Dec. 5, 2007
Game notes vs. Syracuse (12/6/07)
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Fresh off an 86-84 victory over #11/10 Duke on Sunday, the Lady Lions (6-2) are back on the road Thursday to take on Syracuse (5-1) in the Carrier Dome at 7 p.m. Penn State last played in New York State at Niagara on Dec. 21, 1993, an 83-56 victory for the Lady Lions.
The game can be heard on the Penn State Sports Radio Network with Jerry Fisher (play-by-play) and Chris Morelli (analyst) describing play. Locally the game will air on the radio on WMAJ. The audio feed and live stats are available at www.GoPSUSports.com.
The Lady Lions are 16-1 all-time against Syracuse, including six consecutive victories over the Orange. Penn State and Syracuse renewed their series after a 13-year hiatus last season when the Lady Lions picked up a 71-46 victory in their home opener. PSU's only loss in the series came at Syracuse, an 82-76 overtime loss on Dec. 6, 1988.
In the last meeting between the squads, Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio) led four Lady Lions in double figures with 14 points as Penn State posted a 71-46 victory over Syracuse on Nov. 12. Amanda Brown just missed out on a double-double with 11 points and a game-best nine rebounds, while Kam Gissendanner (Clairton, Pa.) added 13 points and four boards.
Last time the Lady Lions were on the court, junior point guard Brianne O'Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa.) found a wide-open Janessa Wolff (Park Rapids, Minn.) under the basket for a lay-up with 0.5 seconds remaining to lift the Lady Lions to an 86-84 upset victory over #11/10 Duke at the Bryce Jordan Center Sunday. It was Penn State's first victory over a Top 10 team since the 81-68 win versus Minnesota at the BJC on January 30, 2005 and also snapped a 76-game winning streak for Duke against unranked opponents.
O'Rourke finished a with a game- and career-high 23 points, including a 15-for-15 effort from the free throw line, to go along with eight assists and two steals. Her 100% mark from the charity stripe and 15 free throws made tie the Penn State records set by Jess Strom vs. Minnesota on Jan. 30, 2005. Junior guard Mashea Williams (Erie, Pa.) also established a career-high with 22 points, which included an 8-for-8 effort from the free throw line. Gissendanner reached double figures for the Lady Lions with 13 tallies, while Grant added 10 tallies and four rebounds.
The Orange are off to their best start since 2004-05 with a 5-1 mark through six games. SU won the Warhawk Classic on Sunday with a win over host Louisiana-Monroe. Chandrea Jones was selected as the Tournament MVP. Fantasia Goodwin leads the Orange in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (9.5).
The Lady Lions return to the Jordan Center for a two-game homestand against Georgetown on Sunday at 3 p.m. and Mississippi on Thursday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. The game against the Hoyas marks the return of former Lady Lions Terri Williams-Flournoy, who is currently the Georgetown head coach. Penn State rounds out its non-conference schedule at Bucknell on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.
Fans can purchase single-game tickets by visiting the Bryce Jordan Center box office, calling 814-865-5555 or 800-863-3336 or by clicking on the ticket link on www.GoPSUsports.com. The second annual THINK PINK Day is slated for Sunday, Feb. 10 versus Iowa at noon. For more information on THINK PINK Day, visit Penn State's official THINK PINK website at www.gopsusports.com/thinkpink.