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Feb. 20, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lions head to Northwestern for a mid-afternoon matchup at 3 p.m. ET Saturday ESPNU. This weekend's matchup vs. the Wildcats marks the lone regular-season meeting between the teams this season.
Penn State (15-12, 3-11 B1G) is coming off a loss to fifth-ranked Wisconsin, ending an eight-day stretch of three games vs. Top 25 teams. The Lions have taken on four nationally-ranked foes at the time of meeting this season.
QUICK HITS
SCORING DEFENSE | In 10 of 14 Big Ten games, Penn State has held its opponent below their season scoring average, including eight of the last nine by an average of 10.7 points. Penn State limited Wisconsin to 18.4 points below its season average.
NORTHWESTERN | The Wildcats are 12-14 overall with a 3-10 mark in conference play. They have won their last two in a row, most recently taking down Minnesota on the road, helped out by a season-high 15 threes. [MORE: Page 2]
SO CLOSE | Ten of Penn State's Big Ten games have been decided by single digits, most recently with an eight-point loss to No. 5 Wisconsin. The nine single-digit losses in conference play have been separated by an average of 6.0 points.
ALL CLASS | D.J. Newbill was named one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, an accolade presented annually to the senior student-athlete with high accomplishments in all four areas of classroom, community, character and competition. VOTE: bit.ly/Vote4Newbill
UP NEXT | Penn State returns home for its final two home games of the season vs. Iowa Feb. 28 and Ohio State March 4. [TICKETS]
THE MATCHUP
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
- The Wildcats are 12-14 on the year and 3-10 in Big Ten action, after winning each of their last two games. The pair of wins snapped a 10-game losing streak spanning Jan. 4 to Feb. 10.
- Northwestern most recently knocked off Minnesota on the road, 72-66, Feb. 18 helped out by a season-high 15 3-pointers.
- Freshman Bryant McIntosh leads the Wildcat offense with 12.3 ppg, as well as 4.4 apg, which is tied for sixth in the conference.
- Along with McIntosh, redshirt junior Tre Demps and junior Alex Olah are each averaging double figures with 12.2 and 11.0 ppg, respectively.
- Northwestern's Alex Olah is among the top shot blockers in the conference, as his 1.8 bpg is slotted second.
- In a 66-61 OT win against Iowa, the Wildcats blocked 12 shots to tie a single-game program record. As a team, NU's averaging 4.1 blocks per game, which ranks sixth in the B1G standings.
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SERIES HISTORY
- This is the 43rd meeting between the teams with Penn State owning a 28-15 advantage in the all-time series. The Nittany Lions also lead 12-9 all-time when playing in Evanston.
- PSU has defeated NU on the road in each of the last two outings, having most recently captured a 59-32 win against the Wildcats March 6, 2014.
- In the last win in Evanston, Penn State limited the Wildcats to a season-low 32 points, holding NU to 23.3 percent from the field and 13.6 percent from behind the arc.
- D.J. Newbill helped the Nittany Lions to the most recent win against the Wildcats with 12 points, while Brandon Taylor and former Nittany Lion Tim Frazier chipped in 11 points each.
LAST TIME VS. THE WILDCATS
EVANSTON, Ill. (Mach 6, 2014) - D.J. Newbill scored 12 points and Penn State's zone defense stifled Northwestern in the Nittany Lions' 59-32 Big Ten win. Balanced scoring helped the Nittany Lions pick apart Northwestern's defense. Tim Frazier and Brandon Taylor, each of whom scored 11 points, were two of eight different players to score for Penn State. The Nittany Lions shot 50 percent from the field.
Penn State's 2-3 zone defense frustrated Northwestern the entire game. The Wildcats' 32 points were a season low and the fewest scored by any team in Big Ten play. Northwestern shot 23.3 percent from the field and went 3 of 22 behind the arc (season-low 13.6 percent). [RECAP]
14-15 NITTANY LIONS vs. THE WILDCATS
D.J. Newbill is the leading scorer in the series with Northwestern, producing 16.7 ppg through four meetings. He's posted double figures in every outing, including the third-highest scoring output of 20 points in January 2013. Having faced NU a team-high five times, Ross Travis is averaging a squad-best 7.4 rebounds per game in the series, including 6.0 defensive boards per game.
