Feb. 3, 2017
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State completes the season series with Rutgers, hosting the Scarlet Knights at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Bryce Jordan Center. The game will be televised on Big Ten Network with Clay Matvick and Sean Harrington calling the action.
STORYLINES
- The Nittany Lions won a 60-47 New Years Day matchup in Piscataway and have won each of the last three games in the series.
- The Lions are coming off a triple-overtime loss at Indiana, 110-102, Wednesday. It was the first 3OT game for Penn State since 1982 and marked the first 100-point game in Big Ten play. Rutgers has lost each of its last three games and all five Big Ten road contests.
- Saturday marks the Fourth Annual Team Ream Day. The Team Ream Foundation assists local financially-disadvantaged individuals who have been affected by cancer and serious medical conditions.
- Penn State leads the Big Ten in forced turnovers. PSU opponents average 15.4 turnovers on the season.
- Four players are averaging in double figures for Penn State, led by junior captain Shep Garner (12.5 ppg) and freshman Tony Carr (12.0). Three freshmen are among the top five scorers and are each of top-three rebounders.
- Carr is the team's leading scorer in Big Ten action with 12.9 ppg after tallying 23 points vs. Indiana Wednesday. He added 14 assists, the tying for the second-most in a game in program history.
PROMO PLANS [Promo Schedule]
- Team Ream Day
- Subway Full Court Four Pack Game
- Scout Day
- Shep Garner Trading card to the first 2,500 fans
SETTING THE SCENE
- Saturday is highlighted by the Fourth Annual Team Ream Day. The mission of the Team Ream Foundation is to assist the everyday lives of financially-disadvantaged individuals in State College and surrounding areas who have been affected by cancer and serious medical conditions.
- It was founded in memory of Brandon Ream, a former Penn State punter and avid PSU basketball supporter who passed away in November 2013 at the age of 29 after a two-year battle with cancer. For more information, visit teamream.org.
- The Nittany Lions earned four Big Ten wins in the month of January for the first time since 2008-09.
SCOUTING RUTGERS
- The Scarlet Knights have gone 1-8 since facing the Nittany Lions on New Years Day in Piscataway and sit at 12-11 on the season, 1-9 in the Big Ten. The lone league win to date came against Nebraska, 65-64, on Jan. 21.
- Rutgers is fourth nationally in rebounds per game (42.3), 15th in blocks (5.6), 18th in rebound margin (+7.2) and 22nd in field goal percentage defense (39.6).
- Three players are averaging in double figures for Rutgers, led by Corey Sanders' 12.4 points per game on the season and 14.7 ppg in Big Ten play.
SERIES HISTORY
- Penn State and Rutgers have met 70 times previously with the Lions holding a 40-30 advantage in the series. Penn State is 25-8 at home and leads the series 3-1 since Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014-15.
- The Lions have captured each of the last three meetings.
- The Scarlet Knights and Nittany Lions were both members of the Atlantic 10 Conference from 1976-79 and from 1982-1991. Penn State was 11-12 vs. Rutgers as an A10 conference foe.
CURRENT ROSTER VS. RUTGERS
Ten players have seen action against the Scarlet Knights. Both Shep Garner and Payton Banks have 20-point performances in their four career games in the series.
Player | GP-GS | PPG | RPG | SERIES HIGH |
T. Carr | 1-1 | 15 | 7 | 15, at RU (1/1/17) |
S. Garner | 4-3 | 10.3 | 2 | 20, at RU (1/1/17) |
P. Banks | 4-2 | 8.3 | 3 | 20, at RU (1/1/17) |
L. Stevens | 1-1 | 8 | 8 | 8, at RU (1/1/17) |
J. Reaves | 2-2 | 8 | 5 | 12, at RU (2/20/16) |
M. Watkins | 1-0 | 5 | 8 | 5, at RU (1/1/17) |
J. Moore | 4-1 | 2 | 2 | 8, at RU (1/1/17) |
T. Samuel | 1-0 | 2 | 3 | 2, at RU (1/1/17) |
I. Washington | 2-0 | 1.5 | 2 | 3, at RU (2/20/16) |
D. Zemgulis | 1-0 | 0 | 2 | -- |
LAST TIME AGAINST THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Jan. 1, 2017) - Payton Banks had 20 points and Tony Carr had 15 points to lead Penn State past Rutgers 60-47 in a New Year's Day matinee.
Penn State (9-6, 1-1) struggled out for the gate. The Nittany Lions went 0 of 10 from the field before Carr made a 3-pointer with 12:51 left in the first half. From that 7-5 deficit, the Lions reached halftime with a 27-23 lead.
Penn State would lead by as many as 18 leading 47-29 11:57 to play. While Penn State would go on a seven minute stretch without a field goal midway through the half, the closest Rutgers was able to get was 49-38 with 5:26 to play. Mike Williams had 16 points for Rutgers (11-3, 0-1).
OTHER MEMORABLE MATCHUPS
Dec. 1, 2004 (PSU, 83-80): Then-freshman Geary Claxton scored 10 of his 17 points in the second half, including two decisive late-game foul shots, to give Penn State its third-consecutive win of the 2003-04 season. This was Penn State's last visit to the RAC.
Feb. 27, 1991 (RU, 92-70): Rutgers handed Penn State its largest loss of the season in the regular-season finale in Piscataway before the Nittany Lions went on a four-game winning streak through the Atlantic 10 tournament and the second round of the NCAA tournament.
March 21, 1990 (PSU, 58-55): In the National Invitational Tournament quarterfinal in Piscataway, Penn State rallied from a second-half deficit to defeat Rutgers for its first trip to the NIT semifinals.
LOOKING AHEAD
Penn State hosts No. 17/17 Maryland at 6 p.m. Tuesday before returning to the road for back-to-back games. The Nittany Lions close out the season with four of their final six games away from home.