University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, February 22
1:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Penn State
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Host Alumni Day Saturday vs. Penn State
2/20/2025 6:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SERIES INFORMATION*
49th Meeting (33-15 all time)
Last Meeting: Feb. 4, 2025 (MN W, 69-61)
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball program is back at Williams Arena on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m., when Penn State comes to town. It marks the second meeting between the two teams in 17 days as the met on Feb. 4, 2025. It marks the 49th all time meeting, dating back to 1975. Saturday also marks alumni day for the Gophers. Alums will be recognized at halftime.
• Minnesota earned a win over Penn State earlier this month in a 69-61 decision in University Park, Pa. Dawson Garcia had game-high totals of 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Lu'Cye Patterson and Brennan Rigsby each scored 14 points as Minnesota rallied from a 10-point first-half deficit for the win. Minnesota shot the lights out in the second half, making 16-of-23 (.696) field goals, including 4-of-7 (.571) three-pointers, and finished 26-of-49 (.531) from the field.
• The Gophers are looking to string three wins together Saturday after a 64-61 win at UCLA on Tuesday. The Gophers were the second team to defeat UCLA at Pauley Pavilion this season. Minnesota outscored UCLA 41-27 in the second half and 52-32 after trailing 29-12. Dawson Garcia scored 27 points in the second half to finish with a season-high 32 points and eight rebounds, his third 30-point game this season, as Minnesota rallied from a 17-point first-half deficit. Mike Mitchell Jr. added 14 points, while Lu'Cye Patterson had 11.
• Over the last four games, Lu'Cye Patterson has scored double-digit points, averaging 18.5 in those games. After scoring eight against Washington, Patterson added 14 at Penn State, 24 vs. Illinois, a season-best 25 at USC, and another 11 at UCLA, including a bucket to put the Gophers up 60-59 and another at 62-61.
• Frank Mitchell added his first double-double of his Gopher career against USC with 15 points and 12 rebounds. In the two-game road swing, Mitchell averaged 8 rebounds when he had eight offensive rebounds and eight defensive rebounds averaging 21.7 minutes. This season, Mitchell has 52 offensive rebounds in 14.3 minutes played.
CALIFORNIA LOVE
• Minnesota was just the second Big Ten team this year to travel to Los Angeles and sweep USC and UCLA. Between the USC win on Saturday and the UCLA win on Tuesday, Minnesota led for 3 minutes and 12 seconds and returned to win both games. In Saturday's win at USC, the Gophers led at the end of the game for 2 minutes and 46 seconds. The Gophers trailed UCLA until the final 26 seconds and came back to win.
• The UCLA/USC trip also broke a few old records. Minnesota erased a 17-point deficit Tuesday, which bettered a 15-point deficit against Penn State in 2024. Garcia's 27 points in the second half of the UCLA trip was the second time he posted over 25 in a half in his career. The first was vs. Ohio State in 2023. Lu'Cye Patterson also added 11 free throws made against USC, only to be broken by Garcia the next game vs. UCLA. The team was 78.8 percent from the free throw line in the west coast swing.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
• Penn State is coming off a B1G win at home against Nebraska Wednesday night to improve to 14-13 overall and 4-12 in the Big Ten. The Nebraska win snapped a seven-game streak for PSU.
• The Nittany Lions spread the scoring love with four scoring in double digits, led by their point guard and Bob Cousy award finalist Ace Baldwin Jr. He averages 13.9 points and has 189 assists and 59 steals. Yanic Konan Niederhauser missed the last Minnesota contest as well as UCLA game due to injury. He returned to the lineup and averages 12.4 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds. Nick Kern follows with 12.1 ppg, while Zach Hicks averages 12. Puff Johnson, who averaged 10.2 points, has missed the last nine games due to a hand injury.
• As a team, PSU averages 79.8 points, while allowing 73.5. The Nittany Lions are shooting 47.8 from the field and 33.6 from the arc. They average 33.7 rebounds, have 226 steals and committed 329 turnovers.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota is home for two in a row as Northwestern comes to town on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. The game will be shown on Peacock.
• Mike Grimm and Al Nolen will provide the radio call on KTLK (1130 AM/103.5 FM) as well as on the iHeart Media app.
