 13:24 to play. Three minutes later the Zips pushed the lead over 20 and never looked back building as much as a 28-point margin as they shot 68 percent from the floor and 5-of-8 from three in the half and the Lions went 2-of-12 from three and shot 25 percent overall. Newbill finished with a career high 20 points and added six rebounds and five assists while playing the point in Frazier's absence. Ross Travis chipped in his first career double-double with 11 points and a career high 10 rebounds. Akron was led by Zeke Marshall's 17 points and six blocks.
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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