UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team travels to Lincoln, Nebraska, for a 9 p.m. ET game Thursday, Jan. 10. The game in Pinnacle Bank Arena will be broadcast by ESPN2 and available online at watchespn.com and on the ESPN mobile app.
Penn State and Nebraska have played 15 of their 18 all-time meetings as Big Ten foes with the Nittany Lions holding a 9-8 series advantage. Neither team has won more than two games in a row and the home team has won each of the last eight games.
In last year's game at Lincoln, senior guard Josh Reaves had a career-best seven steals. The two-time Big Ten steals leader leads the league with 37 this season and in steals per game at 2.7. Nebraska and Penn State are first and second, respectively, in the conference team rankings for steals.
Nittany Lion junior forward Lamar Stevens extended his streak of double-figure games to 22 with 22 points vs. Wisconsin for his 22nd career game of 20-plus points or more.
WATCH: ESPN2
TALENT:
Jason Benetti (pxp) & Robbie Hummel (analyst)
STREAM: BTN2go.com & BTN app (subscription)
LISTEN: Penn State Sports Network
Steve Jones (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
Affiliates:GoPSUsports.com/MBBAffiliates1819
Online: GoPSUsports.com/lionvision
Sirius 106 | XM 196 | Internet 958
LIVE STATS: Penn State at Nebraska
SOCIAL: Twitter @PennStateMBB & @Coach_Chambers | Facebook | Instagram @PennStateMBB.
ROSTER: Penn State | Nebraska
SCHEDULE: Penn State | Nebraska
STATS: Penn State | Nebraska
GAME NOTES: Penn State | Nebraska | Big Ten
MEDIA GUIDE: Penn State | Nebraska
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
Coach: Tim Miles (University of Mary, 1989)
Nebraska Record: 108-101 (7th season)
Career Record: 391-321 (24th season)
2018-19 Record: 11-4, 1-3 Big Ten
2018-19 Leading Scorer
#00 James Palmer Sr., Sr., G – 20.1 ppg
2018-19 Leading Rebounder
#15 Isaiah Roby, Jr., F – 10.5 rpg
2018-19 Assists Leader
#5 Glynn Watson Jr, Sr., G – 4.7 apg
Coach: Patrick Chambers (Philadelphia, 1994)
Penn State Record: 120-129 (8th season)
Career Record: 162-157 (10th season)
2018-19 Leading Scorer:
#11 Lamar Stevens, Jr., F - 18.9 ppg
2018-19 Leading Rebounder:
#11 Lamar Stevens, Jr., F - 8.1 rpg
2018-19 Assists Leader:
#23 Josh Reaves, Sr., G - 3.3 apg
PENN STATE STARTERS (LAST GAME)
F -- 11 -- Lamar Stevens – Jr. | 2018-19 ppg: 18.9 | rpg: 8.1
Note: Has scored 10 or more points in 22 consecutive games; Recorded 22nd career game of 20 or more points vs. Wisconsin with 22
F -- 24 – Mike Watkins – R-Jr. | 2018-19 ppg: 7.5 | rpg: 7.6
Note: Hauled in game-high 10 rebounds vs. Wisconsin to become only the 21st Nittany Lion with 600 career rebounds; shooting 59.3% from field and averaging 9.2 ppg & 7.6 rpg in last 5 games
G -- 2 – Myles Dread – So. | 2018-19 ppg: 8.1 | rpg: 3.0
Note: Has five double-figure scoring games this season; second on the team in 3-point field goals with 30 and has most starts among freshmen with 11
G – 13 – Rasir Bolton -- Fr. | 2018-19 ppg: 13.6 | rpg: 2.3
Note: Has 10 games in double-figure scoring; averaging 14.9 points per game in his eight starts
G – 23 -- Josh Reaves -- Sr. | 2018-19 ppg: 9.5 | rpg: 5.0
Note: Two-time B1G steals leader leads league in both total steals and steals per game; No. 5 on NCAA active car steals list with 207
SERIES RECORD vs. NEBRASKA
In this series, the last eight contests have been won by the home team. The teams split their meetings along those lines in 2017-18 with Penn State winning in the BJC (76-74-OT, 1/12/18). Neither team has won more than two games in a row in the series.
