Cornell @ Penn St. preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 21, 2014 ) Penn St. 72, Cornell 71

No. 21 Penn State returns from its holiday break with one final non-conference affair before Big Ten play resumes as it hosts Cornell on Sunday. The Nittany Lions own three straight victories, including an 87-58 rout of Central Connecticut on Dec. 20.

Sophomore guard Myreon Jones scored 21 points against the Blue Devils and Penn State shot 54.1 percent from the floor in winning its 12th straight home game. "I truly believe our best basketball is ahead of us," coach Patrick Chambers told reporters recently. "We haven't seen this team hit on all cylinders yet. Maybe 20, 25 minutes at Georgetown, maybe when they were fully loaded and fully stocked, maybe. Right now, I think we have to continue to be hungry, and getting better." Cornell has lost nine in a row, although the last three have come by a total of 15 points. Jimmy Boeheim hit four 3-pointers en route to 26 points in an 80-76 loss at Hartford last Sunday.

TV: Noon ET, ESPNU

ABOUT CORNELL (1-9): Boeheim, a junior forward, leads the Big Red in scoring (19.3 points per game) and rebounding (6.2). Junior guard Terrance McBride is second on the team in scoring (10.3) after recording 14 in the loss to the Hawks. Cornell entered the weekend ranked 344th nationally in 3-point shooting at 26.3 percent but 86th in foul shooting (73.3).

ABOUT PENN STATE (10-2): Senior leader Lamar Stevens tops the Nittany Lions in scoring (16.2) but he has fallen shy of that mark in four of his last five games. Jones is averaging 17.3 over his last three games to boost his average to 14.2 while handing out 13 assists to raise his team-leading mark in that category to 3.3. Senior center Mike Watkins averages 10.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and a Big Ten-leading 3.8 blocks.

TIP-INS

1. Nittany Lions junior G Jamari Wheeler was 3-of-4 from the floor and handed out a season-high seven assists in his last game.

2. Big Red freshman F Jordan Jones is averaging 10 points and 5.7 rebounds over his last three contests.

3. Penn State won the last three meetings, including a 72-71 triumph in the most recent matchup Nov. 21, 2014.

PREDICTION: Penn State 80, Cornell 57