| Kam Gissendanner hit one big shot after another to lead Penn State to an 80-73 win over Wisconsin in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday. The Lady Lions next face Ohio State at noon on Friday. Fans can catch the game live on FSN-Pitt. (Photo: AP) |
Box Score
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INDIANAPOLIS; March 2, 2006 - Kam Gissendanner (Clairton, Pa.) scored 18 points and three other Lady Lions reached double-digit scoring figures to lead Penn State to an 80-73 first-round Big Ten Tournament win over Wisconsin on Thursday at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
"We're happy to be here one more night on the winning side," said head coach Rene Portland after the game. "Obviously it was a great game. We fought very very hard, our kids were patient and we came up on the winning side."
Penn State (13-15), playing for just the third time on the Tournament's first day, improved to 19-9 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament, and to a perfect 2-0 all-time vs. Wisconsin in Big Ten Tournament action. The Badgers end their season with an 11-18 mark.
Amanda Brown (Kennett Square, Pa.) and Adrienne Squire (Indianapolis, Ind.) added 14 points each while Brianne O'Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa.) chipped in 12 to go along with a game-high six assists. Charity Renfro (Las Vegas, Nev.) owned the boards, pulling down a game and career-high 13. The Lady Lions also got 16 points from their bench, including nine from freshman shooting guard Mashea Williams (Erie, Pa.). For Wisconsin, Jolene Anderson netted 24.
Gissendanner's 18 didn't come easy; the sophomore guard came back again and again to knock down tough jumpers that quieted Wisconsin's rallies. Her biggest shot came with Penn State holding on to a narrow two-point lead late in the second half. Gissendanner left the game for a breather with 5:42 on the clock and her Lady Lions up, 64-58. Wisconsin sparked for an 6-2 run in her absence and head coach Rene Portland quickly re-inserted her star guard, who promptly hit a 15-foot jumper to give the Lady Lions a 68-64 lead it would not relinquish down the stretch.
Penn State shot a sharp 49 percent on the game led by Gissendanner's 7-for-15 effort. The team also turned in near-.500 effort from the 3-point arc, hitting five of its 11 attempts. Squire led the way from downtown, hitting two, both in the first half.
It was Squire who got the Lady Lions rolling with an early 3-pointer that brought Penn State's fans to their feet. Squire hit another one later in the half and Williams picked a perfect time to hit the first 3-pointer of her career, nailing one from the right side at the 9:04 mark to give Penn State a 17-14 lead.
Gisssendanner scored the next eight straight points after Williams' big three, and Squire added her late trey to keep the momentum going. Romana Vynuchalova (Bratislava, Slovakia) swished two free throws and Renfro hit a tough turnaround jumper as time ran out to give the Lady Lions a 36-27 halftime lead.
The Lady Lions went into the break with all the momentum, but Wisconsin came out to start the second half with all the energy. The Badgers scored 10 straight points to quickly erase Penn State's nine-point halftime edge. Jordan Wilson opened the spurt with a jumper, and Anderson followed with a jumper and two straight three-pointers to give her team a 39-38 lead after just three minutes of play.
O'Rourke finally ended the skid with a jumper of her own to reclaim the lead for the Lady Lions. After a layup by Wisconsin's Danielle Ward, O'Rourke swished a 3-pointer to make it 41-39, and Brown hit a layup while taking a foul shortly thereafter. Brown netted the ensuing free throw to make it 44-39 at the 15:48 mark.
Penn State held on to its lead the rest of the way, but Wisconsin challenged down the stretch. With Penn State up by eight, Wilson sunk a layup and drew the foul to slice the score to 64-58 with just under six to play. She hit the free throw and Janese Banks hit two free throws seconds later to trim the edge to three at 64-61. Squire hit one of her several clutch shots, this time an 18-foot jumper from the left side to push Penn State's lead back up to five.
Wisconsin had one more run left, which started with a Caitlin Gibson jumper that trimmed the lead to three. Welton drained a free throw to bring the Badgers within two, but Gissendanner stepped up big, hit her huge shot and the Lady Lions held on for the win.
The Lady Lions next prepare for No. 1 seed Ohio State. That game tips off at noon ET and will be broadcast live on FSN-Pitt and Comcast Chicago. The Penn State Sports Network will carry the radio broadcast and GoPSUsports.com will provide a link to the audio feed and the GameTracker feature.
Big Ten Tournament tickets are still available. 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.
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/.