Feb. 8, 2013
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UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., FEB. 8, 2013 - Penn State (8-14; 0-10 Big Ten) will seek its first conference win and road win of the season Saturday when the Nittany Lions take on Nebraska (11-12; 2-8 Big Ten) in a 9:00 p.m. (ET) tip in Lincoln. The game will be televised live on ESNPU and can be heard on the Penn State Sports Network.
The Nittany Lions will face a rested Nebraska squad that will be playing its first game since a 63-56 loss to No. 11 Ohio State last Saturday in Lincoln.
Sophomore D.J. Newbill brings a string of six straight double-figure scoring games into the weekend after leading Penn State with 17 points and a career high tying seven assists in a loss to Purdue on Tuesday. Newbill ranks sixth in the Big Ten in scoring posting 15.7 ppg and is posting 18.0 points and 5.0 assists per game over his last six contests.
Nebraska has lost its last two games after a 64-49 victory over Northwestern in Lincoln. The Huskers posted a 68-64 win over Penn State in the first meeting this season in the Bryce Jordan Center on Jan. 19. The Huskers are led by guard Ray Gallegos who is posting 13.3 ppg. He had 15 in the first meeting this season while freshman Shavon Fields logged a career high 29 points to lead the Huskers.
Penn State will return to the Jordan Center on Thursday to take on Iowa in a 9:00 p.m. tip televised live 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 (8-14; 0-10 Big Ten) at NEBRASKA (11-12; 2-8 Big Ten)
SATURDAY, FEB. 9, 2013 @ 9:00 P.M. (ET)
DEVANEY CENTER (13,595)
LINCOLN, NEB.
GAME INFO
TELEVISION: ESPNU: Dan Gutkowsky & Sean Harrington
RADIO: Penn State Sports Network: Local (1450 AM); Steve Jones (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
Sirius/XM: 113/193
LIVE STATS:
COACHES:
PENN STATE: Patrick Chambers - 20-34 (2nd at PSU); 62-62 (4th Overall)
NEBRASKA: Tim Miles - 11-12 (1st at NU); 294-232 (18th Overall)
RPI: PSU:181; NEB: 85
NEXT UP:
PSU will return to the BJC on Valentine's Day for a 9:00 p.m. tip vs. Iowa. The Hawkeyes posted a 76-67 victory in Iowa three games prior to this meeting. Iowa holds a 24-13 lead in the series. The Lions hold a 10-6 advantage in State College, including a 69-64 victory last February. The teams have split the last 10 meetings, both winning five games at home.
THE GAME:
Penn State will return to the road on Saturday for a late 9:00 p.m. (ET) tip at Nebraska. The Huskers, who will be playing their first game in seven days, downed the Lions 68-64 on Jan. 19 for their first ever win in State College. Penn State is 1-2 all-time in Lincoln, with a 65-59 victory in the second round of the 1995 NIT as the lone win. The series is now tied at 3-3. Nebraska logged a 70-58 victory last year in Lincoln and has won two of three in the series since beginning play in the Big Ten. Penn State is seeking its first conference victory of the season and will look to end a 15-game road losing skid, dating to a victory at Boston College in November of 2011, and a 13-game road losing skid to Big Ten opponents, dating to a victory at Minnesota on March 6, 2011.
NOTES TO KNOW:
• Penn State took a season high 62 shots vs. Purdue to hold a 62-49 advantage in attempts. In Big Ten play, PSU has a 552-495 advantage in field goal attempts vs. opponents.
• Penn State trails Big Ten opponents 281-162 (-119) in free throw attempts in Big Ten play.
• Penn State held Purdue to 58 points, a season low for a Big Ten opponent, but fell to 12-2 under coach Patrick Chambers when holding an opponent to 59 points or less.
• Penn State's seven threes at Iowa marked its most in Big Ten play to date. The Lions had seven or more threes in each of their final four non-con games while scoring 70+ points on their way to winning each game. The Lions are making 3.9 per game in Big Ten games.
• Penn State held Purdue without a three (0-10) and is now allowing just 5.5 threes per game in Big Ten play. The Lions gave up 7.9 per game in Big Ten play last year.
• D.J. Newbill posted his seventh 20-point game of the season with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists in his last road outing at Iowa. His seven 20-point games are third most in the Big Ten.
• D.J. Newbill is averaging 18.0 ppg, 5.0 apg and 4.5 rpg over his last six games while getting to the foul line an average of eight times per game.
• D.J. Newbill and Jermaine Marshall have each posted double-figure scoring in 8-of-10 Big Ten games, Newbill in the last six straight. The only other Lions to score in double-figures in a Big Ten game are Brandon Taylor (11 at Purdue) and Ross Travis (14 vs. Indiana). No Lion other than Newbill or Marshall has reached double-digits in the last six games and no more than two players have recorded double-figures in the same game in the Big Ten so far.
• Newbill (8) or Marshall (9) have led the Lions in scoring in 17 of the 19 games since Tim Frazier went down with injury.
• D.J. Newbill ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 151 free throw attempts trailing only Cody Zeller (163), Aaron White (158) and Brandon Paul (153), with no other player within 25 attempts. He has gotten to the foul line at least once in 50 of 53 career games.