| PLAYER | GP-GS | PPG | RPG | MISC | POINTS HIGH |
| D.J. Newbill | 3-3 | 16.7 | 2.7 | 5 steals | 20, vs. NU 1/10/13 |
| Jordan Dickerson | 1-1 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 1 block | 6, at NU 3/6/14 |
| Ross Travis | 5-4 | 5.6 | 7.4 | 6.0 d-rpg | 10, vs. NU 3/6/14 |
| Brandon Taylor | 3-2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 2 blocks | 11, at NU 3/6/14 |
| Donovon Jack | 2-0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 rpg | 2, at NU 3/6/14 |
| Kevin Montminy | 3-0 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 19 mins | 3, vs. NU 1/10/13 |
| Geno Thorpe | 1-0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 8 mins | -- |
| Alan Wisniewski | 3-0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 block | -- |
| John Jonhson | 1-0 | 8.0 | 2.0 | 3-4FGs | 8, at NU 3/6/14 |
THREE NOTABALE GAMES
Feb. 25, 2012 (NU, 67-66): The Lions held a one-point lead for much of the final 2:48 until a foul call sent John Shurna to the free throw line with :03 to play. Shurna hit both to seal the win for the Wildcats, who hit 15 free throws in the contest.
Feb. 28, 2010 (PSU, 79-60): Talor Battle had 16 points to lead Penn State to what was the Lions' largest margin of victory since 2007. They shot 68 percent in the first half and ended the night at 57 percent.
Jan. 28, 2004 (PSU, 63-61-OT): The last of five overtime games between the teams went to Penn State when Marlon Smith posted 23 points and Ndu Egekeze converted on a lay-up with :01 remaining in the extra period.
NEWBILL NOTES
- D.J. Newbill is putting together a season and career of unprecedented numbers. He has likely topped out in the No. 4 spot in career scoring at Penn State (1,679) in just three seasons, needing 307 points to hit the No. 3 spot.
- He reached 500 points on the season vs. Nebraska (571) -- only one other player - PSU all-time leading scorer Talor Battle -- has reached 500 points three seasons in a row.
- Newbill now owns two of the Top 10 single-season scoring outputs, with last season's 604 points sitting in seventh and this year currently sitting in 10th.
- He needs 29 points to reach 600 on the season. There have been six players, Newbill included, to score at least 600 points in a season a total of eight times in PSU history.
- Newbill is averaging 21.1 ppg, tops in Division I among Power 5 conferences and fifth overall in Division I. It also is the fifth-highest season scoring average all-time at Penn State, among full-season figures, and is the greatest clip since 1963.
- He is averaging 18.3 ppg over his three seasons with Penn State, a career scoring average which is second all-time, behind only Jesse Arnelle (1952-55; 21.0 ppg; 2,138 points).
- Off the court, Newbill was named one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, presented annually to the one four-year student-athlete with exceptional accomplishments in all four areas of classroom, community, character and competition.
- Fans can vote once a day, every day from now until March 25. Newbill is one of just two players from the Big Ten among the candidate pool, joining Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky. [VOTE: http://bit.ly/Vote4Newbill].
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BEFORE & AFTER
LAST TIME OUT
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (AP) - Penn State battled from behind by as many as 16 in the second half to arrive within five, 48-43, with 4:08 remaining, but Wisconsin pulled away for a 55-47 win. Sam Decker scored 22 points and Frank Kaminsky added 16 as No. 5 Wisconsin overcame a late Penn State surge to defeat the Nittany Lions.
Dekker and Penn State's D.J. Newbill waged an entertaining scoring battle. Newbill led all scorers with 29 points, but the next-highest scorer for Penn State was Brandon Taylor with seven.
Wisconsin never trailed and pulled out to a 39-26 lead at the outset of the second half that forced a Penn State timeout, then neither team scored for more than three minutes before Newbill's layup for Penn State and another Dekker 3-pointer that put the Badgers up by 14. The teams combined for just 21 points in the first 11 minutes of the half, and the Badgers patiently built a 46-30 lead. [RECAP]
UP NEXT
Penn State welcomes the first of its final two opponents at home, hosting Iowa Saturday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. on ESPNU. The Hawkeyes are currently 16-10 on the year and 7-6 in Big Ten play. Iowa is 4-3 when playing on the road.
The Hawkeyes have lost two of their last three games, though are coming off a win vs. Rutgers Thursday night, 81-47, at home. Iowa has two games prior to heading to Happy Valley including a trip to Nebraska (2/22) and a home date with Illinois.
Aaron White leads the Iowa offense with 14.4 ppg, while Jarrod Uthoff is also averaging double figures at 12.3 ppg. White's also leading the team on the boards with a squad-best 7.0 rpg.
Following the Iowa game Penn State remains home to host its final opponent at the Bryce Jordan Center this season, welcoming Ohio State March 4 on Senior Night. [TICKETS]