NCAAB Game Preview - Penn State at Northwestern
Sat Mar 7, 2020 4:00 PM EST

VMI
57
ETSU
70
F
LIU
66
RobM
86
F
Kansas
66
TxTch
62
F
UtSt
59
SDSU
56
F
Maine
50
Vermt
61
F
Denv
69
NDSU
71
F
Murr
75
Belm
76
F
SacHr
72
StFPA
84
F
Woff
77
Furm
68
F
Albany
73
Stony
76
F
IPFW
77
SDSt
74
F
UMassL
75
Hartfo
89
F
GrgWas
51
Dayt
76
F
Chat
78
UNCG
68
F
Pepp
82
StMar
89
F(2OT)
UNH
67
UMBC
73
F
Baylor
64
WVU
76
F
WCU
70
Mercer
56
F
Drake
66
Brad
76
F
USF
72
Pacif
54
F
KY
71
Fla
70
F
Valpa
89
MOSt
82
F
CoCar
63
TexAr
62
F
BC
62
FSU
80
F
JMU
61
Elon
63
F
ArkSt
66
UL
73
F
Seton
60
Crei
77
F
UNCW
55
Drex
66
F
Lou
54
UVA
57
F
UNC
76
Duke
89
F
Stan
67
Oreg
80
F
Vill
70
GTown
69
F
Aub
85
Tenn
63
F
PSU
69
NW
80
F
Wisc
60
Ind
56
F
Marq
86
StJon
88
F
SouthCar
74
Vand
83
F
UTEP
77
Rice
72
F
UGA
64
LSU
94
F
LaSal
78
StJos
77
F
Rut
71
Purd
68
F(OT)
VaTec
56
ND
64
F
GMas
65
Ford
61
F
Colora
72
Utah
74
F(OT)
Bama
50
Mizzu
69
F
UCLA
52
USC
54
F
Marsh
82
UTSA
77
F
OkSt
81
Tex
59
F
IaSt
63
KSU
79
F
Syr
65
Mia-FL
69
F(OT)
NWSt
100
CenAR
85
F
Cal
56
OrSt
74
F
HCU
78
TXAMC
84
F
Ark
69
TAMU
77
F
IdaSt
76
Ida
80
F
Web
69
E WA
78
F
McNee
70
Lamar
66
F
AbCh
71
InWor
68
F(OT)
SHSU
57
SFA
68
F
USM
62
MTSU
65
F(OT)
Okla
78
TCU
76
F
N CO
75
MTSt
61
F
Corn
85
Princ
82
F
Colum
65
Penn
85
F
Gram
70
ASU
58
F
TXSo
75
Alc
90
F
PVAM
80
South
89
F(OT)
WaSt
74
AzSt
83
F
Miss
44
MissSt
69
F
DeP
55
Prov
93
F
UNCC
43
LaTec
66
F
W Ky
91
FIU
85
F
SMU
60
SoFL
61
F
URI
64
UMass
63
F
Yale
69
Harv
83
F
Brown
70
Dart
58
F
SeLA
69
NOrl
79
F
JackSt
54
AlaAM
51
F
ODU
63
UAB
72
F
Temp
63
Cin
64
F
CSBak
61
GrCan
64
F
CBU
76
UTRGV
79
F(OT)
StBon
49
StLou
72
F
MsVl
74
ArkPB
71
F
Butl
72
Xav
71
F
S UT
85
Mont
80
F(OT)
UCDav
61
UCRiv
66
F
CAPoly
67
UCSB
69
F
HI
82
CSNor
86
F
Wash
69
Ariz
63
F
Sac
72
PorSt
76
F
LongB
69
CS-Ful
75
F
UMKC
Seatt
Canc
ChiSt
UtVal
Canc
No. 20 Penn St. aims to end season on high note vs. Northwestern
Fri Mar 6, 2020 12:44 PM

Perhaps a visit to rebuilding Northwestern will help Penn State end its current rough stretch and conclude the regular season on a much-needed positive note.

The 20th-ranked Nittany Lions look to avoid a third straight defeat while trying to hand the Wildcats their eighth consecutive home loss on Saturday in Evanston, Ill.

Penn State (21-9, 11-8 in Big Ten) might be one of the biggest surprises on the 2019-20 college basketball scene, but things have been tough while going 1-4 following a season-high eight-game winning streak. Still, coach Patrick Chambers is trying to keep his team upbeat and confident entering the final weekend of the regular season and beyond.

"It's exciting to be on (this) level now, and that can't drop," Chambers told Penn State's official website. "We're a damn good team, we just haven't played 40 minutes yet.

"We have a lot of basketball to be played. A lot of time for us to right the ship, and we will because I know we have a lot of commitment and a lot of love in that locker room."

Love has not helped the Nittany Lions do any better than averaging 64.0 points and shooting 37.4 percent (28.4 from 3-point range) over the last five games. Opponents, meanwhile, are shooting 45.0 percent against Penn State during that span. Michigan State shot 68 percent and scored 48 points in the second half to overcome a 19-point hole and stun host Penn State 79-71 on Tuesday.

The Nittany Lions' Myreon Jones (13.8 points per game) scored 16 and Lamar Stevens (17.6 ppg) added 15 on Tuesday, but the latter went 3 of 19 from the field. Stevens is shooting 33 percent, including 2 of 14 from beyond the arc, in the last five contests.

Stevens went 8 of 17 from the field and finished with 23 points while Penn State recorded its third straight win over Northwestern (7-22, 2-17 in Big Ten), 77-61 on Feb. 15. Though the young Wildcats shot 46.6 percent, they were outrebounded 42-30 by the Nittany Lions, who also hit 11 3-pointers in that contest.

It's been an extremely difficult season for Northwestern, which is loaded with youth and ranks last in the league averaging 64.7 points and close to the bottom shooting 41.5 percent. The Wildcats shot a season-worst 31.5 percent overall and managed just 20 points in the second half of Wednesday's 63-48 loss at No. 24 Wisconsin.

Northwestern now returns home, where it's averaged 60.3 points and shot 29.3 percent from distance during a seven-game Big Ten losing streak that dates to a 62-57 win over Nebraska on Jan. 11. Perhaps the celebration of Senior Day and the final home game of the season will provide a little momentum for the Wildcats, who have just three seniors on the roster and started three freshmen with a sophomore against the Badgers.

"I know everybody is going to be motivated to play well (Saturday)," Northwestern coach Chris Collins told WGN 720-AM.

"(We're) excited about the core and what's ahead of us."

Six-foot-10 Wildcats sophomore Pete Nance (8.3 ppg) scored 14 at Wisconsin and has averaged 10.0 over the last six games. He had 12 points and seven rebounds at Penn State last month.

Northwestern has lost 15 straight against ranked teams since beating then-No. 20 Michigan on Feb. 6, 2018.

--Field Level Media

Team Record Comparison

Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
Penn State  
Northwestern  

Hot Players (Last 10 team games)

--%>