by JENNY BEAM
GoPSUsports.com
yra Grant and the Bryce Jordan Center are like peanut butter and jelly - they just belong together.
The freshman from Youngstown, Ohio is unstoppable on the Lady Lions home court, averaging 19.3 points per game. She had the best night of her young career against Old Dominion on Dec. 3, scoring 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field, which is the highest point total for a Penn State freshman since Kelly Mazzante scored 38 against Illinois in 2001.
The Lady Lion faithful have quickly become acquainted with her fist-pumping and raw emotion after hitting a big shot that electrifies both her team and the faithful legion of Penn State supporters.
So far, Grant has enjoyed her freshman season. ??It??s been a wonderful experience so far, being able to play under a head coach like Rene Portland. I play with a great team. It??s unbelievable and indescribable right now.??
In her first-ever game in the BJC, Grant, who was Miss Ohio Basketball in 2006, knocked down a season-best four three-pointers and finished the win over Syracuse with 14 points.
Grant, who followed her 29-point effort versus ODU with a 20-point game against Xavier at home, becoming the first freshman since Mazzante to record back-to-back games with 20 or more points.
??There??s something [at the Bryce Jordan Center] that just brings the best out in anyone,?? she said about the home court atmosphere. ??The building itself is just full of history with the banners of all of the legendary Lady Lion teams hanging around the arena, it is really a fun place to play. I just hope that I can help put a couple more banners up there before I graduate.??
The Lady Lions have continually packed the Bryce Jordan Center and have constantly been ranked in the Top 15 nationally in attendance since the building opened in 1996. In fact, the Lady Lions honored their 1,000,000th BJC fan earlier this season.
??Who wouldn??t like playing at the BJC??? she said. ??There??s so much energy there. The fans are just amazing, I cannot stress that enough.??
A couple of those fans are particularly important to Grant. Her father, Joseph McRae, a former basketball All-American at Ashland University, and her mother, Faith Grant, attend every game.
??They??re the two people that care about me most in the world,?? she said. ??It means a lot when they are there to support me. I always feel that extra energy that I need when they??re there.??
Even if her parents are there to support her, Grant shows her freshman jitters on the road at times. Grant??s production dips to eight points per game away from the friendly confines of the Bryce Jordan Center.
Grant attributes her road woes to mental preparation. ??It??s just me. It??s a mental thing,?? she said. ??I need to get past that, which I??m going to try to do in these coming games. That??s been a big thing for me to work on, just getting everything together and not psyching myself out before games. I??m just going to try to get through myself first before I can touch on anything else.??
Becoming a complete player and stepping up her game on the road is a challenge Grant is ready to take on. ??You can be nervous, but don??t let that nervousness take control over you. You control it and turn it into positive energy.??