49th Meeting (33-15 all time)
Last Meeting: Feb. 4, 2025 (MN W, 69-61)
* - excludes vacated games
STARTING FIVE
• The University of Minnesota men's basketball program is back at Williams Arena on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m., when Penn State comes to town. It marks the second meeting between the two teams in 17 days as the met on Feb. 4, 2025. It marks the 49th all time meeting, dating back to 1975. Saturday also marks alumni day for the Gophers. Alums will be recognized at halftime.
• Minnesota earned a win over Penn State earlier this month in a 69-61 decision in University Park, Pa. Dawson Garcia had game-high totals of 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Lu'Cye Patterson and Brennan Rigsby each scored 14 points as Minnesota rallied from a 10-point first-half deficit for the win. Minnesota shot the lights out in the second half, making 16-of-23 (.696) field goals, including 4-of-7 (.571) three-pointers, and finished 26-of-49 (.531) from the field.
• The Gophers are looking to string three wins together Saturday after a 64-61 win at UCLA on Tuesday. The Gophers were the second team to defeat UCLA at Pauley Pavilion this season. Minnesota outscored UCLA 41-27 in the second half and 52-32 after trailing 29-12. Dawson Garcia scored 27 points in the second half to finish with a season-high 32 points and eight rebounds, his third 30-point game this season, as Minnesota rallied from a 17-point first-half deficit. Mike Mitchell Jr. added 14 points, while Lu'Cye Patterson had 11.
• Over the last four games, Lu'Cye Patterson has scored double-digit points, averaging 18.5 in those games. After scoring eight against Washington, Patterson added 14 at Penn State, 24 vs. Illinois, a season-best 25 at USC, and another 11 at UCLA, including a bucket to put the Gophers up 60-59 and another at 62-61.
• Frank Mitchell added his first double-double of his Gopher career against USC with 15 points and 12 rebounds. In the two-game road swing, Mitchell averaged 8 rebounds when he had eight offensive rebounds and eight defensive rebounds averaging 21.7 minutes. This season, Mitchell has 52 offensive rebounds in 14.3 minutes played.
CALIFORNIA LOVE
• Minnesota was just the second Big Ten team this year to travel to Los Angeles and sweep USC and UCLA. Between the USC win on Saturday and the UCLA win on Tuesday, Minnesota led for 3 minutes and 12 seconds and returned to win both games. In Saturday's win at USC, the Gophers led at the end of the game for 2 minutes and 46 seconds. The Gophers trailed UCLA until the final 26 seconds and came back to win.
• The UCLA/USC trip also broke a few old records. Minnesota erased a 17-point deficit Tuesday, which bettered a 15-point deficit against Penn State in 2024. Garcia's 27 points in the second half of the UCLA trip was the second time he posted over 25 in a half in his career. The first was vs. Ohio State in 2023. Lu'Cye Patterson also added 11 free throws made against USC, only to be broken by Garcia the next game vs. UCLA. The team was 78.8 percent from the free throw line in the west coast swing.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
• Penn State is coming off a B1G win at home against Nebraska Wednesday night to improve to 14-13 overall and 4-12 in the Big Ten. The Nebraska win snapped a seven-game streak for PSU.
• The Nittany Lions spread the scoring love with four scoring in double digits, led by their point guard and Bob Cousy award finalist Ace Baldwin Jr. He averages 13.9 points and has 189 assists and 59 steals. Yanic Konan Niederhauser missed the last Minnesota contest as well as UCLA game due to injury. He returned to the lineup and averages 12.4 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds. Nick Kern follows with 12.1 ppg, while Zach Hicks averages 12. Puff Johnson, who averaged 10.2 points, has missed the last nine games due to a hand injury.
• As a team, PSU averages 79.8 points, while allowing 73.5. The Nittany Lions are shooting 47.8 from the field and 33.6 from the arc. They average 33.7 rebounds, have 226 steals and committed 329 turnovers.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota is home for two in a row as Northwestern comes to town on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. The game will be shown on Peacock.
• Mike Grimm and Al Nolen will provide the radio call on KTLK (1130 AM/103.5 FM) as well as on the iHeart Media app.
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