UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team (19-5, 9-4) faces Northwestern (6-17, 1-12) for a noon ET game on Saturday, Feb. 15. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network with Jason Horowicz and Brian Butch calling the action.
With the Big Ten Conference's new schedule format, Saturday's game marks the first time Northwestern has played at the BJC since Jan. 5, 2018.
All four BJC gates, A, B, C and D will open for entry at 11 a.m. Students ticket holders may enter at either gate A or D beginning at 10:30 a.m.
TRAVEL ADVISORY:
Penn State fans planning to attend the Penn State men's basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 15, are encouraged to allow additional travel time in order to assist traffic flow and parking around the Bryce Jordan Center.
PROMOTIONS:
TEAM REAM Day – first 1,000 students get a free TEAM REAM T-shirt
Halftime Diaper Derby
TICKET OFFICE:
Purchase single-game tickets 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
Jason Horowitz (pxp) & Brian Butch (analyst)
LISTEN: Penn State Sports Network
Steve Jones (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
Affiliates: GoPSUsports.com/affiliates1920
Listen online: GoPSUsports.com/lionvision
SiriusXM | XM 83 | XM 83 | Internet 83
LIVE STATS: Northwestern at Penn State
SOCIAL: Twitter @PennStateMBB | Facebook | Instagram @PennStateMBB
ROSTER: Penn State | Northwestern
SCHEDULE: Penn State | Northwestern
STATS: Penn State | Northwestern
GAME NOTES: Penn State | Northwestern
MEDIA GUIDE: Penn State | Northwestern
NORTHWESTERN
Coach: Chris Collins (Duke, 1996)
at Northwestern: 107-111 (Seventh season)
Career Record: 107-111 (Seventh season)
2019-20 Record: 6-17, 1-12 Big Ten
Top Scorer
#10 Miller Kopp, So., F – 13.3 ppg
Top Rebounder
#15 Ryan Young, R-Fr., C – 6.3 rpg
Top Assists Leader
#12 Pat Spencer, Gr., G – 3.9 apg
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
Coach: Patrick Chambers (Philadelphia, 1994)
Penn State Record: 146-145 (Ninth season)
Career Record: 188-173 (11th season)
2019-20 Record: 19-5, 9-4 Big Ten
Top Scorer
#11 Lamar Stevens, Sr., F – 17.5 ppg
Top Rebounder
#24 Mike Watkins, Sr., F – 8.0 rpg
Top Assists Leaders
#5 Jamari Wheeler, Jr., G – 3.0 apg
#0 Myreon Jones, So., G – 3.0 apg
STARTING 5
The Nittany Lions' nine Big Ten Conference wins so far this season match coach Patrick Chambers' high total of nine achieved in 2017-18.
This week's Associated Press poll ranking of No. 13 marked the first time since the poll started in 1948-49 that Penn State is the highest ranked team in Pennsylvania.
Lamar Stevens was included on the midseason list of 30 players considered nationally for the Citizen Naismith Trophy. Stevens earned his second Big Ten Conference Player of the Week selection Monday.
Honors continue to roll in for senior forward Lamar Stevens during his stellar senior campaign. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, product was named the Citizen Watch Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week and the Lute Olson Award National Player of the Week on Monday.
Penn State's all-time leading scorer Talor Battle (2007-11) will be attending Saturday's game, supporting the Nittany Lions, and his brother, Northwestern first-year guard Boo Bouie.
SERIES VS. NORTHWESTERN
Penn State and Northwestern played only once last season, with the Nittany Lions winning their first B1G game of the season last February at Evanston. Saturday's game is the first time Northwestern has played in the BJC since Jan. 5, 2018.
Series streak: Penn State, W2
Overall series: Penn State leads 32-19
At University Park, Pa.: Penn State leads 16-6
Last game: at Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Ill.
Penn State 59, Northwestern 52, 2/4/2019
Chambers vs. Northwestern: 6-7 (H: 1-4)
HOME SWEET HOME
Penn State has a 12-1 mark in the Bryce Jordan Center in 2019-20, tied with the 1997-98 team for sixth all-time with 12 wins in a single season.
