NCAA Baskteball Picks and Tips: Cornell Big Red at Penn State
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Frank Martin
Cornell Big Red let a big win slip through its fingers against Illinois Monday and face another Big Ten opponent in Penn State on its second stop of a hectic five-game road trip.
The Penn State Nittany Lions snapped a three-game losing skid with a victory over Mount St. Mary’s on Sunday, but not without some sloppy play. Cornell has won five of the nine meetings, with the Nittany Lions winning the most recent meeting 66-54 in 2005.
Cornell Big Red @ Penn State Nittany Lions
When: 7:30 PM ET, Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Where: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, Pennsylvania
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
The Nittany Lions have opened as 8.5-point favorites on SBG Global Sportsbook’s Live NCAA Basketball Odds.
Cornell Big Red (4-5): Cornell jumped out to an early lead against Illinois on the back of sharp-shooting guard Josh Figini. He scored 14 of the Big Red’s 32 first-half points, but didn't score in the second half. Cornell was battered on the boards by the Illini 39-24 and allowing numerous second-chance opportunities. The Big Red kept things interesting from beyond the arc, though, by knocking down 10 3-pointers in the 64-60 loss.
Penn State Nittany Lions (7-5): The Nittany Lions got a shot of confidence against Mount St. Mary’s. Penn State scored 72 points after being limited to less than 60 in the two previous games. It got double-figure scoring from five different players for the first time this year, led by do-it-all guard Tim Frazier, who leads the Nittany Lions in scoring (17.2), assists (7.2), rebounding (5.3) and steals (2.2). Penn State is averaging only 63.2 points per game while giving up only 61.2 on defense.
1. Cornell point guard Miles Asafo-Adjei was hospitalized before the Illinois game with a lower-leg infection and is questionable to play Wednesday.
2. Penn State coach Patrick Chambers wanted to instill some intensity in his team Sunday. So, instead of staying in the locker room during warm-ups, Chambers cheered on his players during the pre-game layup line. It is something he may continue all season.
3. The Big Red had a season-low 10 turnovers versus Illinois. Cornell forced the Illini to commit 14 turnovers – seven of which were steals.
NCAA BASKETBALL PREDICTION: Nittany Lions 68, Big Red 64
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bryce jordan center - cornell big red - josh figini - miles asafo-adjei - patrick chambers - penn state nittany lions - tim frazier
