| The Big Ten's leading Freshman of the Year candidate Brianne O'Rourke nabbed a career-high seven steals to go along with nine assists and 14 points Thursday in the Lady Lions' 78-62 win over Michigan. Penn State stays at home for a 2 p.m. clash with rival Purdue on Sunday. The game is a white-out, and all fans should wear white to support the Lady Lions. |
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. February 2, 2006 - Adrienne Squire (Indianapolis, Ind.) scored a career-high 21 points and helped lead Penn State to a 78-62 win over rival Michigan Thursday in front of 5,429.
In all, four Lady Lions reached double-digit scoring figures. Along with Squire, Amanda Brown (Kennett Square, Pa.) added 17, Brianne O'Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa.) tallied 14 and Kam Gissendanner (Clairton, Pa.) chipped in 13. Charity Renfro led the rebounding effort, pulling down a career-high 10 boards.
O'Rourke, the Big Ten's leading candidate for Freshman of the Year, tallied nine assists, one short of her career high. Defensively, she set a new career high with an amazing seven steals.
After the game head coach Rene Portland commended the play of Squire, who had a near-perfect night, shooting 6 for 6 from the free throw line, 3 for 3 from the 3-point line and 6 for 7 overall from the field.
"[Adrienne] played almost a perfect game tonight," said Portland. "She's a great shooter and has been working on her penetration and trying to add that to her game. She's really like a utility player for us, and when we get into trouble we move her around a lot. She hit some big threes tonight and has done a great job for us this year."
Penn State moves one game closer to the .500 mark at 10-11, 4-6, while Michigan remains winless in Conference play and drops to 6-16, 0-10.
Penn State struggled out of the gates and found itself down by 12 points after just six minutes of action.
"We really didn't play any defense in the beginning of the game," said Portland. "Defense starts with the guards and we told them to get focused and do what we needed them to do."
The Lady Lion guards did just that, leading the team on a critical run in which it outscored Michigan, 31-9 down the stretch in the first half to take a 41-31 lead at the break.
The spurt was a team effort and five different players scored at least four points each during the run. Gissendanner put Penn State within one point at the 3:10 mark after she drilled a long jumper and Squire swished two free throws to give the Lady Lions their first lead of the game with 2:44 left to play before the break.
In the second half Penn State opened with five straight points extending the lead to 15 points early. Michigan battled back, however, and chipped the margin down to six with just under 10 minutes on the clock. The Lady Lions quickly regained control behind a Mashea Williams jumper, two Amanda Brown free throws, another Brown layup and a 3-pointer by Squire. Michigan's Krista Clement ended her team's drought with a 3-pointer at the 4:31 mark, but it was too little, too late as Penn State cruised down the stretch.
Penn State will stay at home this Sunday to host rival Purdue at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a free Lady Lion lunchbox and, like Thursday's game, it is a "white-out." Penn State fans should wear white to support the Lady Lions and show their Penn State pride.
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.
Fans interested in buying all-session tickets for the NCAA First and Second Round Games at the Bryce Jordan Center on March 18 and 21 should contact the Penn State ticket office at 1-800-863-3336 or 814-865-5555. All-session tickets will gain the bearer entry to all three sessions. Adult all-session tickets for the six-game, two-day event are available for $42. Penn State students, youth under 18 and senior citizens (60 or above) can purchase tickets for only $18. Fans may also purchase tickets by downloading a ticket brochure and returning the adjoining application to the Penn State ticket office at the address provided. The brochure, and additional information on the NCAA Tournament Games at the Bryce Jordan Center are available online at http://www.gopsusports.com/BasketballW/NCAATourney/
Big Ten Tournament tickets are on sale now as well. To get tickets now, Penn State fans can go through the Penn State box office. Fans can also buy all-session tickets through Ticketmaster for $55 at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Conseco Fieldhouse box office, Ticketmaster charge-by-phone numbers (570) 693-4100 in central Pennsylvania) or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com.
For group ticket information and a group order form, contact Justin Hirnisey of Indiana Sports Corporation at (317) 237-5026 or justin.hirnisey@indianasportscorp.com.