1 -- 17 in 2008-09
2. -- 15 in 2017-18
3. -- 13 in 2007-08, 1999-00 & 2010-11
6. --12 in 2019-20 & 1997-98
ROADKILL
Penn State's four Big Ten road wins so far this season are the most in program history and came at venues where victories had been rare for the Nittany Lions. PSU now has 50 all-time Big Ten Conference road wins with 19 under coach Patrick Chambers.
Chambers is the only Nittany Lion coach to achieve at least three B1G road wins in four seasons.
Opponent
at Nebraska
2019-20: W
All-time Away Wins: 2
Away Games: 10
at Michigan
2019-20: W
All-time Away Wins: 3
Away Games: 24
at Michigan State
2019-20: W
All-time Away Wins: 2
Away Games: 25
at Purdue
2019-20: W
All-time Away Wins: 3
Away Games: 25
FOUR MORE IN FEBRUARY
In 2018-19, Penn State recorded five wins in the month of February for the first time since the 1997-98 season. With four wins in February 2020, Penn State has three-straight years with at least four wins in February for the first time since joining the Big Ten.
SINGLE-SEASON B1G WINS
The 1995-96 edition of the Nittany Lions owns the record for most B1G wins in a single season with 12. Coach Patrick Chambers has two of the top six and four of the top nine B1G win totals.
Rank -- Wins (Season, Coach)
1.-- 12 (1995-96, Jerry Dunn)
2.-- 10 (2008-09, Ed DeChellis)
3. -- 9 (2019-20, 2017-18, Patrick Chambers, 2010,
Ed DeChellis, 1994-95, Bruce Parkhill)
7.-- 7 (2018-19, 2015-16, Patrick Chambers, 2000-01, Jerry Dunn)
BY THE NUMBERS
3 -- Senior forward Mike Watkins has three listings on PSU's single-season blocks list, checking in at No. 9 with 63 so far this season.
4 -- The Nittany Lions' four Big Ten road wins so far this season, as well as the skein of four straight, mark program bests.
9 -- The nine B1G conference wins so far in 2019-20 match coach Patrick Chambers high win total of nine achieved in 2017-18.
33 -- Senior forward Mike Watkins registered his 33rd career double-double with a game-high 19 points and 10 boards in the win at Purdue.
53.8 -- Penn State shot a season-high 3-point field goal percentage with a season-high 14 made on 26 attempts vs. Purdue.
756 -- Career field goals by Lamar Stevens, for Penn State's program record, previously held by Jesse Arnelle (1951-55).
917 -- Career rebounds by senior forward Mike Watkins for No. 2 on Penn State's all-time list.
LAST TIME OUT: TREYS REIGN IN 88-76 ROAD WIN AT PURDUE
Penn State won its seventh-straight game and fourth-straight Big Ten road contest with an 88-76 win over Purdue. The nine Big Ten wins tie coach Patrick Chambers' best total as the Nittany Lion head coach, matching the 2017-18 season total.
Mike Watkins and Lamar Stevens combined for 35 points as Watkins collected the 33rd double-double of his Nittany Lion career. In total, five Nittany Lions scored in double figures led by Watkins' 19 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman Seth Lundy turned in a career night, drilling six three-pointers for a career-high 18 points.
Lundy and the Nittany Lions hit a season-best 14 three-pointers vs. four for Purdue, the Boilers treys all coming in the second half. Clutch free throw shooting by John Harrar and Stevens late in the game turned back Purdue's scoring surge.
Penn State opened the second half with a 13-0 run, going 6-7 from the field with eight points in the stretch courtesy of Mike Watkins, to open the lead to 55-32. Coming out of the under-12 timeout, Purdue spun off a 11-2 run to cut the Nittany Lion lead to 64-50.
Fourteen points came at the line in the final 5:42 as PSU went without a field goal. Purdue trimmed the deficit to seven and Eric Hunter Jr. countered two Harrar free throws for an 81-74 score, but Stevens made his final five free throws.
Penn State poured in 3-pointers with 10 in the first half and a season-best 14 for the game. PSU ended the half making its final four shots to take a 42-30 lead into the intermission.
The Nittany Lions' victory in West Lafayette was the third in program history in 25 tries and Penn State gave Purdue only its eighth loss against 89 wins over the last six seasons in Mackey Arena.
Four Boilermakers scored in double figures with Trevion Williams going 7-13 from the floor for 17 points and sharing the game-high rebounding honors with 10.
