July 31, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's basketball team will take on Colorado in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic at 10:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, Dec. 22. The matchup will be the final of four games on the day from Orleans Arena.
This is just the second meeting in program history between the teams and the first in 76 years. The Buffaloes defeated the Nittany Lions, 29-26, in a neutral-site game played in Hershey, Pa., Jan. 2, 1939.
The winner of the Penn State-Colorado game will play the winner of the SMU vs. Kent State matchup at 11:30 p.m. ET Dec. 23 on FoxSports1. The losers in each game will play each other at 9 p.m. ET, also on FoxSports1.
Each team will play four games in the Classic - the first two at on-campus sites and the final two rounds at the Orleans Arena. Penn State will host two games with dates and opponents to be announced.
Tickets for the final rounds in Las Vegas are available at the Orleans Arena box office (1.888.234.2334 or 702.284.7777) and via the internet at www.orleansarena.com.
The Nittany Lions return three starters from the 2014-15 squad, which made a run to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals before finishing with 18 wins and the most non-conference victories in program history. The highest-rated recruiting class in PSU history is on board in 2015-16, joining seven returning letterwinners led by starters Brandon Taylor, Jordan Dickerson and Shep Garner. Garner was the second-leading scorer down the stretch last season, while Taylor, Dickerson and Donovon Jack all moved into the Top 10 in career blocks while upping the team's defensive presence.
The Buffaloes return four starters from a year ago from their 16-18 team, and are led by three-year senior starter Josh Scott (12.9 ppg., 7.5 rpg., 1.2 blk.) and junior forward Wesley Gordon (6.3 ppg., 6.5 rpg., 1.4 blk.). With 88 blocked shots during his first two seasons in Boulder, Gordon along with Scott (23 career double-doubles), are the only returning players to shoot over 54 percent from the field last year.
Penn State is 2-1 all-time vs. SMU after playing three-consecutive seasons in 1980-82. The Lions are 12-3 vs. Kent State all-time, dating back to 1937. The last meeting was a 81-74 PSU victory in the quarterfinals of the NIT March 22, 2000.
Past champions of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic include Kansas State (2008), Alabama (2009), New Mexico (2010), Baylor (2011), Colorado State (2012), UNLV (2013) and Loyola, IL (2014).
2015 Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic (Orleans Arena) Schedule
Tuesday, December 22 (mountain time listed)
Hampton vs. Nicholls State, 1:00 p.m.
Canisius vs. Louisiana Monroe, 3:30 p.m.
SMU vs. Kent State, 6:00 p.m.
Colorado vs. Penn State, 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 23 (mountain time listed)
Hampton/Nicholls State loser vs. Canisius/Louisiana Monroe loser, 1:30 p.m.
Hampton/Nicholls State winner vs. Canisius/Louisiana Monroe winner, 4:00 p.m.
SMU/Kent State loser vs. Colorado/Penn State loser, 7:00 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)
SMU/Kent State winner vs. Colorado/Penn State winner, 9:30 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)
About Continental Tire
Based in Fort Mill, S.C., Continental Tire the Americas, LLC manufactures and distributes a complete premium line of passenger, light truck and commercial tires for original equipment and replacement markets. Our ultra-high, performance tires include award-winning technologies that focus on safety, help save money, and reduce CO2 emissions. Continental's premium products are available at leading independent tire dealers, car dealers, and mass retail companies across North America. Continental Tire is a proud supporter of IMSA, Major League Soccer (MLS), West Coast Customs, World Racing, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, and Petty's Garage.