Indiana @ Penn St. preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 4, 2018 ) Indiana 64, Penn St. 62

No. 23 Penn State looks to cement its spot in the national rankings when it hosts Indiana on Wednesday. The Nittany Lions won back-to-back games over Ohio State (90-76) and Michigan (72-63) to climb back into the Top 25 after making their first appearance in the national polls in 14 years earlier in December, and they hope to take another step towards their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011 by exceeding last season’s win total.

“I really think we’re starting to play our best basketball heading into February,” Penn State coach Patrick Chambers told reporters. “We’re really starting to click and play well.” Indiana failed to build on its 67-63 win over 14th-ranked Michigan State as it dropped a 77-76 decision at home to No. 15 Maryland on Sunday. The Hoosiers have lost three of their four road games this season, but beat Nebraska 82-74 in their last contest away from home on Jan. 18, and they hope to stay in the top half of the Big Ten standings by knocking off the Nittany Lions for the fifth consecutive time. “This one stings … but we’re on to the next one and we have to find ways to be better,” Indiana coach Archie Miller told reporters after losing 77-76 to Maryland on Sunday. “We can’t get too high or low and now we’re off to Penn State.”

TIME: 8:30 p.m. ET. TV: Big Ten Network

ABOUT INDIANA (15-5, 5-4 Big Ten): Devonte Green scored 16 points and pulled down five rebounds against the Terrapins while Trayce Jackson-Davis added 13 points and eight boards, but the Hoosiers let a six-point lead slip away with 1:08 left in the game. Jerome Hunter matched his career high with 12 points and Rob Phinisee finished with 10 points and seven assists in the loss to Maryland. “It’s a game of inches and it comes down to a couple of plays,” Miller said. “You’ve got to be a little lucky and you’ve got to be smart and we were probably a little less on those two in the last two minutes.”

ABOUT PENN STATE (14-5, 4-4): Lamar Stevens scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to finish in double figures for the 19th straight game this season as he powered the Nittany Lions to their first win in Ann Arbor since Feb. 20, 2010. Curtis Jones poured in all 18 of his points in the second half while Myreon Jones added 16 points and five rebounds as the duo combined to go 6-of-8 from 3-point range against the Wolverines. Myles Dread finished with eight points and four rebounds while John Harrar had six points as Penn State held the Wolverines to 35.3 percent shooting from the floor.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Indiana has won 11 of the last 13 meetings with Penn State.

2. Stevens has scored at least 10 points in 28 straight regular-season games dating back to last year.

3. The Hoosiers are tied for sixth nationally in total free throw attempts (499).

PREDICTION: Penn State 74, Indiana 69