Nov. 27, 2012
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UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., NOV. 27, 2012 - Coming off a red-hot shooting second half and a win over Bucknell, Penn State (3-2) will look to improve on its recent success in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge Wednesday in the Bryce Jordan Center when the Lions take on Boston College (2-4) in a 9:15 p.m. tip on ESPNU.
Penn State students can enjoy the first Snapback Hat giveaway of the year, while supplies last, and all fans can take advantage of a pregame all-you-can eat buffet at Damon's Grill for just $12 from 5-9 p.m. Shuttles will run from campus to Damon's and back to the BJC before tipoff. There will also be a halftime performance of the Russian Bar Trio.
Penn State shot 65 percent in the second half and got 17 points from Jermaine Marshall and 16 from freshman Brandon Taylor to down previously unbeaten Bucknell, 60-57, in their last game at the BJC. Taylor is shooting 62.5 percent from the floor and averaging 13.0 ppg in his last two outings, including hitting 6-of-12 from three.
The Nittany Lions have won four of their last five ACC/Big Ten Challenge games. The Big Ten won the Challenge, 8-4, last year and has won the last three Challenges. The Lions posted a 62-54 victory at B.C. in last year's Challenge behind 22 points from Marshall and 22 from Tim Frazier, who is out for the season after rupturing an Achilles tendon in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.
Boston College brings a 2-4 mark in Wednesday after falling, 56-54, to Bryant College in their last game. A young Eagles team is led by 6-8 sophomore forward Ryan Anderson who is posting 15.8 ppg and 10.4 rpg.
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 (3-2; 0-0 Big Ten) vs. BOSTON COLLEGE (2-4; 0-0 ACC)
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28, 2012 @ 9:15 P.M. (ET)
BRYCE JORDAN CENTER (15,261)
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.
GAME INFO
TELEVISION: ESPNU: Clay Matvick (p-by-p) & Tim McCormick (analyst)
RADIO: Penn State Sports Network: Local (1450 AM); Steve Jones (p-by-p) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
Sirius/XM: Sirius 123, XM 190
LIVE STATS:
COACHES:
PENN STATE: Patrick Chambers - 15-22 (2nd at PSU); 57-50 (4th Overall)
BOSTON COLLEGER: Steve Donahue - 11-26 (2nd at B.C.); 178-177 (13th Overall)
NEXT UP:
PSU will play the first of back-to-back games vs. Philadelphia schools when it faces Penn on Saturday in the BJC. PSU trails the series 17-30, but has won the last two meetings and six of the last seven. The teams last met in 2009 in the BJC with PSU posting a 70-55 victory. PSU is 6-1 at home vs. Penn.
THE GAME:
Penn State and Boston College will meet for the second straight season in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge presented by DICK'S Sporting Goods. The Lions posted a 62-54 victory last year in Chestnutt Hill, Mass., getting 44 points from Tim Frazier and Jermaine Marshall to overcome a 39 percent shooting night. Marshall scored a then career high 22 and added a team-high eight rebounds. The series is tied at 6-6.
THE CHALLENGE:
Penn State has won four of its last five ACC/Big Ten Challenge games and holds a 5-6 record in 11 Challenge appearances to rank sixth among Big Ten teams with five Challenge wins. The Big Ten won the Challenge for the third-straight year in 2011 as the conference posted a dominating 8-4 tally, the Big Ten's largest-ever winning margin and a mark equaling the most number of wins for a conference in the series. The ACC also won eight games in 2006 and 2007 and won the initial 10 Challenges. Seven of the previous 13 Challenges have been decided by one game. The ACC has won 10 of the 13 Challenges. In 2010, Penn State became the first ever Big Ten program to win Challenge games in three consecutive seasons. Penn State has previously won games vs. Virginia Tech (2007), at Georgia Tech (2008) and at Virginia (2009) in its last five Challenge games. The Lions fell to Maryland (62-39) in their last home Challenge appearance in 2010.
NOTES TO KNOW:
• Freshman Brandon Taylor made his first career start in the win vs. Bucknell and hit 4-of-8 from three for a career high 16 points in just 20 minutes. Taylor has 26 points (13.0 ppg) in his last two outings while shooting 6-of-12 from three and 62.5% from the floor. Taylor's two-straight threes sparked Penn State in the second half vs. Bucknell.
• Penn State followed a 16-point first half on 16% shooting vs. Bucknell by hitting 5-of-6 from three and shooting 65% in the second half to score 44 points, its best offensive half of the season. The Lions hit 14 of their first 18 shots (77%) through the first 14:30 of the half to take a 50-43 lead.
• Jermaine Marshall hit 7-of-11 at the foul line to lead Penn State with 17 points, 15 in the second half, vs. Bucknell. It was his first time leading the Lions in scoring on the year and the fourth time on his career as he logged his 24th career double-digit scoring game.
• Marshall led Penn State with four steals vs. Bucknell and now ranks 4th in the Big Ten posting 2.4 steals per game.
• Ross Travis led Penn State in rebounding for the third time on the year with eight vs. Bucknell. He leads the team posting 6.6 rpg.
