Dec. 8, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Off to its best start since the 2000-'01 Sweet 16 season, the Nittany Lion basketball team (8-1) returns home on Wednesday for its first of two-straight games in the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State and Duquesne (3-2) will tip at 9 p.m. (TV - BTN).
Thanks to a 73-69 victory at Marshall on Saturday, the Nittany Lions extended their winning streak to six-straight games, marking the longest active winning streak among all 14 Big Ten teams and the program's longest since the 2007-'08 season.
But head coach Patrick Chambers knows how long the season is, and he is just looking for the team to progress each time it steps on the floor.
"I feel like we have a lot of room for growth," Chambers said. "I think we have leadership and great veterans. And that's why you are winning games. And we are making plays in the last four minutes to have that 8-1 record. Through the course of a 40-minute game, though, there are still a lot of habits we need to work on."
Ranked fourth in the nation in scoring average, senior D.J. Newbill has been lights out for the Nittany Lions through the first nine games of the season. Newbill enters the Duquesne game averaging 23.3 points per game on 48.3 percent shooting from the field.
"The last couple games, he is getting so much attention," Chambers said. "You see he's getting a little frustrated, but he has held it together. He made a great pass to Donovon Jack late in that game. He made two big free throws. In the second half, he is letting the game come to him a little bit more. He's doing it all. He's making his pull-ups, his floaters, his threes. He's getting himself to the line...I don't think he's so caught up in scoring. I just think he wants to win basketball games."
The tandem of Brandon Taylor and John Johnson equaled Newbill's scoring output of 17 tallies in the win at Marshall. Like Coach Chambers has talked about throughout the season, Taylor and Johnson pacing the Lions illustrates the team's depth. Granted, Newbill has led or tied for the team lead in scoring in all nine games this season. But the senior guard has not been forced to carry the team's offensive output. Taylor and Johnson are two players growing in confidence by the game.
"He is maturing into a complete player," Chambers said of Taylor. "He's very comfortable now on the block. He hit two really nice floaters. A man of his size, he's really talented. BT plays with a lot of emotion, a lot of passion.
Penn State and Duquesne will meet for the 46th time on Wednesday night. In a series that dates back to 1924, Penn State owns a 26-19 edge. The series record includes a 16-4 Penn State record in games played in Happy Valley. The Lions have won two-straight games against the Dukes, including last season's 68-59 victory in Pittsburgh.
Duquesne is 3-2 on the season following a 76-62 setback to cross-town rival Pittsburgh. The Dukes entered the week ranked first nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (.458). The Dukes have shot north of 50 percent from the arc in three of the five games this season. Junior guard Derrick Colter leads the nation (through Sunday's games) in individual 3-point percentage (16-25, .640). Freshman forward TySean Powell began the week as the nation's leader in field goal percentage (26-34, .765). Colter and Powell are two of three Duquesne players averaging double-digits.
"It's an in-state rivalry game. It's always been a dogfight every time we play Jim Ferry's team," Chambers said. "He's a great coach. They are a lot better. I just watched some of the game versus Pitt. That was a battle. So I expect another hard fought down to the last four minutes type of game that hopefully we can find a way."
The Nittany Lions enter the contest 4-0 in games played in the Bryce Jordan Center this season.