Nittany Lions Welcome Hoosiers for Final Game in January

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team (14-5, 4-4) closes out the month of January against Indiana (15-5, 5-4) with an 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff time from the Bryce Jordan Center on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The Big Ten Network will broadcast the game with Kevin Kugler and Seth Davis on the call.
 
The Nittany Lions return to action in the BJC vs. the Hoosiers after picking up their first Big Ten Conference road win at Michigan, 72-63, last week. Graduate guard Curtis Jones Jr., who played in 40 games at Indiana before arriving at Penn State, comes into Wednesday night having scored 18 second-half points to help stave off a Wolverine comeback.
 
The Penn State basketball student section, Legion of Blue, is celebrating 'Merica night with a stars and stripes theme. Free hot dogs and hamburgers are available to students, while supplies last.
 
TICKETS:
Purchase single-game tickets or a Mobile Flex Plan to attend upcoming Penn State home games at the Bryce Jordan Center.
 
The Bryce Jordan Center Athletics Ticket Office opens two hours prior to tipoff on game days.
 
DIGITAL PROGRAM

WATCH: BTN and Fox Sports mobile app
Kevin Kugler (pxp) & Seth Davis (analyst)
LISTEN: Penn State Sports Network
Steve Jones (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
Affiliates: GoPSUsports.com/affiliates1920
Listen online: GoPSUsports.com/lionvision
SiriusXM | XM  138 | XM  195 | Internet  957
 
LIVE STATS: Indiana at Penn State
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ROSTER: Penn State  |  Indiana
SCHEDULE: Penn State  |  Indiana
STATS: Penn State  |  Indiana
GAME NOTES:  Penn State | Indiana
MEDIA GUIDE:  Penn State | Indiana
 
INDIANA
Coach: Archie Miller (NC State, 2002)
Record at Indiana: 50-36, (Third season)
Career Record: 189-99, (Ninth season)
2019-20 Record: 15-5, 5-4 Big Ten
Top Scorer
#4 Trayce Jackson-Davis, Fr., F – 14.1 ppg
Top Rebounder                     
#4 Trayce Jackson-Davis, Fr., F – 8.0 rpg
Top Assists Leader
#1 Aljami Durham, Jr., G – 2.5 apg
 
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
Coach: Patrick Chambers (Philadelphia, 1994)
Penn State Record: 141-145 (Ninth season)
Career Record: 183-173 (11th season)
2019-20 Record: 14-5, 4-4 Big Ten
Top Scorer                            
#11 Lamar Stevens, Sr., F – 16.7 ppg
Top Rebounder
#24 Mike Watkins, Sr., F – 7.9 rpg
Top Assists Leaders
#0 Myreon Jones, So., G – 2.8 apg
Jamari Wheeler, Jr., G – 2.8 apg
 
STARTING 5
Penn State climbed back into the Associated Press poll rankings on Monday, checking in at 24. The Nittany Lions are 3-2 when playing as a ranked team this season.
 
The Nittany Lions had their best 3-point shooting night of the season (47.4) vs. No. 21 Ohio State. They followed with 42.1 percent at Michigan for the first back-to-back games with 40 percent-plus percentages from beyond the arc since the Nittany Lions' 2018 NIT title run when they had three-straight outings.
 
Penn State has held 12 of its 19 opponents to 70 points or less this season. Thirteen foes in 2019-20 have been held below their scoring averages.
 
With 1,977 career points, senior forward Lamar Stevens is 10 points from taking solo ownership of the No. 3 spot on Penn State's all-time scoring list.
 
Senior forward Mike Watkins was recently named one of 15 players on the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Midseason watch list.
 
SERIES VS. INDIANA
The last eight games between Penn State and Indiana have been decided by an average of 3.6 points with the Hoosiers holding a 6-2 advantage in those games.
 
Penn State's last win in the series was also its last home win in the series, (68-63, Feb. 6, 2016). The five-point win was the largest winning margin at home in the series since March 8, 2003 (74-68).
 
Series streak: Indiana, W4
Overall series: Indiana leads 39-11
At University Park: Indiana leads 16-6
Last game: at BJC, University Park
Indiana 64, Penn State 62, 12/4/2018
Chambers vs. Indiana: 3-11 (PS: 2-11, BU: 1-0)
 
BY THE NUMBERS
1 – Calculations from kenpom.com have Penn State with the No. 1 strength of schedule in the Big Ten Conference.
 
