No. 22 Penn State Welcomes Minnesota for Sold-Out Saturday Game

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team (17-5, 7-4) returns home after a victorious two-game road trip to face Minnesota (12-10, 6-6) Saturday, Feb. 8 at 4 p.m. ET. A limited number of student tickets are available at the Bryce Jordan Athletics Ticket Office beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
 
Fans are encouraged to wear white clothing to support the Nittany Lions.
 
All four gates, A, B, C & D will open for entry at 3 p.m. Students season ticket holders may enter at either gate A or D for the Minnesota game.
 
"Everyone is Awesome" Day, a celebration of all individuals, and alumni weekend activities are set for the game. More than 70 organizations supporting individuals with special needs are involved with activities pregame, throughout the contest and halftime.
 
More than 50 former Nittany Lions return for this weekend's alumni activities and will be honored at halftime.
 
The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive a copy of the book "Lamar's Climb – A Journey to Happy Valley." This awesome book, which teaches children Pennsylvania geography, illustrates Stevens traveling across the commonwealth from his home and high school in Philadelphia to State College.
 
SPONSOR:
Alumni Day presented by Geico
 
PROMOTIONS:
"Lamar's Climb" book for first 2,000 fans who enter the Bryce Jordan Center
Lamar Stevens T-shirt jerseys for the first 1,000 Penn State students
Lamar Stevens T-shirt jerseys for the first 500 children aged 12 and under
Postgame autograph session with Lamar Stevens
Fans encouraged to wear white clothing to support the Nittany Lions
 
TICKET OFFICE:
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
Brandon Gaudin (pxp) & Shon Morris (analyst)
LISTEN: Penn State Sports Network
Steve Jones (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
Affiliates: GoPSUsports.com/affiliates1920
Listen online: GoPSUsports.com/lionvision
SiriusXM | XM 372 | XM  372 | Internet  977
 
LIVE STATS: Minnesota at Penn State
SOCIAL: Twitter @PennStateMBB | Facebook | Instagram @PennStateMBB
ROSTER: Penn State  |  Minnesota
SCHEDULE: Penn State  |  Minnesota
STATS: Penn State  |  Minnesota
GAME NOTES:  Penn State | Minnesota
MEDIA GUIDE:  Penn State | Minnesota
 
MINNESOTA
Coach: Richard Pitino (Providence, 2005)
at Minnesota: 124-102 (Seventh season)
Career Record: 142-116 (Eighth season)
2019-20 Record: 12-10, 6-6 Big Ten
Top Scorer
#25 Daniel Oturu, So., C – 19.6 ppg
Top Rebounder                     
#25 Daniel Oturu, So., C – 11.3 rpg
Top Assists Leader
#5 Marcus Carr, R-So., G – 6.8 apg
 
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
Coach: Patrick Chambers (Philadelphia, 1994)
Penn State Record: 144-145 (Ninth season)
Career Record: 186-173 (11th season)
2019-20 Record: 17-5, 7-4 Big Ten
Top Scorer                            
#11 Lamar Stevens, Sr., F – 16.9 ppg
Top Rebounder
#24 Mike Watkins, Sr., F – 8.2 rpg
Top Assists Leaders
#0 Myreon Jones, So., G – 3.0 apg
#5 Jamari Wheeler, Jr., G – 2.95 apg
 
STARTING 5
As part of "Everyone is Awesome" Day, which involves several local organizations, including Special Olympics Pennsylvania and LifeLink PSU, the first 2,000 fans will receive a copy of "Lamar's Climb," a children's book, with illustrations colored by friends of the program, that teaches Pennsylvania geography through Lamar Stevens' journey to Penn State.
 
The Penn State men's basketball program celebrates its alumni with more than 50 former Nittany Lions returning for a full weekend of activities. Talor Battle (2007-11), the Nittany Lions' all-time leading scorer, will be Saturday's honorary game captain.
 
The 2019-20 team joins the 2008-09 and 2000-01 teams with four wins over top-25 ranked teams in a single season.
 
With its seventh Big Ten Conference win, Penn State has recorded five-straight seasons with at least six B1G wins, a program first.
 
Senior forward Lamar Stevens was named one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS award and included on the Wooden Award Watch List.
 
SERIES VS. MINNESOTA
Penn State and Minnesota went to overtime in the last game played between the two programs in the BJC with the Golden Gophers coming out ahead 95-84 on Jan. 15, 2018.
 
The Nittany Lions' last win in the series came on on Jan. 14, 2017 vs. No. 24 Minnesota (52-50).
 
