University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, February 12
7:30 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Penn State
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Brace Hemmelgarn
Gophers Back at Williams for Saturday Night Game
2/11/2022 2:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: BTN (Cory Provus - Play-by-Play; Jess Settles- Analyst)
Tip Time: 7:31 p.m. CT
Radio: Learfield IMG: KTLK
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play); Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
Sirius: 372
SERIES INFORMATION*
42nd Meeting (29-12 all time)
Home vs. Penn State: 15-3
Minnesota vs. Big Ten: 781-874
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team is back home after a two-game road swing when the Penn State Nittany Lions come to town, Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. The Golden Gophers are 29-12 all time against PSU, including a 15-3 mark at Williams Arena. Minnesota last hosted the Nittany Lions Jan. 15, 2020 when the Gophers earned a 75-69 win. The last two contests between the two schools have occurred in Happy Valley.Â
• Minnesota begins a stretch where it will play four games in seven days. The Gophers host Penn State Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Minnesota then plays at Ohio State (Feb. 15), at Penn State (Feb. 17) and home against Northwestern (Feb. 19). The Feb. 17 game is a make up game that was postponed earlier due to COVID-19 protocols on the Gopher team.Â
• Luke Loewe made his 100th career start last Sunday and he turned in a memorable performance despite the loss to Iowa. Loewe made 7-of-9 field goals, including 4-of-5 from long-range, as he led the Gophers with 19 points. Loewe, who also had 19 points in the win against Rutgers on Jan. 22, has now reached double-figures in four of the past six games and eight times this season. One of his three-pointers was a buzzer-beating bomb from beyond half-court as the first half clock expired. He added four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
• Payton Willis has reached double-figures 17 times this season, including the past nine games. He had 13 points against Nebraska and 16 against Iowa last Sunday. The senior averages 16.5 points per game this season, a single-season career best. It betters his 13.4 ppg he averaged at College of Charleston.
• Jamison Battle is ranked eighth in Big Ten overall scoring and against Big Ten opponents (16.3). He averages 17.2 points per game, while Payton Willis ranks 10th in the league at 16.5 and 10th against Big Ten opponents (16.3). Willis also holds the league's best three-point shooter at 42.5 percent. Battle snapped a 34-straight double-figure scoring run dating back to last season at George Washington in the Iowa game (2/6), but bounced back for 21 points against Nebraska. He's had 21 games in which he's recorded 10-plus points this year. Battle's season high is 27 points (at Michigan), while his career high is 29 (vs. Duquesne). He has scored 20 points or more points in eight games this season.
SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS
• Penn State enters the Minnesota game with a 9-11 overall mark and 4-8 in Big Ten play. PSU's four wins came in three home wins against Indiana, Rutgers and Iowa with a Big Ten road win at Northwestern. Penn State went 5-3 in non-conference play.
• Four Nittany Lions are averaging double-digit points, led by Jalen Pickett's 12.9 ppg. Seth Lundy (12.7 ppg) and Sam Sessoms (11.5 ppg). John Harrar follows with 10.2 ppg and a team-best 9.4 rpg.Â
• As a team, Penn State is averaging 65.1 points per game, allowing 65.4 ppg, shooting 42.7 percent from the field and averageing 36.0 rebounds per game. In conference action, PSU is averaging 63.0 ppg and allowing 67.1.Â
TWO NEW HEAD COACHES
• Saturday's game will feature two of its newest head coaches in the league, but strong ties to the conference in Minnesota's Ben Johnson and Penn State's Micah Shrewsberry. The two youngest coaches, both former assistants within the Big Ten prior to their Big Ten coaching tenure.Â
• Johnson, 41, is in his first year as a head coach, while Shrewsberry, 45, is in his first year at Penn State, but also was a head coach at Indiana University-South Bend from 2005-07. He served as an assistant beforeÂ
UP NEXT
• Minnesota is back on the road Tuesday, Feb. 15 when it takes on No. 16 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The game will be televised on Big Ten Network, while Mike Grimm and Spencer Tollackson provide the radio call on KFAN 100.3 FM.
