Nov. 1, 2012
California (Pa.) Game Notes (11/3/12)
Get Your 2012-13 Tickets! | Promotions | LadyLions.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The eighth-ranked Penn State Lady Lions will hit the hardwood for the first time in the 2012-13 season with an exhibition game against California (Pa.), led by Lady Lion legend Jess Strom, on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 2 p.m., in the Bryce Jordan Center as part of the doubleheader with the men's basketball team. Tickets for the doubleheader are $5 for general admission seating. The Nittany Lions will take on Philadelphia U. at 4 p.m.
PROMOTIONS: Tickets for Saturday's exhibition games are $5 for general admission seating to both the men's and women's games.
GIVEAWAY: Fans will receive at 2012-13 Lady Lion Basketball schedule poster at the gates, while supplies last.
SCOUTING CAL: The Vulcans lose several key players from a team that went 17-10 a year ago. Cal's top returning scorer from a year ago is Chelsea McKnight, who averaged 6.5 points and tallied 51 steals. Elena Antoneko was second on the team in rebounding last season, pulling in 4.5 caroms per game.
ALL-TIME VS. THE VULCANS: The Lady Lions won the only non-exhibition game against Cal in program history with a 91-77 win over the Vulcans on Dec. 21, 1990. The teams squared off in an exhibition game prior to the 2008-09 season with Penn State claiming a 90-56 win.
LAST TIME VS. CUP: Penn State forced 29 turnovers en route to a 90-56 exhibition win over PSAC foe California (Pa.) on Nov. 9, 2008. Brianne O'Rourke led four Lady Lions in double figures with a game-high 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting. Julia Trogele notched a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds, including eight on the offensive glass, while Janessa Wolff came off the bench to knock down eight of her nine shots en route to 16 points.
PSU 8TH IN AP POLL: The Penn State Lady Lions are ranked eighth in the Associated Press preseason poll. It is the highest ranking in the AP poll for the Lady Lion since they were fifth in the final 2004 poll. The Lady Lions were ranked in the AP poll every week last season, finishing the year 11th.
LIONS RANKED 8TH IN COACHES POLL: The Lady Lions are ranked eighth in the USA Today Sports/ESPN coaches' preseason poll. It is the highest ranking in the Coaches' Poll for the Lady Lions since they were seventh in the final 2004 poll. Penn State was ranked for 18 of the 19 weeks last season, peaking at ninth in the final poll.
PENN STATE BIG TEN FAVORITES: With nine returning letterwinners from a team that claimed its sixth Big Ten regular-season title and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2004, the Penn State Lady Lions were selected to finish first in the Big Ten Conference in a vote of the league's coaches and media. PSU finished ahead of Nebraska and Purdue in the coaches vote and Nebraska and Ohio State in the media poll.
BENTLEY & LUCAS WIN PRESEASON HONORS: Senior point guard Alex Bentley was selected as the coaches' preseason Co-Player of the Year and to the preseason All-Big Ten first team by the media, while junior shooting guard Maggie Lucas was named to the All-Big Ten first team by both the coaches and media. Bentley shared Player of the Year accolades with Taylor Hill.
VETERANS RETURN: The Lady Lions return nine letterwinners and four starters, including All-Big Ten first team selections Alex Bentley and Maggie Lucas, as well as All-Big Ten honorable mention choices Nikki Greene and Mia Nickson.
TRIO OF McDONALD'S ALL-AMERICANS: Prior to Coquese Washington's tenure, the Lady Lions had only one McDonald's High School All-American in program history, but with the addition of Candice Agee, Penn State will tout three McDonald's High School All-Americans on their roster this season. Agee joins Maggie Lucas and Dara Taylor as honorees of the prestigious All-America team.
MAGS IN THE ESPNW BLOGOSPHERE: Junior guard Maggie Lucas will be a weekly contributing blogger for espnW. Lucas will be blogging about various topics all year long. Her blogs can be found at espn.go.com/espnw/blog/category/maggie-lucas/.
The Lady Lions open their regular-season schedule on Sun., Nov. 11 against Howard at 2 p.m., at the Bryce Jordan Center, where the Lady Lions will raise their 2012 Big Ten Championship banner. Fans will receive a replica Big Ten Championship banner at the gates. The game is also Military Appreciation Day where fans that show their military ID will get four (4) free tickets and can purchase additional tickets for $5 each. It is also a Subway Full Court 4-Pack where fans will receive four reserved game tickets and one voucher for four 6" subs and four 21 oz. fountain drinks at any of the seven State College Subway locations for just $40!
Single game tickets for the Lady Lions are on sale now. Tickets are $15 and $12 for adults and seniors and $9 and $7 for youth (12 and younger). Lady Lion Basketball season tickets are still available by calling 1-800-NITTANY. Season tickets are $99 for adults and $50 for youth (12 and under), this includes a Nittany Lion Kids Club Membership for 2012-13. The PNC Flex Books are available again this year for $99. The Flex Book gives fans 12 vouchers, 10 that can be redeemed in any combination for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball tickets throughout the year and two extra vouchers for the Nittany Lions' Coaches Vs. Cancer game and the Lady Lions' Pink Zone game.
The 2013 Pink Zone at Penn State will take place on Sunday, Feb. 24 as the Lady Lions take on Michigan in the Bryce Jordan Center. Last year, the Lady Lions donated a record $203,000 to breast cancer causes. This year's fundraising efforts will benefit the Mount Nittany Medical Center, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital and Lewistown Hospital. For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.pennsylvaniapinkzone.org.
The Lady Lions are on Twitter. Follow sports information contact Kris Petersen (@ladylionsid) and the Lady Lions and coaches (@pennstatewbb) to get the inside scoop. The Lady Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstateladylions.