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Hoops du jour

PSU men at No.19 Wisconsin

Tipoff: 1 p.m., Kohl Center, Madison, Wis.

Records: Penn State (12-16); No.19 Wisconsin (19-9)

Coaches: Patrick Chambers is 125-137 in his eighth season at Penn State and 166-166 overall. Greg Gard 76-45 is in its fourth season at Wisconsin and overall.

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: ESPN 1430, PSU Sports Network (Steve Jones, Dick Jerardi)

Notes: Penn State dominated Maryland to get their third straight win. The Lions are hot right now, winning five of their last seven games. Myles Dread gave the Lions a hot start against the Terrapins, scoring 15 points before they could reach 14 points… Wisconsin lost to Indiana in double overtime, 75-73. The Badgers are led by the defensively savvy forward, Ethan Happ.

Mirror prediction: Wisconsin 72, Penn State 68

Comment: If the Lions win this game on the road, they should be consider one of the top six teams in the conference even after their horrendous start. But I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Mirror prediction record: 17-11

Pitt men at Virginia

Tipoff: 2 p.m., Petersen Events Center

Records: Pittsburgh (12-16, 2-13 in ACC); Virginia (25-2, 13-2 in ACC)

Coaches: Jeff Capel is 12-16 in his first season at Pitt and is 174-126 in his 10th season overall. Tony Bennett is 244-88 in his 10th season at Virginia and is 313-121 in 13 years overall.

TV: WTAE

Notes: Talk about teams going in opposite directions. Virginia is ranked No. 2 in the nation and has won nine of its past 10 games. Pitt has lost 11 in a row and is closing in on going winless on the road in ACC play for the second consecutive season. … Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy and De’Andre Hunter are each averaging more than 13 points a game for Virginia. … Pitt hasn’t won a road game since February 2017. … The Panthers are 1-7 against ranked opponents this season.

Mirror prediction: Virginia 60, Pittsburgh 44

Comment: Not exactly what the doctor ordered for Pitt’s shooting woes.

Mirror prediction record: 20-7

— Michael Boytim

SFU men at Sacred Heart

Tipoff: 3:30 p.m., Pitt Center, Fairfield, Conn.

Records: Saint Francis (16-12, 12-5 NEC); Sacred Heart (14-16, 10-7)

Coaches: Rob Krimmel is 95-119 in his seventh season at Saint Francis and overall. Anthony Latina is 69-117 in his sixth season at Sacred Heart and overall.

Online video: NECFrontRow.com

Radio: Online at sfuathletics.com

Notes: The Red Flash clinched at least a share of the NEC regular-season title Thursday, and they’ll be looking to wrap up the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament in today’s regular-season finale. Here’s the breakdown:

n SFU has a one-game lead over FDU with one game remaining. If the Flash win today or FDU loses at Central Connecticut State, then Saint Francis captures the NEC title outright and is the 1 seed for the tournament.

n If SFU loses today and FDU wins, both of which are very possible, then the Flash and FDU will tie for the regular-season title.

n Saint Francis owns most tiebreakers over FDU and would get the 1 seed under all circumstances except one.

n For FDU to steal the 1 seed and drop SFU to the 2 seed, all four of these things must happen today: The Flash lose, FDU wins, Wagner beats visiting Robert Morris, and St. Francis Brooklyn beats visiting Mount St. Mary’s. As crazy as it seems, all four of those things could happen given the matchups. The point spread favors each team in the scenario that works against Saint Francis. So, SFU needs to just take care of business by winning and not letting other factors come into play.

n Of the other games involved in the scenario, Robert Morris stands a good chance of winning at Wagner, so keep an eye on that game if Saint Francis loses.

The Flash erased a 14-point second-half deficit to beat Sacred Heart in Loretto last month. The Pioneers not only want revenge after letting that one get away, they’re also playing well, coming off an 87-63 thumping of Robert Morris on Thursday. … Sacred Heart has a 59.9 percent chance to win, according to ESPN’s matchup predictor, and the Pioneers are favored by 3 ¢ points.

