- Box Score
| Freshman guard Tyra Grant returned to her home state to post a team-high 17 points in the Lady Lions' 78-61 loss to No. 5/6 Ohio State Thursday night. The Lady Lions return home for Senior Day against Indiana on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center. |
COLUMBUS, OHIO; February 22, 2007 ?? The Lady Lions (13-15, 6-9) landed three players in double figures and shot 49% from the field on the game, but it was not enough as #5/6 Ohio State (25-2, 14-1), which shot 64.8% from the field, posted a 78-61 victory over Penn State Thursday night at Value City Arena. This is the first time in school history that the Lady Lions have completed the Big Ten road slate without a win (0-8).
Freshman Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio) made an impressive return to her home state with a team-high 17 points to go along with an assist in 37 minutes of action. Junior guard Kam Gissendanner (Clairton, Pa.) was also a solid contributor for the Lady Lions with 16 points, including two three-pointers, six rebounds and a helper. Senior post player Amanda Brown (Kennett Square, Pa.) was the final Penn State player in double figures with 15 points. She also accounted for seven rebounds and two steals.
Just 15 seconds into the second period, Ashlee Trebilcock gave Ohio State its largest lead of the game (40-28) to that point with a deep three-pointer before Star Allen extended the lead to 14 with a lay-up at the 17:40 mark. The Lady Lions got their first basket of the half with a Gissendanner jumper with just over 17 minutes left to make it a 40-30 game. Two more field goals for the Buckeyes stretched the lead to 44-30 before Gissendanner connected on a three-pointer with a defender in her face and Grant hit on a driving jumper to move it back to a nine-point deficit with just under 15:35 remaining.
The Lady Lions kept the pressure on as Grant scored six consecutive points to keep Penn State in the game with just a 53-46 deficit at the midway point of the period. After a pair of Allen free throws, a Mashea Williams (Erie, Pa.) and a driving lay-up by Grant moved the Lady Lions within five at 55-50 with 8:40 left. Penn State would continue to chip away on a three-point play by Brianne O??Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa.), which sliced the Buckeye lead to 57-53 with just under eight minutes on the clock. Unfortunately for the Lady Lions, Ohio State went on a 7-0 run to stifle the Penn State run and put the game out of reach at 64-53 with just under six minutes remaining. Penn State could only manage four points from Gissendanner and three tallies from Grant in the final 7:58 of the game to lead to the final margin.
The Buckeyes jumped out to the early lead on an Allen basket, but the Lady Lions were unfazed as Gissendanner immediately responded with a three-pointer. The teams continued to exchange buckets in the first six minutes until Ohio State went on an 8-0, dominated by Jessica Davenport??s six points, to move ahead by 21-13 margin with 11:47 on the clock. Brown stopped the run as she scored PSU??s first basket in more than four minutes with a lay-up at the 10:17 mark. Davenport score her 15th point of the half at the 9:56 mark to give OSU a 23-15 lead, but Brown responded with another bucket to cut the lead back to six points. A jumper by Trebilcock moved the lead back to seven points, where it would remain until a quick 4-0 spurt, thanks to baskets by Brown and Grant, sliced the lead to three points (27-24) with 3:40 remaining in the half. However, the Buckeyes fought back with a Trebilcock basket and a pair of Stephanie Blanton free throws to move the lead back to seven. A Davenport basket at the buzzer handed the Lady Lions a 37-28 deficit heading into the locker room. Brown led the way for PSU with 13 points and six rebounds, while her counterpart Davenport accounted for 17 tallies.
The Lady Lions return to the Bryce Jordan Center for ??Senior Day?? on Sunday, Feb. 25 against Indiana at 2 p.m. The Lady Lions will also celebrate Fan Appreciation Day and National Girls and Women in Sports Day at the Indiana game.
Single-game tickets 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.