UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's basketball team (7-9, 4-8) plays host to Nebraska (4-12, 0-9) at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14, in the Bryce Jordan Center. Sunday's Valentine's Day game is set for broadcast on Big Ten Network.
The two teams met only once in 2019-20, at Lincoln, with Penn State winning 76-64. This is the Huskers' first visit to Happy Valley since February 2019, a 95-71 Nittany Lion victory.
There are only two Big Ten teams Penn State has not faced in the last 365 days, Nebraska (379 days by Feb. 14) and Minnesota (396 days by March 3).
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ROSTER: Penn State | Nebraska
SCHEDULE: Penn State | Nebraska
STATS: Penn State | Nebraska
GAME NOTES: Penn State | Nebraska
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
Coach: Fred Hoiberg (Iowa State, 1995)
Nebraska Record: 11-27 (Second season)
Career Record: 126-93 (Seventh season)
2020-21 Record: 4-12, 0-9 Big Ten
Leading Scorer
#00 Teddy Allen, Jr., G – 16.7 ppg
Leading Rebounder
#45 Dalano Banton, So., G – 6.8 rpg
Assists Leader
#45 Dalano Banton, So., G – 4.6 apg
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
Interim Head Coach: Jim Ferry (Keene State, 1990)
Penn State Record: 7-9 (First season)
Career Record: 321-274 (20th season)
Top Scorer
#12 Myreon Jones, Jr., G – 14.8 ppg
Top Rebounder
#21 John Harrar, Sr., F – 8.8 rpg
Assists Leaders
#5 Jamari Wheeler, Sr., G – 3.5 apg
PENN STATE LAST GAME STARTERS
F -- 1 – Seth Lundy – Sr. | 11.0 ppg | 4.2 rpg
Note: Averaging 11.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg over last 9 games; scored game-high 26 at Ohio State
F -- 21 – John Harrar – Sr. | 9.2 ppg | 8.8 rpg
Note: Averaging a double-double with 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds over last 9 games. Moved to No. 2 on PSU career FG percentage list at 58.8; Shooting 73.3 over last 3 games.
G – 0 – Myreon Jones -- Jr. | 14.8 ppg | 2.8 rpg
Note: Ranks No. 7 on Penn State career list for 3-point field goal percentage at 40.0 percent; Has 10+ points in all but two games this season
G – 5 – Jamari Wheeler -- Sr. | 5.5 ppg | 3.9 rpg | 3.8 apg
Note: Floor general dictates pace; Collected his 300th career assist at Michigan State and needs 2 for 200 in Big Ten games
G – 12 – Izaiah Brockington -- Jr. | 13.9 ppg | 4.7 rpg
Note: Team's second-leading scorer and rebounder; Averaging most minutes on the floor at 30.9 per game this season.
STARTING 5
Sunday's home game vs. Nebraska is the first of two meetings planned for 2020-21. Both teams are working with the Big Ten Conference to reschedule the postponed Jan. 30 game.
Penn State is 16-15 all-time on Valentine's Day.
The Nittany Lions not only claim the top rankings for this year's strength of schedule, but Penn State's 2020-21 schedule is currently the toughest schedule recorded in kenpom.com history (+19.44), dating back to the 2001-02 season.
Senior forward John Harrar was the leading scorer for the first time in his collegiate career with 17 points and a game-high 14 rebounds as part of his fourth career double-double at Michigan State. He also had a game-high and career best four assists.
Senior guard Jamari Wheeler reached the 300 career assist mark Tuesday at Michigan State, 16th on PSU's career list. He has 174 career steals, currently eighth on that Nittany Lion career list.
SERIES vs. NEBRASKA
The two teams met only once in 2019-20 with Penn State winning at Lincoln for only the second time in the series. On the flip side, the Nittany Lions have won five straight vs. Nebraska at home in the Bryce Jordan Center.
Penn State scored 95 points (95-71, W) in the last home game against Nebraska (2/19/19), its highest point total in the series.
Series streak: Penn State, W2
Last game: Lincoln, Neb., 2/1/2020
No. 24 Penn State 76, Nebraska 64
Overall: Penn State leads 11-9 (PS H: 7-1)
Ferry vs. Nebraska & Hoiberg: First meeting
Series record and results are on page 5 of the game notes.
NET & KENPOM.COM
Penn State is one of seven Big Ten teams ranked in the top 35 in the Feb. 13, 2021 NCAA NET rankings and the only team among the group at or below .500. The kenpom.com calculations have Penn State, one of nine Big Ten teams in the top 30, at No. 30, the highest rated team with a record at or below .500.
Feb. 13, 2021
NCAA NET – 31
Kenpom.com – 30
ESPN BPI – 43
ON THE BOARDS IN BIG TEN
Since Jan. 17 (at Purdue), Penn State has outrebounded six of its last nine opponents with four games with 40 or more rebounds. On the offensive glass, the Nittany Lions have had the advantage in eight of those last nine games except for the game at No. 19 Wisconsin (2/2/21).
The current rebounding average of 35.8 in Big Ten conference games would be No. 5 on the program's list with the +1.8 margin in the top spot. Averages from 2019-20 and 2018-19 also rank in the Nittany Lions' top five.
TURNOVER TOTALS
The Nittany Lions are responsible for three of the top team turnover totals in B1G games this season with 17 at OSU (1/27/21) and 16 vs. Maryland (2/5/2021) and at Michigan (12/13/2020).
The Nittany Lions forced No. 13 Ohio State into the Buckeyes' season-high turnover total with 17 and No. 19 Wisconsin into its season-high with 15 turnovers (2/2) after a 12 turnover total, tied for its previous season high, in the first meeting (1/30). Maryland also tied a season high with 16 turnovers last Friday.
HOME & AWAY
Even this year, without the Legion of Blue and tremendous fan support in the Bryce Jordan Center, there's something to be said about being at home. The Nittany Lions are better in almost all stat categories in Big Ten games played on their home court.
| Stat | Home Games (5) | Road Games (7) | Total (12) |
| Record | 4-1 | 0-7 | 4-8 |
| Points per game | 74.6 | 67.6 | 70.5 |
| Rebounds per game | 35.6 | 35.9 | 35.8 |
| Rebound margin | +4.4 | -0.1 | +1.8 |
| FG percentage | 45.7 | 37.3 | 40.6 |
| 3-FG percentage | 32.1 | 32.9 | 32.6 |
| FT percentage | 74.0 | 73.5 | 73.7 |
| Fouls per game | 15.0 | 20.0 | 17.9 |
BY THE NUMBERS
2 – There are only two Big Ten teams the Nittany Lions have not played in the last 365 days, Nebraska (372 by Feb. 14) and Minnesota (396 by March 3).
13.6 – The Nittany Lions have turned over their B1G opponents an average
of 13.6 times per game, the top per-game average in the league. Penn State is second in the Big Ten in turnover margin (2.69 overall, 1.83 B1G games).
+14 – Penn State's rebound margin of +14 in the second half vs. Maryland (25-11), its highest total in a half since a Jan. 2011 game vs. Ohio State (+14, 2H). .
49 – Penn State tied its single-game record for rebounds in a Big Ten game with 49 at Purdue (1/17/21), a mark originally set last season at Nebraska (2/1/20).
55 – The 55 points Friday was the lowest point total in a win since the Nittany Lions defeated No. 24 Minnesota 52-50 (1/14/17). The 31.5 field goal percentage vs. Maryland was the lowest since the 2017 game vs. the Golden Gophers (30.4) as well.
300 – Senior guard Jamari Wheeler picked up his 300th career assist at Michigan State and needs two assists for 200 total in Big Ten games.
LAST TIME OUT: NITTANY LIONS' COMEBACK BID FALLS SHORT AT MICHIGAN STATE
Penn State fought back in the second half, but three 3-point attempts missed the mark and Michigan State escaped with a 60-58 win. PSU erased a double-digit lead and went up by four with 3:16 left, but came up short in the final 49 seconds.
Michigan State took back lead and went ahead by two, 60-58, after a second-chance layup and four free throws with 1:18 left in the game. A PSU 3-pointer with 49 seconds left missed its mark and after a MSU timeout, the tenacious Nittany Lion defense forced a turnover and Penn State brought the ball into the frontcourt. Following a Penn State timeout, a second 3-pointer bounced off the inside iron of the rim.
Forced to foul, Penn State sent the Spartans to the free throw line with a missed front end of a 1-and-1 to give Penn State one final chance. The last-second 3-point attempt was long and the Nittany Lions were out of time.
John Harrar led Penn State in three stat categories, finishing with his fourth career double-double (17 points, 14 rebounds) to tie career bests, and getting a career-high four assists.
Trailing by as many as 12 points in the second half, Penn State would not go quietly. Beginning at 16:17 mark in the second half, the Nittany Lions used a 13-3 run fueled by five points from Harrar and a pair of treys by Sam Sessoms. The PSU tied the game at 41 with 11:53 to play before Michigan State extended its lead back to eight at 50-42 with 9:16 on the clock.
Myreon Jones scored 11 of Penn State's next 17 points. HIs layup at the 6:16 mark gave the Nittany Lions a 52-51 lead, their first since the 16:21 mark of the first half. The two teams tied at 52 and again at 54 before Jones converted a layup and two free throws for a 58-54 PSU lead with 3:16 remaining.
The Spartans scored on their next possession to cut the lead to two and made four free throws for a 60-58 lead and final score.
Jones finished with 15 points, with 11 in the second half. Jamari Wheeler collected his 300th career assist, 16th on Penn State's career list.
After an early 6-5 lead, a 12-0 Spartan run allowed MSU to jump out to a 17-6 advantage. Dread hit a jumper off the glass to end the run and start a 6-0 Penn State run. Harrar scored Penn State's next five points to keep the Nittany Lions within striking distance.
Dread hit Penn State's first 3-pointer of the half with 1:10 remaining and trimmed the Spartan lead to 29-22. Trailing by 10, Sessoms connected for a jumper to send the Nittany Lions into the locker room behind 32-24. forward John Harrar, with a game-best 12 rebounds, pulled down nine in the final 20 minutes and second seven of his nine points in the second half as well.
Junior guard Izaiah Brockington led Penn State in scoring with 13 points and Wheeler accompanied him in double figures with 11. Maryland's Ayala led all scorers with 23 points.
The game was tied for 7:36, but Penn State never relinquished the lead after Wheeler's 3-pointer for the 39-36 Nittany Lion advantage.
The Nittany Lions and Terrapins defensive struggle was evident from the opening tip and the half ended with tie at 23. Neither team shot well from the get-go with the Terps' first basket coming 6:12 into the game and Penn State starting 3-10 from the field.
Maryland was hampered by a slew of early turnovers, finishing the half with 11. Penn State scored 10 points off the Maryland miscues.
Maryland built its largest lead of the game, using a 12-0 run to take a 23-14 lead with 2:47 to play in the first half. The Nittany Lions finished the half on a 9-0 run to tie the game as Brockington drilled a jumper with 25 seconds remaining in the half to tie it at 23-23.
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