Mirror prediction: Saint Francis 76, Sacred Heart 73

Comment: I originally was going to pick Sacred Heart here in a coin-flip game because it’s playing at home. But the experienced Red Flash players know what’s at stake and have great motivation for this game with a chance to win the league title outright, so I expect them to come out with great intensity and sustain it throughout.

Mirror prediction record: 20-8

— Cory Giger

Nebraska at PSU women

Tipoff: 3 p.m., Bryce Jordan Center

Records: Penn State (12-16, 5-12 Big Ten); Nebraska (13-15, 8-9 Big Ten)

Coaches: Coquese Washington holds a record of 209-167 in her 12th season at Penn State. Amy Williams is in her third season as the head coach of her alma mater, with six years of experience in Division I with a 137-92 record. The four-year letterwinner for the Lady Huskers was the Big Ten Coach of the Year and also took them to the NCAA tournament in 2018. She spent the four years prior to returning to Lincoln at South Dakota, where she led a run to the 2016 WNIT championship.

Radio: WRSC 1390 AM, online at GoPSUsports.com.

TV: Big Ten Network

Live stats: online at GoPSUsports.com

Notes: Penn State wraps up the regular season with the only meeting with Nebraska this season. Today is senior day for PSU’s five-member senior class of Amari Carter, Leah Knizner, Sarah McMurtry, Kayleigh Semion and Teniya Paige. … Lady Lion radio play-by-play man Jerry Fisher is set to take the mic at home for the final time today. He is the longest-tenured broadcaster in NCAA women’s basketball with 40 years calling games, beginning during the Lady Lions 1979-80 season. … Nebraska is one of eight Big Ten teams separated by just three games in the middle of the standings heading into this weekend. The Lady Huskers are coming off their bye week after they lost to Iowa, 74-58, on Feb. 25. … Hannah Whitish leads the Husker offense, averaging 10.3 ppg and has a team-best 121 assists this season.

Mirror prediction: Penn State 68, Nebraska 67

Comment: The Lady Lions are hoping to get another win to take 3-of-4 into the Big Ten Tournament.

Mirror prediction record: 23-5

— Dan Isenberg

SFU women at Sacred Heart

Tipoff: 1 p.m. at William H. Pitt Center, Fairfield, Conn.

Records: Saint Francis (13-14 overall, 10-5 Northeast Conference); Sacred Heart (15-11, 11-4).

Coaches: Susan Robinson-Fruchtl, returning on an interim basis, is 86-95 in her sixth year at Saint Francis and is 112-189 in her 10th year overall; Jessica Mannetti is 94-87 in her sixth season at Sacred Heart.

Internet stats: www.sacredheartpioneers.com

TV: NEC Front Row

Leading scorers: Saint Francis – G Jess Kovatch, 5-9 Sr. (21.9); Sacred Heart – F Katherine Haines, 6-2 Gr. (16.9).

Notes: Saint Francis is in third place in the NEC, which is a game behind Sacred Heart … The Pioneers have the advantage in the all-time series at 23-15 … SHU is just 5-4 since the two teams met in Loretto on Jan. 26 — an 85-68 Red Flash victory … An SFU win would give them the tiebreaker between the two programs for the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament should they finish with the same record. A loss would put Saint Francis two games behind Sacred Heart with just two left to play … Kovatch needs three more 3-pointers to pass Duke’s J.J. Redick for fourth place on the list of the most 3-pointers made in NCAA men’s or women’s history.

Block party (Courtney Zezza’s spot on SFU’s all-time blocked shots list): 1. Zezza, 288; 2. Cheril Meier (1982-86), 278; 3. Vesna Drazetic (1988-92), 194.

Bombs away (where Kovatch ranks all-time in 3-point field goals made in NCAA Division I women’s history): 1. Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State (2015-18), 497; 2. Kovatch, 455; 3. Katelynn Flaherty, Michigan (2015-18), 410.

Mirror prediction: Sacred Heart 78, Saint Francis 76

Comment: The Pitt Center has always been a house of horrors for the Red Flash as they are just 4-15 all-time. Chalk up another loss as the Pioneers pull it out in a close one.

Mirror prediction record: 19-8

— Nate Ritchey

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