| Amanda Brown and the Lady Lions begin their quest for the 2006 Big Ten Tournament title Wednesday vs. Wisconsin. The game will air live on FSN Pitt. |
GoPSUsports.com's Big Ten Tournament Central
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. February 28, 2006 - The Lady Lions begin their shot at the Big Ten Tournament title Thursday at 3 p.m. when they take on Wisconsin at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Lady Lions (12-15, 6-10) are the No. 8 seed in the tournament, while the Badgers secured the No. 9 seed. The winner of that game will face No. 1 seed Ohio State in the quarterfinals, at 12 p.m. All games with the exception of the championship will air live on Comcast Sports Chicago. ESPN2 will air the title game, and FSN-Pitt will air Penn State's matchup vs. Wisconsin on Thursday live. Should the Lady Lions advance, FSN Pitt will air their matchup vs. Ohio State as well.
Penn State is 18-9 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament. The Lady Lions have reached the finals six times, capturing the title in 1995 and 1996. Last year Penn State was the No. 3 seed and defeated No. 6 Iowa in the quarterfinals before dropping a heartbreaker to No. 2 Michigan State, 83-76.
Penn State and Wisconsin split the season series this year with each team winning at home. Mashea Williams (Erie, Pa.) netted a career-high 20 points in the Lady Lions' win over the Badgers on Jan. 8. The two teams have squared off in the Big Ten Tournament just once, with Penn State prevailing, 76-62 in 2002.
Amanda Brown (Kennett Square, Pa.) finished the regular season averaging a team-high 15.9 ppg. The 6-4 junior was one of only two players (Big Ten Player of the Year Jessica Davenport was the other) to rank in the Big Ten top 10 in points, rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage. Kam Gissendanner (Clairton, Pa.) is netting 14.6 ppg heading into the Tournament while Adrienne Squire (Indianapolis, Ind.) is netting 11.7. Brianne O'Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa.) is leading the team and the Big Ten in assists at 5.2 per contest. O'Rourke was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team for her superior efforts during the season.
Wisconsin finished the regular season with an 11-17, 5-11 mark. The Badgers finished strong, however, with wins over Penn State and Minnesota, and a close 66-63 loss to Purdue in the regular season finale. Wisconsin is led by last year's Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jolene Anderson, who is averaging 17.1 ppg, a mark good enough for fifth in the Big Ten. Janese Banks (12.9 ppg) and Danielle Ward (10.3) round out the Badgers' top scorers.
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 the Indiana Sports Corporation at (317) 237-5026 or justin.hirnisey@indianasportscorp.com.