UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team (2-0) travels to Washington, D.C. for its Gavitt Tipoff Game at Georgetown (2-0) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14. The Nittany Lions and Hoyas square off in Capital One Arena in their first meeting as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Game series and their first meeting since 2004.
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Kevin Kugler (pxp) & Donny Marshall (analyst)
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Steve Jones (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
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ROSTER: Penn State | Georgetown
SCHEDULE: Penn State | Georgetown
STATS: Penn State | Georgetown
GAME NOTES: Penn State | Georgetown
MEDIA GUIDE: Penn State | Georgetown
GEORGETOWN
Coach: Patrick Ewing (Georgetown, 1985)
Record at Georgetown: 36-29 (Third season)
Career Record: Same
2019-20 Record: 2-0, 0-0 Big East
Top Scorer
#44 Omer Yurtseven, Sr., C – 18.5 ppg
Top Rebounder
#44 Omer Yurtseven, Sr., C – 13.5 rpg
Top Assists Leader
#3 James Akinjo, So., G – 6.0 apg
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
Coach: Patrick Chambers (Philadelphia, 1994)
Penn State Record: 129-140 (9th season)
Career Record: 171-168 (11th season)
2018-19 Record: 2-0, 0-0 Big Ten
Top Scorer
#11 Lamar Stevens, Sr., F – 15.0 ppg
Top Rebounder
#24 Mike Watkins, Sr., F – 9.5 rpg
Assists Leader
#0 Myreon Jones, So., G – 4.5 apg
STARTING 5
This is the third time in the last four seasons Penn State has scored 80 or more points in its first two games (84 vs. UMES, 91 vs. Wagner).
For the first time in the Patrick Chambers era, and for the first time since 1995-96, the Nittany Lions posted margins of victory of 20 points or more (+38 vs. UMES, +27 vs. Wagner) in their first two games of the season.
PSU had 11 treys vs. Wagner and 12 vs. UMES for back-to-back games with double digits in that category for only the second time since 2011.
Senior forward Mike Watkins needs six rebounds to become the seventh Nittany Lion with 750 career and 11 to join Penn State's career top-five chart (755).
Freshman forward Seth Lundy scored all 12 of his career-best point total in the second half vs. Wagner. Lundy was 4-4 from the field, 2-2 from beyond the arc and 2-2 in free throws.
PENN STATE IN THE GAVITT TIPOFF GAMES
Penn State is 1-1 in its Gavitt Tipoff Games with both previous matchups against DePaul. A switch in the 2019-20 schedule put the Nittany Lions on the road for this series for the second-straight year.
GAVITT TIPOFF GAMES HISTORY
11/14/2019 at Georgetown
11/15/2018 at DePaul – Lot – 70-72
11/17/2015 vs. DePaul – W – 68-62
The unique series between the two conferences was named to honor the late Dave Gavitt, the founder of the Big East Conference and basketball visionary. Gavitt was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
SERIES VS. GEORGETOWN
Thursday's contest is the first meeting between Penn State and Georgetown in the Gavitt Tipoff Game series and the 43rd overall. Penn State leads the series 22-20, but Georgetown has won the last five games.
Series streak: Georgetown, W5
Overall series: Penn State 22-20 (A: 9-14)
Last game: at Washington, D.C.
Georgetown 66, Penn State 53, 12/6/04
Chambers vs. Georgetown: First meeting
STRONG SECOND HALF SECURES DOUBLE-DIGIT WIN OVER WAGNER
Penn State downed Wagner, 91-64 Saturday for its second-straight double-digit margin victory. Five Nittany Lions scored in double figures in the win led by Myreon Jones' season-high 14 points.
Lamar Stevens added 13 points and had six rebounds in 24 minutes of action. Seth Lundy and Izaiah Brockington had 12 each with all 12 of Lundy's and 10 of Brockington's points coming in the second half. Jamari Wheeler scored 10 points and tied his career best with two 3-point field goals.
Mike Watkins paced Penn State with eight boards and Lundy grabbed seven.
The two teams traded baskets in the first half with both teams shooting 38 percent and even on 3-point field goals at four each. The 37-30 Nittany Lion lead at the half was courtesy one extra field goal and five free throws.
Penn State went on a 12-1 run out of the half to go up 49-31 with baskets from four different Nittany Lions. The second half saw a 54-point total for PSU, including seven treys, and a 54.8 field goal percentage.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions forced 18 turnovers and had nine steals with a game-high three by Wheeler.
Penn State took advantage of Wagner's thin personnel situation as three Seahawks fouled out and two others had four. The Nittany Lions added 20 points to the total from the free throw line.
STEVENS ON MALONE AWARD WATCH LIST
Lamar Stevens was named as one of 20 players on the 2020 Karl Malone Power Forward Watch List as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
New this year, Nittany Lion fans can participate in the voting for Stevens at http://www.hoophallawards.com.
Named after Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the honor recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee of college basketball personnel determined the list of 20 candidates.
BY THE NUMBERS
1
Penn State is ranked first in the Big Ten with 9.5 steals per game and 19 total steals.
6
Number of Nittany Lions with 10+ points vs. UMES. The last time Penn State had six players in double-digit scoring was Nov. 20, 2017 vs. Pitt.
7
Junior Jamari Wheeler leads the Big Ten with 7 total steals and 3.5 per game.
11
Number of rebounds needed by Mike Watkins, who has 744 in his career, to move into Penn State's all-time top five in that category.
12
Number of 3-point field goals in the 2019-20 opener, highest team total in an opener in PSU's Big Ten era.
28
Number of rebounds needed by Lamar Stevens to reach career number 700. When he reaches that rebound total with his 1,500 career points, Stevens would become only the fourth Nittany Lion to possess those career numbers.
54
Penn State scored 54 points in the second half vs. Wagner.
The last time the Nittany Lions scored 50 points in a half was vs. Nebraska (2H-51) Feb. 19, 2019.
"HOME" COMING AT THE PALESTRA
Six Nittany Lions have ties to Philadelphia, as does coach Patrick Chambers, the all-time assists leader for Herb Magee at Philadelphia University. Penn State will play host to Iowa on Jan. 4, 2020, at The Palestra for a "home" game in Philadelphia. Tickets for this game are available for purchase at gopsusports.com/mbbphilly.
