Nittany Lion basketball opens season Friday vs. William & Mary

Photo: GoPSUsports.com

Show football season ticket from Indiana game to get 2-for-1 ticket at 6:30 p.m. in the Jordan Center

Game Notes vs. William & Mary

University Park, Pa. — The Nittany Lion basketball team will tip off its 113th season vs. William & Mary at 6:30 p.m. Friday (Nov. 14) in the Bryce Jordan Center.

The game will be played the night before the football team's Saturday, Nov. 15 match-up with Indiana at noon in Beaver Stadium. Football season ticket holders can display a ticket for the Indiana game at the door of the Bryce Jordan Center and receive a 2-for-1, buy-one-get-one free ticket to the game. Fans will also have the opportunity to meet Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jeff Karstens, relief pitcher Sean Burnett and third baseman Neil Walker on the concourse starting at 5:30 p.m. The group will sign autographs through the 10-minute mark of the first half and then the players will join Penn State students in a halftime shooting contest. The Pirate Parrot will also be in attendance and available for photographs. Fans will receive a "Let's Go State" scroll banner at the door.

Penn State is coming off a 15-16 season last year in which a large group of young players got a great deal of experience. The nucleus of that squad returns for coach Ed DeChellis' sixth season at the helm, led by leading scorers Jamelle Cornley (12.1 ppg) and Talor Battle (10.2 ppg). Battle, a sophomore, and Cornley, a senior, were named captains along with senior Danny Morrissey. Cornley is the only active 1,000-point scorer in the Big Ten and Morrissey has the second most career threes (175) among active BigTen players.

Penn State has won its last three season-openers and is 82-30 all-time in season opening games. The Nittany Lions bring a five-game home win streak into this season and have won 10-straight non-conference home games dating to 2006.

William and Mary returns three starters, two of its top three scorers and its top four rebounders from a team that went 17-16 last season and advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association Championship game. Junior guard David Schneider (10.9 ppg) and 6-7 junior forward Danny Sumner (10.5 ppg) are the Tribes top returners. They will be joined by 6-1, guard Sean McCurdy, an Arkansas transfer that played in 61 games for the Razorbacks.

Penn State, which won a record tying 13 home games last season including its last five vs. Big Ten competition, will play 18 home games on the season, nine against Big Ten opponents.

Nittany Lion basketball tickets can be purchased by calling the ticket office during regular business hours at 814-865-5555 or visiting GoPSUsports.com anytime. Penn State basketball offers the most flexible ticket package ever with the 2009 FLEX pack. For just $99 fans can receive 10 vouchers that can be redeemed in any quantity, bring one friend or nine, for any men's or women's game on any date. You pick the games, the dates and the number of tickets that work for you.