| Despite the loss, head coach Rene Portland said she was happy with the way her team fought, and will take this game as a learning experience. |
Box Score
Postgame Quotes
Postgame Notes
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. November 18, 2005 - Kamela Gissendanner (Clairton, Pa.) scored 19 points in her first game as a Lady Lion, but the Penn State women's basketball team could not overcome a deep and experienced Duke team, falling to the No. 1/2 Blue Devils, 93-67, Friday at the Bryce Jordan Center in front of 7,303.
Gissendanner's 19 points led all scorers and was a new career high for the transfer from North Carolina State. Amanda Brown (Kennett Square, Pa.) added 13 points while freshman point guard Brianne O'Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa.) added 11 points and four assists. Brown also pulled down a team-high six rebounds.
Against one of the nation's most experienced teams, Penn State started four players who were logging their first minutes as Lady Lions. Along with Gissendanner and Brown, freshmen O'Rourke and Mashea Williams (Erie, Pa.) and junior college transfer Charity Renfro (Las Vegas, Nev.) all started for Penn State. Williams scored seven points in her debut, while Renfro scored two. Courtney Molinaro (Bethlehem, Pa.) and Rashida Mark (Brooklyn, Pa.) also got the first action of their young careers off the bench.
Penn State hung with the top-ranked Blue Devils during the first half, and it was an 11-point game at halftime. Duke broke open the game in the second half however, and opened the half with a 20-4 run to take a 63-36 lead with 14:54 left to play.
In the first half the Lady Lions matched Duke early on, and it was a two-point game with 10 minutes to go in the period. Leading 21-19, Duke then went on a 11-0 run to go up by 13 with just under six minutes to play. Brown ended the skid with a layup, and Penn State trimmed the lead to seven with 1:41 to play before the break. Duke finished the period with four straight points to head into the break up, 43-32.
The Lady Lions are back in action Sunday as they host Villanova at 2:15 p.m. The first 2,000 fans through the gates on Sunday will receive a free Lady Lion picture frame.
The game will air live on WPSU-TV, CSTV, FSN-Pittsburgh and CN-8. As always the game will air on the Penn State Sports Radio Network, including WMAJ and WBUS locally. Penn State's official athletics website, www.GoPSUsports.com will have an audio link, along with a link to the GameTracker feature.
"Sunday FunDay" packages and single games tickets for the Lady Lions are still available. Tickets can be purchased at the Bryce Jordan Center ticket windows weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fans can also get tickets by calling 800-863-3336 or 865-5555 locally or visit www.GoPSUsports.com, the official website of Penn State Athletics. Tickets are also available by visiting the Downtown Ticket Center, Eisenhower Auditorium, and at the HUB ticket booth at the information desk. For groups of 10 or more, ticket discounts and preferred seating options are available by calling (814)863-6757.