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TV: BTN (Cory Provus - Play-by-Play; Jess Settles- Analyst)
Tip Time: 7:31 p.m. CT
Radio: Learfield IMG: KTLK
Mike Grimm (Play-by-Play); Spencer Tollackson (Analyst)
Sirius: 372
SERIES INFORMATION*
42nd Meeting (29-12 all time)
Home vs. Penn State: 15-3
Minnesota vs. Big Ten: 781-874
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball team is back home after a two-game road swing when the Penn State Nittany Lions come to town, Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. The Golden Gophers are 29-12 all time against PSU, including a 15-3 mark at Williams Arena. Minnesota last hosted the Nittany Lions Jan. 15, 2020 when the Gophers earned a 75-69 win. The last two contests between the two schools have occurred in Happy Valley.Â
• Minnesota begins a stretch where it will play four games in seven days. The Gophers host Penn State Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Minnesota then plays at Ohio State (Feb. 15), at Penn State (Feb. 17) and home against Northwestern (Feb. 19). The Feb. 17 game is a make up game that was postponed earlier due to COVID-19 protocols on the Gopher team.Â
• Luke Loewe made his 100th career start last Sunday and he turned in a memorable performance despite the loss to Iowa. Loewe made 7-of-9 field goals, including 4-of-5 from long-range, as he led the Gophers with 19 points. Loewe, who also had 19 points in the win against Rutgers on Jan. 22, has now reached double-figures in four of the past six games and eight times this season. One of his three-pointers was a buzzer-beating bomb from beyond half-court as the first half clock expired. He added four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
• Payton Willis has reached double-figures 17 times this season, including the past nine games. He had 13 points against Nebraska and 16 against Iowa last Sunday. The senior averages 16.5 points per game this season, a single-season career best. It betters his 13.4 ppg he averaged at College of Charleston.
• Jamison Battle is ranked eighth in Big Ten overall scoring and against Big Ten opponents (16.3). He averages 17.2 points per game, while Payton Willis ranks 10th in the league at 16.5 and 10th against Big Ten opponents (16.3). Willis also holds the league's best three-point shooter at 42.5 percent. Battle snapped a 34-straight double-figure scoring run dating back to last season at George Washington in the Iowa game (2/6), but bounced back for 21 points against Nebraska. He's had 21 games in which he's recorded 10-plus points this year. Battle's season high is 27 points (at Michigan), while his career high is 29 (vs. Duquesne). He has scored 20 points or more points in eight games this season.
SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS
• Penn State enters the Minnesota game with a 9-11 overall mark and 4-8 in Big Ten play. PSU's four wins came in three home wins against Indiana, Rutgers and Iowa with a Big Ten road win at Northwestern. Penn State went 5-3 in non-conference play.
• Four Nittany Lions are averaging double-digit points, led by Jalen Pickett's 12.9 ppg. Seth Lundy (12.7 ppg) and Sam Sessoms (11.5 ppg). John Harrar follows with 10.2 ppg and a team-best 9.4 rpg.Â
• As a team, Penn State is averaging 65.1 points per game, allowing 65.4 ppg, shooting 42.7 percent from the field and averageing 36.0 rebounds per game. In conference action, PSU is averaging 63.0 ppg and allowing 67.1.Â
TWO NEW HEAD COACHES
• Saturday's game will feature two of its newest head coaches in the league, but strong ties to the conference in Minnesota's Ben Johnson and Penn State's Micah Shrewsberry. The two youngest coaches, both former assistants within the Big Ten prior to their Big Ten coaching tenure.Â
• Johnson, 41, is in his first year as a head coach, while Shrewsberry, 45, is in his first year at Penn State, but also was a head coach at Indiana University-South Bend from 2005-07. He served as an assistant beforeÂ
UP NEXT
• Minnesota is back on the road Tuesday, Feb. 15 when it takes on No. 16 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The game will be televised on Big Ten Network, while Mike Grimm and Spencer Tollackson provide the radio call on KFAN 100.3 FM.
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