Series streak: Minnesota, W5
Overall series: Minnesota leads 37-14
At University Park, Pa.: Tied at 11-11
Last game: at Minneapolis, Minn.
Minnesota 75, Penn State 69, 1/15/2020
Chambers vs. Minnesota: 4-10 (H: 3-3)
 
BY THE NUMBERS
4 – A program first, Penn State has won four-straight games over ranked opponents.
 
39 – Junior guard Jamari Wheeler leads the Big Ten with 39 total steals and a 1.8 per game average.
 
44 – Lamar Stevens and Myreon Jones have combined for 44 points (Stevens 24 & Jones 20) in two separate games, vs. No. 21 Ohio State and at No. 16 Michigan State.
 
73.7 – In six starts this season, junior forward John Harrar owns a 73.7 field goal percentage (14-19).
 
80 – Senior forward Mike Watkins has led the Nittany Lions in blocked shots in 80 games in his career. He has 260 career blocks, second on Penn State's all-time list.
 
745 – With 745 career field goals, senior forward Lamar Stevens now owns Penn State's all-time record for made field goals.
 
906 – Mike Watkins now has 906 career rebounds, only the third Nittany Lion to reach the 900-rebound milestone. He eclipsed the mark in the first half of the Michigan State win.
 
RECORD AFTER 22 GAMES
The Nittany Lions have 17 victories after 22 games, the second-highest win total at this point in the season in more than 50 years. In Penn State's Big Ten Conference era, the 2008-09 squad had 17 wins and only the 1995-96 season amassed more wins after 22 games at 18-4.
 
RECORD AFTER 11 B1G GAMES
There are only three seasons in Penn State's Big Ten era, including 2019-20, when the Nittany Lions have a winning record after 11 conference games. The 1995-96 team had nine wins, the current Nittany Lion team has seven and the 2008-09 group had six.
 
At the 12-game mark, only the 1995-96 team had a winning record at 9-3.
 
WHEN PENN STATE IS RANKED...
Penn State is 21-13 when playing as a team ranked in the Associated Press poll, a record which includes a 6-2 mark this season.
 
RANKED WINS IN A SEASON
In its history, Penn State now has three seasons with four wins over top-25 opponents and six seasons with three wins over top-20 foes. The Nittany Lions' three wins over ranked foes in back-to-back seasons was a program first.
 
KENPOM / NET 2020
Monday's KenPom.com ratings have the Nittany Lions No. 14 overall. Penn State is 20th in the NCAA NET rating.
 
ROADKILL
Penn State's win at Michigan State was its second in 25 tries, the win at Michigan was only its third-ever in Ann Arbor and the win at Nebraska was its first road win at Lincoln since 1995. The Nittany Lions have 49 all-time Big Ten Conference road wins with 18 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 and now has three-straight years with at least three B1G road wins.
 
LAST TIME OUT: LATE RUN HOLDS OFF SPARTAN RALLY FOR 75-70 WIN 
No. 22 Penn State defeated No. 16 Michigan State 75-70 for only the second time in 25 visits to East Lansing. The Nittany Lions were clutch from the foul line, going 6-7 the final minute to secure the win.
 
Lamar Stevens scored 13 of his team-high 24 points in the second half and went 4-4 from the foul line in the final 16 seconds. Myreon Jones hit six 3-pointers for 20 total points and Mike Watkins finished the night with 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
 
MSU's Cassius Winston hit a 3-pointer for a 66-63 MSU lead, but his basket was the Spartans' last for a five-minute stretch, going 0-5 from the floor with two turnovers until the final 50 seconds. He was the game-high scorer with 25 points.
 
A 12-4 run from the 5:29 mark through the end of the game, pulled Penn State within one, 66-65 and Stevens put PSU up by one, 67-66, at the 3:42 mark. Fouls and turnovers plagued the Spartans while the Nittany Lions stumbled at the free throw line. Stevens and Harrar each added a free throw for a 69-66 lead with 50 seconds left.
 
Penn State's lead was cut to one, 69-68, and two more free throws by Stevens extended the lead to 71-68. Winston quickly scored and Stevens connected on two more free throws, 73-70, with just 9.1 seconds remaining. Curtis Jones Jr. added two free throws to give Penn State its fifth-straight conference win and third consecutive Big Ten road win, both program firsts.
 
Penn State went up by as many as 10, 49-39 in the second half, but MSU used an 12-2 run to tie the game at 51 at the 13:46 mark.
 
Myreon Jones' 3-point shooting paced PSU to a 43-37 halftime lead with 15 points off 5-6 shooting from behind the arc.