In 15 Big Ten regular-season games, this is the earliest in the season the two teams have played. The first game as conference foes took place in Lincoln on Jan. 11, 2012.
Series streak: Nebraska, W1
Last game: Nebraska 76, Penn State 64, 2/25/18
Overall series: Penn State leads 9-8
at Lincoln: Nebraska leads 7-1
Chambers vs. Nebraska: 7-7
STARTING 5
The last eight games in the Penn State-Nebraska series have been won by the home team.
Nebraska and Penn State are ranked first (8.5) and second (7.9), respectively, in the Big Ten Conference team rankings for steals per game. Nittany Lion Josh Reaves is the league's individual leader (2.7 spg) while Nebraska's Thomas Allen (1.6) and James Palmer Jr (1.5) rank third and fourth.
The Nittany Lions' overall strength of schedule is No. 8 with a No. 32 ranking for the nonconference strength of schedule.
Redshirt junior Mike Watkins pulled down 10 rebounds vs. #22 Wisconsin to become only the 21st Nittany Lion to amass 600 career rebounds.
Junior forward and Julius Erving Award candidate Lamar Stevens has scored in double figures in every game this season, has six double-doubles and seven games with 20 or more points in 2018-19. He has started all 87 games in his career.
HOT-SHOOTING WISCONSIN, PENN STATE TURNOVERS SPOIL FIRST HOME GAME OF NEW YEAR
Penn State couldn't recover from 11 first-half turnovers that gave No. 22 Wisconsin a 10-point halftime lead and a 71-52 win over the Nittany Lions Sunday night in the Bryce Jordan Center.
Paired with Penn State's 16 total turnovers, Wisconsin shot nearly 60 percent in the second half and had three Badgers post double figures in points. Lamar Stevens and Wisconsin's Ethan Happ tied for the game-high scoring total of 22 while Mike Watkins had a game-best 10 rebounds. Watkins became only the 21st Nittany Lion in program history with 600 career rebounds.
Wisconsin made is first four field goals of the second half, including two 3-pointers, while Penn State struggled offensively, putting more distance between the Badgers and Nittany Lions, 43-23. Josh Reaves had the next two scores for Penn State with a layup and one-handed dunk. Reaves scored all six of his points in the second half and had a game-best five assists.
The Badgers continued their hot shooting at 80 percent (8-10) in the first 8:30 of the second period. Baskets by Stevens and Reaves started to fall, but the Nittany Lions shot 33.3 percent in the second half (10-30) and couldn't make up ground.
Four more turnovers in the first half allowed UW to build its lead to 13 points, 24-11, before Stevens had a layup and converted a three-point play. Myles Dread connected on his second trey of the half and layups by Stevens and Bolton cut the lead to 31-23.
Wisconsin was kept scoreless for 3:08 until Brad Davison hit a jumper before the half to put the Badgers up 33-23 at the break.
Happ finished the night with eight rebounds and four assists with Davison scoring 14 and Nate Reuvers 11 for Wisconsin. Davison also had seven rebounds.
BY THE NUMBERS
2.85 – Team GPA for fall 2018 semester, highest single-semester GPA by the Nittany Lions in the Chambers era.
3 – Millions of dollars raised (net) by Coaches vs. Cancer-Penn State since the organization was launched in 1995.
3.2 – Increase in rebounds per game for Mike Watkins in his last five games (9.2) compared to his first five games back on the court (6.0).
5 – Senior guard Josh Reaves' NCAA ranking among active players with 207 career steals. He leads the Big Ten in both total steals (37) and steals per game (2.7).
8 – Penn State's overall strength of schedule with a No. 32 ranking for its nonconference strength of schedule.
22 – Larmar Stevens' game-high 22 points vs. Wisconsin extended his streak of double-figure scoring games to 22. It was also his 22nd career game with 20 or more points.
$22,095 – Net funds raised for the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund
by Penn State and West Virginia from exhibition game ticket sales and donations from fans.