5 – The Nittany Lions have five Quad 1 wins, third-highest total in the nation behind Kansas with eight and Iowa and Seton Hall with six each.
 
12 – Senior forward Mike Watkins is 12th in the nation in total blocked shots with a Big Ten Conference-best 57.
 
13 – Thirteen opponents in 2019-20 have been held to point totals below their scoring averages.
 
18 – Graduate guard Curtis Jones Jr. scored 18 second-half points in 15 minutes vs. the Wolverines, including 11 straight in only 2:46.
 
31 – Junior guard Jamari Wheeler leads the Big Ten with 31 steals this year. He ranks 14th on Penn State's career steals list with 130.
 
1,977 – With 1,977 career points, senior forward Lamar Stevens needs only 10 more to pass Joe Crispin and take ownership of the No. 3 spot on Penn State's all-time scoring list.
 
RECORD AFTER 19 GAMES
The Nittany Lions have 14 victories after 19 games, the second-highest win total at this point in the season in the last 55 years. In Penn State's Big Ten Conference era, only the 1995-96 season amassed more wins after 19 games.
 
Big Ten Era -- 19-Game Record
1995-96 -- 17-2
2019-20 -- 14-5
2008-09-- 14-5
 
RECORD AFTER 19 GAMES
The Nittany Lions have 14 victories after 19 games, the second-highest win total at this point in the season in the last 55 years. In Penn State's Big Ten Conference era, only the 1995-96 season amassed more wins after 19 games.
 
Big Ten Era -- 19-Game Record
1995-96 -- 17-2
2019-20 -- 14-5
2008-09-- 14-5
 
WHEN PENN STATE IS RANKED...
Penn State is 18-13 when playing as a team ranked in the Associated Press poll, a record which includes a 3-2 mark this season.
 
KENPOM / NET 2020
Monday's KenPom.com ratings have the Nittany Lions No. 23 overall. Penn State is 27th in the NCAA NET rating.
 
ROADKILL
Penn State's win at Michigan was only its third-ever in Ann Arbor. The Nittany Lions have 47 all-time Big Ten Conference road wins with 16 under coach Patrick Chambers.
 
Three B1G road wins in a season are the most by the Nittany Lions and three coaches have recorded three in a season three times.
 
Chambers is the only Nittany Lion coach to achieve at least three B1G road wins in back-to-back years in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
 
LAST TIME OUT: NITTANY LIONS PICK UP B1G ROAD WIN 72-63 AT MICHIGAN
Penn State defeated Michigan, 72-63, to win only its third-ever game in Ann Arbor. The Nittany Lion bench, propelled by Curtis Jones Jr.'s 18 second-half points, outscored Michigan's bench 31-4.
 
Lamar Stevens finished with a game-high 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds, including six in the second half. Myreon Jones and Stevens helped the Nittany Lions get off to a hot start as Myreon Jones had 12 of his 16 points and Stevens scored 14 in the first half.
 
Curtis Jones Jr. hit three-straight 3-pointers and added another field goal for 11-straight points over 2:46 in the second half. His scoring spree helped the Nittany Lions keep their lead and then extend it to 12, 57-45, at the midway point in the half. His 18 points, tying his season-best, came in only 15 minutes in the second period.
 
Curtis Jones Jr. helped PSU to a 60-45 lead by the 7:06 mark and the defense limited the Wolverines to 28.2 percent shooting in the second half.
 
Michigan rattled off a 9-2 run over three minutes to slice Penn State's comfortable lead to only five with 3:50 to play. Curtis Jones Jr. responded with a layup on the left side, and after a pair of Michigan misses, another layup, and made free throw for a 67-57 advantage.
 
The Wolverines battled to the end, but their final four field goals wouldn't fall. Myles Dread made two free throws and Myreon Jones another to help PSU to its first conference road victory of 2019-20.
 
Penn State grabbed the lead from the start and responded after an 11-0 run gave Michigan a 19-15 advantage while Stevens was on the bench. The Nittany Lions led 37-28 at halftime.
 
Zavier Simpson led three Wolverines in double figures with 18 while Jon Teske had a game-best 11 rebounds.