UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team (9-13, 6-12), winners of two of its last three games, travels to Maryland (15-11, 9-10) for its final regular-season game Sunday, March 7. BTN will broadcast the 7 p.m. contest from the XFINITY Center.
The Nittany Lions won the season's first meeting 55-50 in the Bryce Jordan Center. The 55-point total was the lowest in a win since a Jan. 14, 2017 win over No. 24 Minnesota (52-50). Penn State has won the last three meetings, all at home in the Bryce Jordan Center and play at Maryland for the first time since Dec. 1, 2018.
WATCH: BTN and Fox Sports mobile app
Kevin Kugler (pxp) and Stephen Bardo (analyst)
LISTEN: Penn State Sports Network
Steve Jones (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
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LIVE STATS: Penn State at Maryland
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ROSTER: Penn State | Maryland
SCHEDULE: Penn State | Maryland
STATS: Penn State | Maryland
GAME NOTES: Penn State | Maryland
MARYLAND TERRAPINS
Coach: Mark Turgeon (Kansas, 1987)
Maryland Record: 219-110 (10th season)
Career Record: 469-269 (23rd season)
2020-21 Record: 15-11, 9-10 Big Ten
Leading Scorer
#5, Eric Ayala, Jr., G – 14.5 ppg
Leading Rebounder
#24 Donta Scott, So., F – 6.7 rpg
Assists Leader
#11 Darrell Morsell, Sr., G – 2.8 apg
#2 Aaron Higgins, Jr., G – 2.5 apg
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
Interim Head Coach: Jim Ferry (Keene State, 1990)
Penn State Record: 9-13 (First season)
Career Record: 323-278 (20th season)
Top Scorer
#0 Myreon Jones, Jr., G – 15.5 ppg
#12 Izaiah Brockington, Jr., G – 13.0 ppg
Top Rebounder
#21 John Harrar, Sr., F – 8.6 rpg
Assists Leaders
#5 Jamari Wheeler, Sr., G – 3.6 apg
PENN STATE PROBABLE STARTERS
F -- 21 – John Harrar – Sr. | 9.1 ppg | 8.6 rpg
Note: All-Big Ten Conference honors candidate who has averaged 10.1 points and 9.6 rebounds over last 15 games; Leads the Big Ten in offensive rebounds per game (3.82) and ranks 10th nationally in that category; Collected his 500th career rebound Wednesday and is closing in on 500 career points with 485
G – 0 – Myreon Jones -- Jr. | 15.5 ppg | 2.6 rpg
Note: All-Big Ten Conference honors candidate has scored 10+ points in all but two games this season; Has 41 career double-figure scoring games, including team-best 17 vs. Minnesota
G -- 2 – Myles Dread – Jr. | 7.9 ppg | 2.1 rpg
Note: Started five of the last 6 games, coming off the bench on senior night; Averaging 2.8 treys per game over the last 6 contests
G – 5 – Jamari Wheeler -- Sr. | 6.4 ppg | 4.4 rpg | 3.6 apg
Note: Candidate for Big Ten All-Defensive team who leads league in steals per game as an individual (1.9) and factor in Big Ten's top team turnovers forced average at 14.14 per game; Averaging 10.2 points, 5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.2 steals per game over last 5 games
G – 12 – Izaiah Brockington -- Jr. | 13.0 ppg | 4.6 rpg
Note: Team's second-leading scorer and rebounder; No. 21 in Big Ten in scoring
STARTING 5
For the sixth-straight season, Penn State has won at least six Big Ten Conference games. PSU established four-straight seasons as the program best following the 2018-19 campaign and extended that streak with their sixth win Wednesday.
According to kenpom.com calculations, Penn State's current strength of schedule rating is +19.50, second overall nationally. As of March 6, Big Ten teams hold every spot in the SOS top 10.
Sunday's game is only the second meeting in the teams' series history to be played in March. PSU won an NIT game against Maryland in Rec Hall on March 19, 1990 (80-78).
Penn State's series record against the Terps lists a 1938 game (W, 42-28), however, accounts differ, and the Terps do not include the game as a competition.
With Wednesday's win, the Nittany Lions tied their top total for most Big Ten wins over a four-year span with 33, established from 2016-2020.
SERIES vs. MARYLAND
Penn State has won five of the last seven games, with both of the losses coming on the road at Maryland. The home team has won the last eight games in the series, with the Nittany Lions winning the last three in the Bryce Jordan Center.
Nine of the last 10 meetings have been decided by seven points or less.
Series streak: Penn State, W3
Last game: University Park, Pa.,
Penn State 55, Maryland 50, 2/5/2021
Overall series: Maryland leads 14-13
Ferry vs. Maryland: 1-0
Series record and results from the last 10 games are on page 5 of the game notes.