• D.J. Newbill posted a career-best seven assists playing 37 minutes at point guard vs. Bucknell. He added 10 points and seven rebounds. Newbill, a natural off-guard, has taken over point guard duties in the absence of Tim Frazier, playing the bulk of time at the position the last two games and averaging 6.0 apg the last two games since taking over. He is 17th in scoring and 12th in assists in the Big Ten.
• Penn State used combinations of 1-3-1, 2-3 and man-to-man defense to limit Bucknell's Mike Muscala to just four field goal attempts and 10 points. He entered the game leading the Bison scoring 17.7 ppg.
• Penn State posted 14 offensive rebounds vs. Bucknell and allowed just 3. The Lions have garnered 13 or more offensive rebounds in every game this year and rank fourth in the Big Ten in offensive rebounding with 14.4 per game. Ross Travis leads the Big Ten posting 3.4 offensive boards per game.
• Penn State outscored Bucknell 21-15 at the three-point line, the first time this season Penn State has outscored an opponent from the arc. The Lions are being outscored 99-72 at the arc on the year.
• Penn State's game at La Salle on Dec. 5 has been moved to a 9:00 p.m. tip and will be televised by the new NBC Sports Network.
SCOUTING B.C.:
B.C. returns team MVP Ryan Anderson from a team that posted a 9-22 record last year, but won ACC games vs. Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson and Virginia Tech. The Eagles bring a 2-4 mark into Wednesday after falling 56-54 to Bryant at home on Sunday. Freshman guard Olivier Hanlan (6-4) led all players with 19 points in that game. The 6-8 Anderson grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds to go with eight points. He leads the team posting 15.8 ppg and 10.4 rpg. B.C. has wins over Auburn (50-49) and FIU (84-70). They are giving up 69.5 ppg and allowing opponents to shoot 40.2% from the arc. They start three sophomores, including 7-0 center Dennis Clifford, and two freshmen. They have just one senior and two juniors on the roster.
LAST TIME VS. B.C.:
Penn State got 44 points on a combined 15-28 shooting from Tim Frazier and Jermaine Marshall to overcome a 39 percent shooting night and win at Boston College, 62-54. Frazier scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, his fifth 20-point game of the season, and Marshall logged career highs with 22 points, 15 in the first half, and eight rebounds. The Lions used a 1-2-2 press to force 18 B.C. turnovers and held the Eagles to 36 percent shooting, 27 percent in the second half. The Lions trailed 29-26 at the half after starting 1-of-9 from the floor and trailing 12-4 early. A 10-0 run put PSU in front briefly. Trailing 45-42 with 9:43 to play, PSU held B.C. without a field goal for nine minutes down the stretch and built a nine-point lead in the closing seconds. Ross Travis had seven points and five rebounds and Sasa Borovnjak two points among PSU returners that played in the game. B.C. was led by 15 points from Matt Humphrey.
COACHING TIES:
Penn State coach Patrick Chambers has called B.C. coach Steve Donahue one of his best friends in coaching. The pair share common Philadelphia roots with Chambers having played for Hall of Fame coach Herb Magee at Philadelphia U and Donahue having spent two seasons as an assistant to Magee at Philly U just prior to Chambers' arrival. Donahue was also a longtime assistant at Penn while Chambers was working in the city and beginning his coaching career. Donahue also was an assistant coach to current Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon at Monsignor Bonner HS in Philly in 1988 when current Nittany Lion assistant Brian Daly earned Philadelphia Player of the Year honors playing for Bonner and helped lead the team to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship. The pair remain close.
MASSACHUSETTS TIES:
Penn State has two players that hail from the state of Massachusetts, the same number Boston College has. Freshman Akosa Maduegbunam was a standout at Charlestown HS helping lead the Townies to a Boston City League title in 2011 before playing his final season at The Winchendon (Mass.) School. Sophomore Patrick Ackerman played for Worcester (Mass.) Academy. Head coach Patrick Chambers had his first head coaching stop for two seasons at Boston University leading the Terriers to back-to-back 21-win seasons and the 2011 America East title and NCAA Tournament. He was joined on the Terrier staff by current Penn State staff members Brian Daly, Ross Condon, Adam Fisher and David Caporaletti.
LAST TIME OUT: PENN STATE 60, BUCKNELL 57, Nov. 23, 2012 • Bryce Jordan Center
Penn State hit 14 of its first 18 shots in the second half and finished the half shooting 65% from the floor and 5-of-6 from three to overcome a 22-16 halftime deficit and down previously unbeaten Bucknell for the 11th straight time. Jermaine Marshall led the way with 17 points and four steals while freshman Brandon Taylor had 16 points on a team-best 4-of-8 from three, including two straight to spark the offense at the start of the second half. PSU struggled through 16% shooting for just 16 first half points, but stayed close by limiting Bucknell leading scorer Mike Muscala (17 ppg) who finished the game with 10 points on just four field goal attempts. Trailing 29-24 with 15:59 to play, PSU used a 13-7 run to seize its first lead of the game, 37-36, on a Marshall banked in three-pointer with 10:57 to play. Bucknell tied the game at 39, but PSU used a 9-2 run capped by Ross Travis' first three of the year to take a 48-41 lead and were in control the rest of the way.
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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