2011-12 IN REVIEW
s Jon Graham started 17 games in his first season on the floor for the Lions and led Penn State with 19 blocked shots. He posted career highs of 10 points vs. Iowa and Northwestern in Big Ten play.
Dunn & Egli both did it in their second game vs. a ranked foe.
LIONS THUMP PURDUE FOR CHAMBERS’ FIRST BIG TEN WIN: Penn State posted its most lopsided Big Ten win in six seasons with a 65-45 defeat of Purdue (1/5), gaining the first Big Ten Conference win of the Patrick Chambers era in the Lions’ first home Big Ten appearance under Chambers. It was Penn State’s largest Big Ten victory since downing Northwestern, 83-57, on Jan. 3, 2007, and the largest over Purdue since beating the Boilers, 74-54, at the Jordan Center on Jan. 18, 2006. Billy Oliver posted a career high 21 points on a career-best 7-of-11 (63.6%) from three in the game.
LIONS DOWN B.C. IN CHALLENGE: Penn State posted the first road win of the Patrick Chambers era and continued its recent success in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with a 62-54 victory at Boston College. The win marked Penn State’s fourth in its last five Challenge games and third in a row in a Challenge road game with previous wins coming at Virginia (2009) and Georgia Tech (2008). Jermaine Marshall scored a then careerhigh 22 points on 3-of-6 from three and Tim Frazier had 22 on 3-of-5 from three for the Lions.
LIONS FACE NO. 2 RANKED/EVENTUAL NATIONAL CHAMPION KENTUCKY: Penn State took on No. 2 ranked Kentucky in the Hall of Fame Tip-off Tournament at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. The Wildcats prevailed, 85-47, and went on to win the 2012 NCAA Championship.
s Freshman Ross Travis started 16 games and played in all 32 in his first season. His play surged at the end of the year as he posted a career-high 15 points vs. Michigan in the regular season finale.
NATION’S BEST FOUR RANKED OPPONENTS IN A ROW: Penn State was the first team in the NCAA on the season to play fourstraight ranked foes when it fell to Wisconsin, 5246, on Jan. 31 in the Jordan Center. Penn State went 1-3 during the stretch, with a 54-52 victory over No. 22 Illinois (1/19) at the BJC. It marked the third time since 2005-06 the Lions played four or more ranked opponents in succession.
FRIENDLY CONFINES/ROAD CHALLENGE: Penn State averaged 67.3 ppg, 42% shooting from the floor and 34% from three in home games on the year, including a seasonhigh 82 points vs. No. 12 Indiana on Jan. 8 at the Jordan Center. Penn State scored more than 70 points in seven of its 17 home games and more than 60 on 14 occasions. The Lions struggled offensively away from the BJC averaging just 55 ppg, 35% shooting from the floor and 26% from three in 15 contests while going 2-13. Penn State scored more than 60 points just twice away from the BJC. (62 at Boston College and 64 at Iowa).
SHOOTING STRUGGLES: Penn State shot less then 45% from the floor in 23 games on the year and went 8-15 in those contests. The Lions ranked 325th in the NCAA in field goal percentage hitting 39.3 percent on the year. Penn State shot a combined 37% from the floor and 27% from three in its 20 losses on the year. The Lions shot 43% from the floor and 37% from three in their 12 wins.
THREE NAMED ACADEMIC ALLBIG TEN: Penn State juniors Tim Frazie and Billy Oliver and sophomore Sasa Borovnjak were recognized for their work in the class room with Academic All-Big Ten honors. It was the second honor each for Frazier and Oliver.
DOUBLE-FIGURES
POINTS 11-12 CAREER Frazier 30 40 Marshall 20 21 Woodyard 14 15 Oliver 4 5 Travis 5 5 Lewis 3 3 Borovnjak 2 2 Colella 2 2 Graham 2 2 REBOUNDS 11-12 CAREER Frazier 3 3 Graham 1 1 Glover 1 1 Oliver 1 1 ASSISTS 11-12 CAREER Frazier 3 3
DOUBLE-DOUBLES
POINTS 11-12 CAREER Frazier 4 5 Last: 23 pts, 10 rebs. vs. NEBRASKA (2/11/12)
20-POINT GAMES
POINTS 11-12 CAREER Frazier 17 18 Last: 26 pts. vs. IU (B1G) (3/8/12) Marshall 4 4 Last: 27 pts vs.MICH (3/4/12) Oliver 1 1 Last: 21 pts vs. PUR (1/5/12) Woodyard 1 1 Last: 22 pts vs. MINNESOTA (1/15/12)
30-POINT GAMES
POINTS 11-12 CAREER Frazier 1 1 Last: 30 pts at Nebraska (1/11/12)
s Jermaine Marshall emerged as the Lions’ second leading scorer posting 10.8 ppg and logged four 20-point games, including a career-high 27 in the regular season finale vs. Michigan.
PENN STATE BASKETBALL ˜ 105