NET & KENPOM.COM
Penn State is ranked 34 on kenpom.com, one of 10 Big Ten teams in the kenpom.com top 40. The March 6, 2021 NCAA NET ranking has Penn State at 48, one of nine B1G teams in the top 50.
March 6, 2021
Kenpom.com – 34
NCAA NET – 48
LAST FIVE FOR NUMBER 5
Senior guard Jamari Wheeler is known for his defensive prowess, but in the last five games he's produced some other eye-popping averages.
| Stat | Last 5 | 15 games (since restart) |
2020-21 |
| Minutes per game | 32.2 | 30.9 | 30.9 |
| Points per game | 10.2 | 6.9 | 6.4 |
| Rebounds per game | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
| Assists per game | 4.4 | 3.3 | 3.6 |
| Steals per game | 2.2 | 2.0 | 1.9 (B1G #1) |
| Field Goal % | 46.3 | 40.0 | 39.5 |
| 3-Pt. Field Goal % | 45.5 | 38.8 | 36.8 |
BY THE NUMBERS
1 – Of senior forward John Harrar's six career double-doubles, his 12-point, 11-rebound outing on senior night Wednesday was his first in the Bryce Jordan Center.
7 – The Nittany Lions' seven Big Ten games with 80 points or more are the most in a single season in their 29 years of Big Ten Conference play.
33 – The 2020-21 senior Nittany Lions have won 33 Big Ten Conference games over the four-year span of 2017-2021, tying their record set from 2016-2020.
86 – Penn State's 86-point total at Nebraska marked its highest Big Ten game total in 2020-21 and highest total for a road game since an 88-76 win at Purdue last year (Feb. 11, 2020).
153 – The Nittany Lions have 153 treys in 18 Big Ten games this season, within four of the Penn State record of 157.
792 – Junior guard and Nittany Lion leading scorer Myreon Jones needs eight points to reach 800 career points.
827 – Sunday will mark 827 days since Penn State last played at Maryland. The last three matchups between the Nittany Lions and the Terps occurred in the Bryce Jordan Center.
LAST TIME OUT: PENN STATE CLAIMS SENIOR NIGHT WIN OVER MINNESOTA
Penn State started its five senior Nittany Lions in their final game in the Bryce Jordan Center as it claimed an 84-65 victory over Minnesota on senior night. Seniors Trent Buttrick, John Harrar and Jamari Wheeler combined for 41.6 percent of the Nittany Lions' scoring with 35 points against the Golden Gophers. Junior guard Myreon Jones led Penn State with 17 points.
The five senior Nittany Lions started the game and went back into the game to play toward the end of the game. In their four years, the seniors amassed 33 Big Ten wins, tying the record set by the seniors in the class of 2020.
Buttrick, Harrar and Wheeler were three of the five Nittany Lions to finish in double figures in the victory. Buttrick tied his career-high with 13 points, knocking down three triples and Harrar turned in the sixth double-double of his career (12 points, 11 rebounds) to pace the front court and collect his 500th career rebound.
Jones' 17 points included a key 3-pointer to stem any chance of a Gophers' rally late in the game.
Minnesota cut the Penn State lead to 11 with 3:51 to play before a Harrar layup pushed the lead back to 13. Jones' triple extended the lead to 16 and Buttrick threw down an empathic dunk to seal the win.
Penn State was extremely efficient in all aspects of the win, outrebounding Minnesota at a 48-33 clip and snagging 17 offensive rebounds. The Nittany Lions also dished out 19 assists, tying their season best in Big Ten games this season, against only seven turnovers.
Marcus Carr of Minnesota finished as the game's leading scorer with 22 points. Isaiah Ihnen had a double-double for the Golden Gophers with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Nittany Lions ended the first half on a furious 16-2 run and had connected on their final nine shots of the stanza. Penn State's scored 46 points, its highest first-half output of the season, for a 46-28 advantage at the half.
After both teams struggled from the field, combining to go 3-16, Buttrick hit a pair of triples to jumpstart the Nittany Lions' during a pair of scoring droughts.
With just over five minutes to play in the half, Minnesota cut the Penn State lead to 24-22. The combination of the Nittany Lion offense and defense fueled a 22-6 run and limited Minnesota to two field goals.
The offensive outburst to end the half was started and ended with junior guard
Myles Dread. Dread's layup began the streak of nine-straight makes. In the final seconds of the opening 20 minutes, Dread stripped Marcus Carr and drilled a triple to send the Nittany Lions into the locker room with the 18-point lead.
FOLLOW PENN STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL VIRTUALLY
Please stay connected and follow Penn State men's basketball virtually throughout season. While we are unable to host fans this season due to COVID-19 protocols, fans are able to join the interest list for tickets for the 2021-22 men's basketball season. Sign up for the 2021-22 interest list by clicking here.