GAME NOTES: The Illinois Fighting Illini wrap up a four-game homestand today, as they entertain the Penn State Nittany Lions in a Big Ten battle at Assembly Hall. The Illini got its Big Ten schedule underway on Thursday, when it was downed by Ohio State 74-58. It was the second straight loss at home by Illinois, which was stunned by Tennessee State (60-58) on December 30th. With the rare back-to-back losses at Assembly Hall, the Illini now sit at 8-6 overall and just 4-3 at home. As for PSU, it kicked off conference play on a high note, defeating Northwestern, 79-68, for its first win away from home this season. The outcome also extended the team's winning streak to six games, its longest since capturing seven victories in a row during the 2000-01 season. With the recent run, the Lions have improved their record to a solid 9-4 for the season. In terms of the all-time series, Illinois holds a 20-7 advantage over PSU and it won both meetings last season, including a 66-60 triumph in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.

The Lions come into the contest averaging a respectable 71.9 ppg, and they have also had success on the boards, outrebounding their foes by 5.4 rpg. Geary Claxton is clearly the squad's go-to-guy, as he leads PSU in both scoring (19.2 ppg) and rebounding (8.7 rpg). Jamelle Cornley has helped to take some of the pressure off Claxton and he ranks second to him with 11.5 ppg and 5.9 rpg. In the team's latest outing, Cornley notched his seventh career double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Lions past Northwestern. Claxton had a big game as well, registering his seventh double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 boards. The Lions knocked down 56.6 percent of their shots from the floor in the win and they also held a 33-19 advantage on the boards.

At the defensive end of the court is where the Illini are at their best, holding opposing clubs to 60.9 ppg and just 38.6 percent shooting from the floor. The team has also done solid work on the glass, grabbing 6.5 rpg more than its foes. Offensively though, the Illini are producing just 66.4 ppg mainly due to poor shooting from three-point range (.280) as well as the foul line (.594). Shaun Pruitt tops the roster in scoring (12.9 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg), but he is converting just 52.7 percent of the time at the charity stripe. Brian Randle is second in order with 10.7 ppg and 5.1 rpg and much like Pruitt, he has had a difficult time making free throws, hitting just 53.5 percent at the line. Trent Meacham is one of the top three-point shooters (.373) on the team and he rounds out the double-digit scorers with 10.6 ppg. In the squad's previous tilt, the Illini turned the ball over 18 times and made just 4-of-21 attempts from beyond the arc in the loss to Ohio State. Randle paced the team in defeat with 14 points, while Pruitt logged 12 points and eight boards. Meacham however, had a dreadful game, scoring only three points on a horrific 1-of-10 shooting from downtown.

PSU comes into the game with all the momentum on its side, but it is hard to picture the Illini dropping a third straight game at home. It should be a tightly contested game all the way through, but look for Illinois to make some clutch plays on defense to pull out the win today.