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Feb. 6, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's basketball team, winners in two of their last four games, returns to the Bryce Jordan Center to face Nebraska at 4 p.m. Saturday on ESPNU.
The Nittany Lions coming off a 64-58 road loss to No. 17/16 Maryland, their first of four games vs. Top 25-ranked teams over a two-week span. The last seven of the team's losses have been decided by an average of 5.3 points with two one-possession decisions.
THON HOOPS DAY | Saturday vs. Nebraska is the annual THON Hoops Day with approximately 70 families expected to participate in activities before, during and after the game. These families include children who are either undergoing or have undergone pediatric cancer treatment and have a relationship with the Four Diamonds Fund. The fund supports children treated at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital and their families through care, support and research. [VIDEO]
PROMO PLANS
- Fans will receive a Penn State Basketball Carnival cup while supplies last.
- All student ticket proceeds benefit THON 2015
- Subway Full Court Four Pack: Enjoy four tickets, four subs and four drinks for $40
QUICK HITS
SCORING DEFENSE | In seven of 10 Big Ten games, Penn State has held its opponent under their season scoring average, including each of last five by average of 11.5 points. The Nittany Lions have not allowed more than 66 points in their last five games.
NEBRASKA | The Huskers are 13-9 on the season and 5-5 in the Big Ten after defeating Northwestern Tuesday. Nebraska is 0-4 on the road in Big Ten play. Penn State trails in the all-time series 4-5 after the teams split regular-season meetings last season.
HEY DJ, THAT'S MY DJ | Senior guard D.J. Newbill, the top scorer among Power 5 conference players and fifth in Division I, has paced Penn State throughout season with 21.5 ppg. The No. 5 scorer all-time at PSU, he is seven points away from 4th-place and 10 away from being just second player in program history to reach 500 points in three-consecutive seasons.
SENIOR CLASS AWARD | D.J. Newbill was named one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award, presented annually to a four-year student-athlete who excels in all four areas of classroom, community, character and competition. [seniorclassaward.com]
UP NEXT | The Nittany Lions prepare for three-consecutive games vs. Top 25 foes beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday at No. 20 Ohio State. Penn State swept the Buckeyes last season.
THE MATCHUP
SCOUTING NEBRASKA
- The Huskers are 13-9 on the season and 5-5 in the Big Ten after defeating Northwestern, 76-60, Tuesday. They have lost two of their last three games and are 0-4 on the road in league play this season.
- In the win over Northwestern, Nebraska shot 63 percent from the floor for the best shooting effort from the field in five seasons and highest shooting percentage against a conference opponent in 16 seasons.
- Terran Petteway led three Huskers in double figures against Northwestern with 28 points - his 11th 20-point game of the season - seven rebounds and four assists. Petteway leads the team and is third in the Big Ten in scoring with 18.7 ppg.
- Shavon Shields also averages in double-figures, posting 16.0 ppg to go with a team-leading 6.3 rpg.
- Nebraska has averaged 15.5 assists per game in the last two games after averaging 9.9 in the first 20 games. They also are averaging 16.0 turnovers, compared to 13.3 on the season.
SERIES HISTORY
- Nebraska leads the all-time series 5-4 with all but three of nine meetings taking place once the Huskers were in the Big Ten. Penn State was 2-1 prior to being league foes; 2-4 since.
- The Nittany Lions are 3-1 on their home court vs. the Huskers, including a win last season. The team split regular-season meetings a year ago with each winning at home.
- Three of the last four meetings in the series have been decided by six points or fewer.
14-15 NITTANY LIONS VS. NEBRASKA
Nine players on the current roster have faced the Huskers in their career. D.J. Newbill is the leading scorer through four matchups with 15.3 ppg. He has tallied a personal-best 17 points twice in the series, which stand as the fourth-most points scored against Nebraska in the all-time series. Donovon Jack is the leading rebounder with 5.7 per game in three meetings.
| PLAYER | GP-GS | PPG | RPG | MISC | POINTS HIGH |
| D.J. Newbill | 4-4 | 15.3 | 4 | 2.0 apg | 17(2x), last at NEB 2/20/14 |
| John Johnson | 2-0 | 9 | 2 | 3 assts | 13, vs NEB 1/23/14 |
| Brandon Taylor | 4-4 | 6 | 2.8 | 2 steals | 11, vs NEB 1/23/14 |
| Ross Travis | 6-4 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 45 FG% | 8 (2x), last at NEB 2/20/14 |
| Dononvon Jack | 3-2 | 4.3 | 5.7 | 2 blocks | 7, vs NEB 1/23/14 |
| Alan Wisniewski | 3-0 | 2.7 | 3 | 7 OffRbs | 6, at NEB 2/9/13 |
| Geno Thorpe | 2-0 | 2 | 1.5 | 2-2 FTs | 4, at NEB 2/20/14 |
| Kevin Montminy | 4-0 | 0.8 | 0 | 3 pts | 3, vs NEB 1/19/13 |
| Jordan Dickerson | 2-0 | 0 | 3 | 2.0 bpg | -- |
LAST TIME VS. THE HUSKERS
LINCOLN (Feb. 20, 2014) - Terran Petteway scored 26 points to lead five Nebraska players in double figures, and the Cornhuskers defeated Penn State 80-67. D.J. Newbill and Tim Frazier scored 17 points each for Penn State has lost four of its last five after winning three in a row.
Nebraska has won four straight conference games for the first time since 1998-99 and matched its victory total of last season. The Huskers are over .500 in the Big Ten for the first time since joining the league in 2011.
THREE MORE NOTABALE GAMES
Jan. 23, 2014 (PSU, 58-54): Led by D.J. Newbill's 16 points, four Penn State players posted double-figure scoring efforts as the Lions snapped a six-game losing streak with a 58-54 win over Nebraska at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Jan. 11, 2012 (NEB, 70-58) : Tim Frazier tallied a career-high 30 points, but Nebraska used 10-0 and 8-0 runs in the first half to build an early lead and take a 70-58 win for the Cornhuskers' first Big Ten victory.
March 21, 1995 (PSU, 65-59): The Nittany Lions used Rahsaan Carlton's 19 points to top Nebraska 65-59 in the NIT Second Round in Lincoln, Neb. The teams were tied at 36 at halftime, but three Lion players put up double-digits for the win. Penn State went on to finish third in the NIT that year, its second of four trips to Madison Square Garden.