Jan. 25, 2013
COACHES VS. CANCER BAND TOGETHER DAY
• $3 FROM EVERY SINGLE GAME TICKET SUPPORTS CVC
• $10 BAND TOGETHER T-SHIRTS AT THE GATES - SUPPORT CVC
• GRAY OUT THE JORDAN CENTER
VIDEO: Game Preview
GAME NOTES | WATCH: ESPN2| LISTEN |
Penn State Basketball Show Live Thursdays from Damon's Grill
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., JAN. 25, 2013 - Penn State (8-11; 0-7 Big Ten) returns to the Jordan Center on Saturday to face No. 14 Ohio State (14-4; 4-2 Big Ten) in a noon tip on ESPN2. The game marks the first of four of the next five Penn State games that will be carried on and ESPN platform.
It will be Coaches vs. Cancer Band Together Day with Penn State donating $3 from every single game ticket sold to Coaches vs. Cancer. It will also be a Gray Out with the Nittany Lions donning their gray jerseys and fans encouraged to wear gray. Fans can purchase a $10, gray Band Together T-shirt at any Jordan Center gate on game day with all proceeds going to Coaches vs. Cancer.
The Nittany Lions will be facing their second straight top 20 opponent after falling at No. 7 Indiana on Wednesday. Sophomore guard D.J. Newbill (Philadelphia, Pa.) led the Lions with 18 points, seven rebounds and a career high tying four steals in that game. Newbill ranks sixth in the Big Ten scoring 15.5 ppg.
His backcourt running mate, Jermaine Marshall (Etters, Pa.), is right behind him at seventh in the Big Ten scoring 15.0 ppg as the pair form the second highest scoring tandem in the Big Ten.
Ohio State is coming off a 72-63 victory over Iowa to improve to 4-2 in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes are led by Deshaun Thomas who leads the conference scoring 20.5 ppg and leads the Buckeyes with 6.7 rpg. Ohio State guard Aaron Craft ranks second in the Big Ten in assists (4.7) and steals (2.1) per game.
The Lions will get four days before heading to Iowa for their next contest. Penn State and the Hawkeyes will clash Thursday at 8:00 p.m. on ESPNU.
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 (8-11; 0-7 Big Ten) at No. 14/15 OHIO STATE (14-4; 4-2 Big Ten)
SATURDAY, JAN. 26, 2013 @ 12:00 P.M. (ET)
BRYCE JORDAN CENTER (15,261)
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.
GAME INFO
TELEVISION: ESPN2: Bob Wischusen & Dan Dakich
RADIO: Penn State Sports Network: Local (1450 AM); Steve Jones (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
Sirius/XM: 134/192
LIVE STATS:
COACHES:
PENN STATE: Patrick Chambers - 20-31 (2nd at PSU); 62-60 (4th Overall)
OHIO STATE: Thad Matta - 235-69 (9 at OSU); 337-100 (13th Overall)
RPI: PSU: 187; OSU: 27
NEXT UP:
PSU will get four days before hitting the road to face Iowa on Thursday looking for its first road win of the season. The Hawkeyes own a 23-13 lead in the series and are 14-3 in Iowa City. The Lions won the last meeting 69-64 in the Jordan Center last February. PSU's last win in Iowa City came with a 78-73 victory in 2001, a string of nine straight losses at Iowa. The Lions have won two of the last three meetings.
THE GAME:
Penn State returns the Jordan Center on Saturday for the Coaches vs. Cancer game vs. No. 14 Ohio State. It will be a Gray Out with fans asked to wear gray. The Buckeyes will be the Lions second straight top 20 ranked foe and fifth on the year. It will be the only meeting between the teams this season. OSU owns a 31-13 lead in the series and has won the last 17 straight dating to a 64-47 PSU victory in the Jordan Center in 2004. PSU is 7-11 vs. OSU at home. OSU posted a 78-54 win in Columbus last year in the only meeting. Penn State is seeking its first conference victory of the season.
CVC BAND TOGETHER DAY:
Penn State will hold the third annual Coaches vs. Cancer Band Together Day at the Jordan Center on Saturday vs. Ohio State. Penn State will donate $3 from every single game ticket sold to the game to CVC-Penn State and fans can buy $10 gray Band Together T-shirts at any BJC gate to support the cause. It will be a Gray Out with fans encouraged to wear gray and the Lions donning their gray uniforms. Penn State coaches will don sneakers as part of the national CVC Suits and Sneakers weekend. Area cancer survivors and their families are invited to attend the game as Penn State's guests and survivors and area cancer fighting organizations will be honored at halftime. CVC-Penn State raised nearly $23,000 at last years Band Together day and, now in its 18th year, has raised nearly $2 million with year-round events.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE:
The Buckeyes are coming off a 72-63 win over Iowa at home on Tuesday and bring a 14-4 record and 4-2 Big Ten mark into Saturday. Junior Deshaun Thomas leads the Big Ten in scoring (20.5 ppg) and OSU in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and is the only Buckeye averaging double-figure scoring in conference. He also leads the Big Ten hitting 2.7 threes per game and shoots 41.9% from the arc. Fellow junior ranks second in the Big Ten in assists (4.7) and steals (2.1) and is one of the best on-ball defenders in the nation. OSU is giving up just 58.2 ppg on the year to rank third in the Big Ten and rank second in the conference in turnover margin with a +3.1. All of their losses on the year have come to Top 25 ranked opponents including Duke, Kansas, Illinios and Michigan State. They downed No. 2 Michigan at home.