• Penn State is averaging 64.2 ppg at home, eclipsing 70 five times, and 53.2 ppg on the road this season, with a high of 67 in its last outing at Iowa.
• Jermaine Marshall posted his first career double-double (29 & 10) vs. MSU. He has double-figure scoring in 15 of his last 18 games and leads the team with 36 threes and 34 steals.
• PSU has posted 16 games with double-digit offensive boards and leads the Big Ten collecting 74.1% of all defensive rebounds.
• Penn State has gotten to the line an average of 20 times in the last six games and ranks third in conference games shooting 71.0% at the line, but is being outscored 21.2-13.8 at the foul line in the last six games and trails Big Ten foes 11.5 ppg to 18.9 ppg at the foul line overall, having been outscored at the foul line in every Big Ten game so far.
• Penn State has been whistled for 68 more fouls than opponents in Big Ten games.
• Newbill (6th, 15.7 ppg) and Marshall (7th, 14.7 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 (30.4 ppg), behind Michigan's Trey Burke (2nd, 18.1) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (6th, 16.0), 34.1 ppg.
• Newbill and Marshall account for 50% of the Lions' points and steals.
SCOUTING NEBRASKA:
The Huskers are coming off a week off after falling to No. 11 Ohio State, 63-56, in Lincoln last Saturday. Nebraska is 11-12 overall and 2-8 in the Big Ten with victory over Northwestern (64-49) and at Penn State (68-64). They are 8-6 at home on the year, with four losses to Big Ten teams and also losses to Creighton (64-42) and Kent State (74-60). David Rivers led NU with 13 points vs. Ohio State. Ray Gallegos leads NU on the year posting 13.3 ppg. He had 15 in the win in State College while freshman Shavon Fields had a career best 29. Penn State (55.0) and Nebraska (54.8) rank 11th and 12th in conference scoring and 11th (Nebraska, 38.5) and 12th (Penn State, 35.9) in field goal percentage. Nebraska ranks second in three-point percentage defense allowing just 28.7% in conference games.
FOUL TROUBLE:
Three Lions fouled out of the 58-49 loss to Purdue (2/5), including both post players Sasa Borovnjak and Jon Graham. Penn State has had 14 disqualifications in Big Ten play and 22 on the year after having 13 and 19 all of last season. The hardest hit have been the Bigs with Borovnjak fouling out of three of the last five games and four in Big Ten play. Brandon Taylor has fouled out of three Big Ten games and four on the year and Graham has fouled out of two Big Ten games. Seven different Lions have fouled out of a Big Ten game. Penn State is suffering a 227-159 (+68) foul disparity in Big Ten play with opponents having two disqualifications.
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 guards 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 got 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 (17) and Newbill (19) have combined to record 36 of the Lions 54 double-digit scoring games this season, with 18 coming from the other players on the roster.
•They have both scored in double-digits in 15 of 22 games.
• Marshall and Newbill account for 50% of the Lions points and steals and 56% of the team's free throws and free throw attempts.
HOLDING THE MAN DOWN:
n Penn State has held the opposing teams leading scorer below their season average in each of the last seven games, and four of those players to single digit scoring.
n The defense was particularly strong in holding Indiana's Cody Zeller (17.2 ppg) to a career low two points and no field goals in four attempts and Big Ten Leading scorer Deshaun Thomas (20.5 ppg) to a season low 11 of 4-of-13 shooting.
GUARDING THE ARC:
Penn State has made considerable improvement in limiting opponent's threes, including an 0-10 effort by Purdue (2/5) for the first opponent shutout from the arc since November of 2006. Penn State is giving up just 5.5 threes per game to Big Ten opponents, a big improvement over the 7.9 per game allowed last season to Big Ten foes and 8.0 per game allowed in the non-conference season this year. The Lions have held six Big Ten foes to five threes or less.
NEWBILL HITS GROOVE:
Over his last six games, sophomore guard D.J. Newbill is averaging 18.0 points, 5.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 45% from the floor and 35-49 (71%) from the foul line.
LAST TIME OUT: PURDUE 58, PENN STATE 49, Feb. 5, 2013 • Bryce Jordan Center
Penn State used a 17-4 run to build its largest lead in Big Ten play, 21-12, late in the first half and held Purdue without a three and to a Big Ten opponent low of 58 points, but couldn't overcome another tough shooting night in dropping its 10th straight game. D.J. Newbill led the Lions with 17 points and a career high tying seven assists while playing all 40 minutes, but was the only Penn State player to reach double figures as second leading scorer Jermaine Marshall struggled hitting 2-of-14 for seven points. PSU shot 30 percent and 2-of-20 from three and was out-scored 18-9 at the foul line by a Purdue team that shot 40 percent and was 0-10 from three. Ronnie Johnson led Purdue with 16 points as the small, quick guard gave PSU's bigger guards trouble. Fellow freshman A.J. Hammons had 15 points and 12 rebounds and was a major factor in fouling out three Lions, including posts Jon Graham and Sasa Borovnjak, and Purdue getting to the foul line 29 times.
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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