Jan. 2, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion basketball team (12-1, 0-1 Big Ten) returns to action on Saturday (7:30 p.m. on ESPN2) for its second Big Ten game of the season at Rutgers (8-6, 0-1 Big Ten).
The Nittany Lions shot 54 percent from the field in Wednesday's Big Ten opener at Wisconsin (89-72), marking the highest shooting clip in a conference game since 2011. Head coach Patrick Chambers said on Friday that the team's offensive output is something to build on heading into Saturday's matchup against the Scarlet Knights.
"We shot the ball really well," Chambers said. "I thought we really did some good things on the offensive end. We were pretty crisp, pretty fluent, and we did some good stuff. We definitely need a second or third scorer, though...To shoot over 50 percent against a team like Wisconsin is positive."
The Lions went toe-to-toe with the fourth-ranked Badgers during much of the first half, but Wisconsin was seemingly unstoppable on the offensive end of the floor. Shooting 64 percent for the game and 70 percent in the second half, Wisconsin fired on all cylinders in the conference opener.
Nonetheless, Penn State's ability to play at a consistently high level on the offensive end of the floor showed Chambers the potential the Lions have against an elite team. Now, he is looking for more balance.
"It's a positive that we can score 72 points against a team like Wisconsin, but we can't rely on D.J. (Newbill) to get us 29 points every night," said Chambers. "We need Brandon Taylor. We need Ross Travis. We need Donovon Jack. We need Jordan Dickerson. I don't care it's four, six or eight, but we need positive production on the offensive end from those guys. John Johnson. We are going to start counting on those guys, so those guys have to step up for us."
The Nittany Lions are at their best when everyone in the rotation contributes in some manner on the offensive end of the floor. Newbill's 29 points paced the Lions on Wednesday, but he was the lone player in double-figures until the latter stages in the game when Geno Thorpe and Shep Garner each reached the 11-point plateau.
Penn State has scored 20 or more points off the bench in 10 of the 13 games this season. The Lions are 9-1 in those contests, with the lone setback coming against Wisconsin.
With plenty to build on, especially on offense, the Lions are focused on game two of the Big Ten slate in Piscataway. Chambers said the Nittany Lions went back to work in a business-like approach on Thursday.
"We competed hard yesterday," Chambers said. "We went short and hard. You gotta get back on the floor after a game like that where you get punched in the mouth. We haven't been punched in the mouth all season long...We got back to work yesterday and watched film on where we need to get better and the habits we need to create, on the road especially."
Penn State and Rutgers are slated to meet for the 67th time on Saturday at the RAC. The Lions hold a 37-29 advantage in a series that dates back to 1922. The two teams have not met since a 2006 matchup in the postseason NIT (L, 76-71).
The Scarlet Knights fell to 8-6 on the season and 0-1 in Big Ten play with a 51-47 setback to Northwestern. Prior to the home setback to the Wildcats in the program's first Big Ten game, Rutgers had won two games in a row. Senior guard Myles Mack leads Rutgers in scoring at 15.5 points per game. As a team, Rutgers is ranked 14th in the conference in scoring at 59.5 points per contest.
The Rutgers game caps off a two-game road stretch before the Nittany Lions return to the Bryce Jordan Center to meet Michigan on Tuesday.
"I'm anxiously looking forward to seeing how we respond today and tomorrow," Chambers said.