Feb. 26, 2010
Indiana Game Notes (2/28/10) |
The Penn State Lady Lions (16-11, 8-9) will close out the regular season and vie for a first round bye in the Big Ten Tournament when they travel to Indiana (13-15, 6-11) on Sunday at 4 p.m. The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network with Tracy Warren and Theresa Grentz calling the action.
TV/RADIO: The game will air live on the Big Ten Network with Tracy Warren and Theresa Grentz calling the action. The game can also be heard on the Penn State Sports Network with Jerry Fisher and Stacey Brewer describing play. The audio feed is available at www.GoPSUsports.com.
SCOUTING INDIANA: The Hoosiers are 13-15 overall and 6-11 in Big Ten play, but have lost their last five games. Jori Davis leads Indiana and is fifth in the Big Ten with a 16.8 scoring average. She also pulls in 6.5 rebounds per game, which is second on the squad. Jamie Braun averages double digits for the Hoosiers with a 12.4 mark, while Sasha Chaplin leads the squad with a 7.0 rebounding clip.
ALL-TIME VS. THE HOOSIERS: Penn State is 25-8 all-time against the Hoosiers with an 8-5 record in Bloomington. However, the Lions have not won in Bloomington since Jan. 16, 2005, string of three games. The Lady Lions snapped a three-game losing streak to Indiana with a 77-71 overtime win over the Hoosiers on Jan. 10. Grant led the way for the Lions with 27 points.
LAST TIME VS. IU: The Lady Lions let an 11-point second-half lead slip away, but hit on 10-of-12 free throws in overtime to earn a 77-71 win over Indiana on Jan. 10. All 10 players that entered the game for Penn State scored, led by Tyra Grant with a game-high 27 points. Junior Julia Trogele posted her second double-double of the season and the fourth of her career with a personal-best 18 points and 11 rebounds. Nikki Greene also had a solid performance with 11 rebounds and a career-best five blocks in 19 minutes.
LAST TIME OUT: Wisconsin shot 75% in the first half and 57.7% (30-52) for the game on the way to a 71-39 victory over the Lady Lions on Thursday. Penn State was held to its fewest points since scoring 35 points in a 60-35 loss to Slippery Rock on March 11, 1976. Senior Tyra Grant scored all 15 of her points in the second half in her final regular season game at the Jordan Center. She also notched three steals against the Badgers. Freshman Nikki Greene accounted for 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, seven rebounds and a blocked shot.
BIG TEN SCORING RACE: For the second straight season, the Big Ten scoring race is going to go down to the wire between Tyra Grant and Ohio State's Jantel Lavender. With Lavender on the bye date this weekend, Grant needs 23 points to win the Big Ten scoring title. Should Grant take home the scoring crown, she will be the first Lady Lion to accomplish the feat since Kelly Mazzante won her third consecutive title in 2002-03. Grant would also be just the second Penn Stater to win Big Ten scoring honors since joining the Big Ten in 1992-93. Last season, Lavender won the Big Ten scoring crown by a single point over Grant.
GRANT CLOSING IN ON 2,000: Senior guard Tyra Grant is 40 points away from becoming the fourth player in school history to register 2,000 career points. Grant would join Kelly Mazzante, Susan Robinson and Kahadeejah Herbert in the elite group. Grant would also become the 13th place in Big Ten history to accomplish the feat.
EMO EQUALS CAREER MARK: Sophomore Emily Phillips was a spark off of the bench against Wisconsin on Feb. 25 as she tied her career high with nine points. Phillips was 2-for-3 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line on the night. Her nine points equal her personal best set against Northwestern on Jan. 3, 2010.
TOUGH NIGHT ON THE SCOREBOARD: The Feb. 25 game against Wisconsin was a tough night on the scoreboard for the Lady Lions. Penn State's 39 points was its lowest scoring output since the Lions scored 35 at home against Slippery Rock on 3/11/76. Additionally, the Lady Lions' 13 first-half points were the fewest points scored in a half by a Penn State team since tallying 13 points in the first half against the Connecticut in the NCAA Elite Eight on March 29, 2004. Penn State's 32-point loss was its largest loss since it lost at Michigan by 39 points (98-59) on Feb. 14, 1997.
TY TABBED NAISMITH SEMIFINALIST: Senior guard Tyra Grant is one of 30 mid-season candidates for the 2010 Women's Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T, which was announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Grant is one of four Big Ten players on the mid-season list, joining Ohio State's Jantel Lavender and Samantha Prahalis and Illinois' Jenna Smith. This is the second consecutive season that Grant has been a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy.
The Lady Lions head to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament, March 4-7. Penn State will find out which seed it will be after Sunday's action. The Lady Lions are 20-13 all-time in the Big Ten tourney with a pair of Championships.
The Lady Lions hold several camps throughout the summer. There is a Lady Lion Basketball Camp available for girls of all ages, ranging from shooting camp to elite camp. The 2010 Lady Lion Basketball Camp schedule is as follows: Shooting Camp (June 13-15), Elite Camp (June 20-22), Skills Camp (June 20-23), Total Package Team Camp (June 24-26) and Games Galore Team Camp (August 6-8). For more information on Lady Lion Basketball Camps, please visit psusportscamps.com and click on Lady Lion Basketball Camp.
The Lady Lions are on Twitter. Follow head coach Coquese Washington (@psucoachquese), sports information contact Kris Petersen (@ladylionsid) and the Lady Lions and assistant coaches (@pennstatewbb) to get the inside scoop. The Lady Lions are also on Facebook. Search Lady Lion Basketball and become a fan.