NOTES TO KNOW:
• Penn State has had an offensive resurgence at home posting 68 ppg in its last two outings, but saw its last two home opponents average 74.5 ppg.
• Penn State is averaging 66.7 ppg at home, eclipsing 70 five times, and 49.7 ppg on the road, with a high of 57, this season.
• Jermaine Marshall has led the Lions in scoring in the last two home games, posting 23.5 ppg (including a career high 29 vs. MSU) and three times in six Big Ten games.
• Jermaine Marshall (29) and D.J. Newbill (27) both posted career high point totals and accounted for 56 of PSU's 72 points in a loss to MSU while combining to shoot 60%.
• Jermaine Marshall posted his first career double-double (29 & 10) vs. MSU. He has double-figure scoring in 13 of his last 15 games and leads the team with 32 threes and 30 steals.
• D.J. Newbill is the ONLY Big Ten player to rank in the Top 15 in the B1G in scoring (6th), assists (8th) and rebounds (15th). He had his sixth 20-point game of the year (27) vs. MSU.
• PSU has posted 14 games with double-digit offensive boards, including 14+ in five of the last eight and a season high 17 vs. Indiana on Jan. 7. PSU has won the rebounding battle in 10 of the last 13 games and is 2nd in the Big Ten collecting 74.6% of all defensive rebounds.
• After opening Big Ten play with a massive free throw deficit in the first four games, Penn State has gotten to the line an average of 23.0 times in the last three games.
• Ross Travis ranks 4th in the Big Ten in rebounding with 7.1 rpg. He is posting 8.5 ppg in his last two games.
• D.J. Newbill leads Penn State with 132 free throw attempts and has gotten to the foul line at least once in 48 of 51 career games.
• Newbill (6th, 15.5 ppg) and Marshall (7th, 15.0 ppg) are one of two sets of teammates to rank in the Top 10 in scoring in the Big Ten, and the 2nd highest scoring backcourt (30.5 ppg), behind Michigan's Trey Burke (3rd, 18.0) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (5th, 16.4), 34.4 ppg.
• Newbill and Marshall account for 49% of the Lions points and steals and 55% of PSU's free throws made and attempted.
• Brandon Taylor is posting 5.0 rpg over his last 5 games, but is looking for consistency in scoring posting 11 & 9 points vs. Purdue & Nebraska and not scoring vs. MSU and Indiana.
• All-Big Ten guard Tim Frazier hit week 8 of his recovery from Achilles tendon surgery and advanced from a walking boot to a heel wedge in his shoe on Jan. 15.
• Frazier continues to be the active career assist leader in the Big Ten with 459, despite not playing since game four. Ohio State's Aaron Craft is second with 443.
WHAT A COMBO!:
Junior Jermaine Marshall posted career highs of 29 points and 10 rebounds and sophomore D.J. Newbill had a career high 27 points and added six assists as Penn State's starting guard accounted for 56 of the Lions' 72 points in an 81-72 loss to No. 18 Michigan State (1/16). The tandem combined to shoot 18-30 (60%) from the floor and 17-of-23 (74%) at the foul line. Marshall hit three treys and tied a career high with 10 field goals while Newbill go to the foul line 15 times and made 11. They both exploded in the second half with Marshall collecting 22 of his points and Newbill 18 of his in the second 20 minutes, accounting for 40 of the Lions 47 points in the highest scoring PSU half in coach Patrick Chambers two seasons. They accounted for 18 straight points at one point and 30 of the final 32 for the the Lions as PSU sliced a 16-point MSU lead to five with 2:06 to play. Their combined 56 points were the most by two Lions in a game since Geary Claxton (31) and Jamelle Cornley (25) combined for 56 in a 129-111 victory over VMI in 2006. It marked the second time this season they both scored 20 points in a game.
• Marshall and Newbill have combined to record 31 of the Lions 49 double-digit scoring games this season, with 18 coming from the other players on the roster.
• Marshall and Newbill account for 49% of the Lions points and steals and 55% of the team's free throws and free throw attempts.
LAST TIME OUT: No. 7 INDIANA 72, PENN STATE 49, Jan. 23, 2013 • Bloomington, Ind.
Penn State fell to a Hoosier team that hit its first six three-pointers of the second half and was shooting at a 73 percent clip through the first 15 minutes of the second period to open up a 20-point margin. D.J. Newbill posted 18 points, seven rebounds and four steals while helping to force 18 IU turnovers to keep the Hoosiers from completely running away. Penn State committed 18 turnovers of its own, eight coming from Newbill in 39 minutes of action against the Hoosier press. Penn State trailed by 14, 33-19, at the half as IU shot just 37%, but saw that lead jump to 22 in the opening minute of the second half as the Hoosiers hit a pair of threes and jumped to an 8-0 run. Five Hoosiers scored in double figures led by Victor Oladipo's 19. IU went 11-of-20 from three on the game, but hit just 21-of-37 from the foul line. Penn State committed a season high 29 fouls and saw three players foul out. The Lions shot just 33% for the game and 2-of-15 from three.
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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