| PENN STATE (12-12, 3-8) at Nebraska (13-12, 5-7) | ||||||||||||||||
|
Feb. 12, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State (12-12, 3-8 B1G) faces Nebraska (13-12, 5-7 B1G) at 6 p.m. ET Saturday in Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Nittany Lions last made a trip to Lincoln during the 2013-14 season.
STORYLINES
- Prior to a mid-week bye, Penn State is coming off a win over then-No. 22 Indiana, 68-63 last Saturday. It was the first win over a ranked opponent for the Lions since sweeping Ohio State in 2014 (0-11 since).
- The Nittany Lions held the Hoosiers to 22 points below their season average of 85.0 points per game, while also limiting IU to a season-low 36 percent (17-47) showing from the field. The Hoosiers entered the game ranked second nationally with a 51.6 shooting percentage. Penn State is 9-2 on the year when foes are shooting less than 40 percent from the field.
- Nebraska has dropped four of its last five games and is coming off a 72-61 setback to Wisconsin Wednesday.
- Three Nittany Lions are scoring in double-figures: Brandon Taylor (16.6 ppg), Shep Garner (13.6) and Payton Banks (10.2) with Taylor controlling the boards (6.2) and Garner also leading in assists (3.1). In the last three games, Taylor is averaging 21.0 pts and 9.0 rbds per game with two double-doubles.
GAMEDAY INFO
SCOUTING NEBRASKA
The Huskers enter Saturday with a 13-12 overall record and 5-7 mark in the Big Ten after falling on the road to Wisconsin, 72-61, Wednesday.
They have gone 1-4 since knocking off Michigan State in East Lansing, 72-71, Jan. 20 and have more Big Ten road wins (3) than home (2).
Nebraska averages 73.8 ppg on offense and is 0-5 in Big Ten play when being held below 70 points. Andrew White leads the Huskers on the year with 16.9 ppg. Shavon Shields, who was injured in the game vs. Rutgers and missed the matchup with the Badgers, averages 15.7 ppg and 2.9 apg.
| PSU | STAT CATEGORY | NEB | STAT | PSU LEADER | NEB LEADER | ||
| 65.4 | Points Per Game | 73.8 | Points | Brandon Taylor: 16.6 | Andrew White III: 16.9 | ||
| 68.9 | Opponent Points Per Game | 68.7 | Rebounds | Brandon Taylor: 6.2 | Andrew White III: 6.2 | ||
| 40.8 | Field-Goal Percentage | 45.6 | Assists | Shep Garner: 3.1 | Shavon Shields: 2.9 | ||
| 42.2 | Opponent FG Percentage | 43.4 | Blocks | Jordan Dickerson: 1.6 | Michael Jacobson: 0.6 | ||
| 5.8 | 3-pointers Per Game | 6.5 | |||||
| 29.1 | 3-point FG Percentage | 35.2 | |||||
| 36.5 | Opponent 3-point FG % | 36.4 | |||||
| 68.8 | Free-Throw Percentage | 72.0 | |||||
| 34.8 | Rebounds Per Game | 36.2 | |||||
| 35.9 | Opponent Rebs Per Game | 32.3 | |||||
| 9.6 | Assists Per Game | 12.3 | |||||
| 11.0 | Turnovers Per Game | 12.2 | |||||
| 5.1 | Steals Per Game | 7.3 | |||||
| 4.3 | Blocks Per Game | 3.0 |
SERIES HISTORY
- Penn State leads the all-time series 6-5 after capturning both meetings last season, in the BJC and in opening round of the B1G tourney.
- All but three of 10 meetings have taken place once the Huskers were in the Big Ten. Penn State was 2-1 prior to being league foes; 4-4 since.
- Both teams are 4-1 when playing on their respective home courts.
- Four of the last six meetings in the series have been decided by six points or fewer.
CURRENT ROSTER VS. NEBRASKA
Seven current players have taken on the Huskers, led by Shep Garner's 14.0 ppg over two meetings last season. He posted 19 in the Big Ten tournament win.
| PLAYER | GP-GS | PPG | RPG | SERIES HIGH |
| S. Garner | 2-2 | 14.0 | 3.0 | 19, vs NEB (3/11/15) |
| B. Taylor | 6-5 | 7.2 | 3.5 | 11, 2x, last vs NEB (2/7/15) |
| D. Foster | 2-0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 4, 2x, last vs NEB (3/11/15) |
| J. Dickerson | 4-2 | 0.5 | 3.3 | 2, vs NEB (2/7/15) |
| D. Jack | 5-2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.4 |
| J. Moore | 2-0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2, 2x, last vs NEB (3/11/15) |
| P. Banks | 1-0 | 0.0 | 3.9 | -- |
LAST TIME VS. THE HUSKERS
CHICAGO (March 11, 2015) - D.J. Newbill scored 26 points, Shep Garner added 19 and Penn State hung on to beat Nebraska 68-65 in the Big Ten tournament opener. The 13th-seeded Nittany Lions (17-15) advanced for the first time since a run to the final in 2011. They came away with their second-straight win when Shavon Shields missed a 3 for 12th-seeded Nebraska (13-18) at the buzzer. Garner hit five 3-pointers. Newbill nailed four from long range and keyed a 14-1 run early in the second half that stretched the lead from three to 16. Penn State also blocked a tournament-record 16 shots.
NOTABLE GAMES IN THE SERIES
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.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions alternate home/away games for the next couple weeks, returning to the BJC for a matchup with No. 4 Iowa at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. All student-athletes receiving a 3.0 GPA or better during fall semester will be recognized at halftime. Nine men's basketball players reached this mark, including freshman Mike Watkins who will represent the team during the ceremony.