- Box Score
- Penn State vs. Syracuse Game Notes
- Penn State Head Coach Rene Portland Quotes
- Postgame Penn State Player Quotes
- Syracuse Head Coach Quinton Hillsman Quotes
- Photo Gallery
| Junior Adrienne Squire accounted for 11 points and nine rebounds in the Lady Lions' 71-46 win over Syracuse Sunday. Penn State hosts South Carolina on Tuesday and Notre Dame on Thursday. Both games tip at 7:00 p.m. in the Jordan Center. |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; November 14, 2006 - Freshman Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio) knows the importance that head coach Rene Portland puts on winning games at the Bryce Jordan Center. So it was no surprise when the rookie guard connected on 5-of-10 from the field en route to a game-high 14 points to lead the Lady Lions (2-0) to a 71-46 win over Syracuse (0-1) in her first collegiate game at the BJC Sunday.
Guard play ruled the day for as the Syracuse defense held senior post player Amanda Brown (Kennett Square, Pa.) in check in the early going. The Lady Lions responded, connecting on nine three-pointers on the game, which are the most treys by a PSU team since March 6, 2005 when the Lady Lions made 10 shots from beyond the arc.
Sophomore guard Brianne O??Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had an outstanding game with six points, a career-high nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals, while junior guard Adrienne Squire (Indianapolis, Ind.) nearly posted her second career double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes.
The Lady Lions went to the locker room at the half with a seven point lead, 33-26, but came out in the second half on a 26-11 run in the first 11:30 to move the lead to 22 points and put the game out of reach. Brown and junior guard Kam Gissendanner (Clairton, Pa.) were keys to the PSU run with six points apiece in the opening stretch.
In the first half, the Syracuse zone stifled the inside game for the Lady Lions, but they were able to find their stride from beyond the arc. Grant was on fire in the opening frame, knocking down four of her five shots, including a trio of three-pointers, while O??Rourke connected on a pair of treys.
Despite Syracuse??s success defensively in the post, Penn State won the battle of the boards for the second-straight game, outrebounding the Orange by a 51-32 margin.
Brown finished strong, just missing out on her second double-double of the season with 11 points and nine rebounds. She also dished out a career-high five assists to go along with two blocked shots. Gissendanner also reached double figures with 13 points and four rebounds.
Grant also accounted for three rebounds, two assists and a steal in her first game at Bryce Jordan Center, while fellow freshman Meggan Quinn (Red Lion, Pa.) scored her first career points on a breakaway layup in the second period.
Fantasia Goodwin led three Syracuse players in double figures with 11 points while Cinta Johnson and Mary Joe Riley added 10 points apiece.
The win moves the Lady Lions to 2-0 on the season and 35-7 in home openers since 1965, including an 8-2 mark at the Bryce Jordan Center.
The Lady Lions continue their three-game home stand at the Bryce Jordan Center against SEC foe South Carolina on Tuesday, November 14 at 7 p.m. The Lady Lions will close out the homestand against Notre Dame on Thursday, November 16 at 7 p.m.
Single-game tickets and ??Sunday FunDay?? packages for the Lady Lions may be purchased by visiting the ticket section of GoPSUsports.com or by calling the ticket office at 814-865-5555. Women's single game tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for students and youth (under 18). Mini ticket plans are also available.