Aug. 21, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The Penn State women's basketball team will kick the 2007-08 season off in style as the Lady Lions, in conjunction with the Basketball Travelers, will host the WBCA Classic at the Bryce Jordan Center on Friday, Nov. 9 through Sunday, Nov. 11. Joining the Lady Lions in the three-day, round robin tournament are Arizona, Charlotte and Pittsburgh.
All-Session tickets are currently available by calling the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office at 814-865-5555 or 800-863-3336. Adult all-session tickets are $35, while youth and student all-session tickets are $15. Those purchasing adult, senior, student or youth season ticket packages will have the three-day, six-game tournament pass included in the season ticket package. Single-session tickets will be available to the public beginning Friday, Oct. 5. Adult single-session tickets are $15 and youth/student single-session tickets are $6. Group packages are also available.
The WBCA Classic opens with the Charlotte 49ers of the Atlantic 10 taking on the Big East Conference's Pittsburgh Panthers at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9. The Lady Lions will face off against Pac 10 foe Arizona in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m. Saturday's opener features the Arizona Wildcats against Pitt at 4 p.m., before Penn State meets the 49ers at 6:30 p.m. The tournament's final day will see Arizona and Charlotte collide at 1:30 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. match-up between the Lady Lions and Pitt.
The Lady Lions and first-year head coach Coquese Washington return seven letterwinners from a season ago, including honorable mention All-Big Ten selections in senior guard Kamela Gissendanner (Clairton, Pa.) and sophomore guard Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio). Gissendanner was third on the team in scoring with 12.8 average. She also ranked 41st in the NCAA in free throw percentage with an .840 mark. Grant accounted for a team-best 14.6 points per game and finished third on Penn State's freshmen single-season scoring list with 452 tallies. Penn State's floor general Brianne O'Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa.) returns for her junior season after becoming just the 15th player in school history to accumulate 200 assists. O'Rourke was in the Top 10 in the Big Ten in assists (133), steals (67) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.45) last season.
Ashley Whisonant is Arizona's top returning scorer at 11.9 points per game and more than 1,000 points for her Wildcat career, Amina Njonkou was impressive in her first season of collegiate basketball, averaging 8.4 points and a team-best 6.7 rebounds. This will be the first-ever meeting between the Lady Lions and Wildcats.
Charlotte reached the second round of the WNIT last season. The 49ers are led by seniors Sabrina Gregory, who led the team with a 14.3 scoring average last year, and Whitney Hoey, who ranks eighth in school history in three-point field goals and accounted for 8.7 points per game in 2006-07. Penn State has never met the 49ers on the hardwood.
Pittsburgh is coming off of its first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history with 24-9 record. The Panthers defeated James Madison in the opening round of the NCAAs, before falling the eventual national champion Tennessee in the second round. Junior Shavonte Zellous leads the Pitt attack after averaging a team-high 19.1 points per game en route to first team All-Big East accolades and Big East Most Improved Player honors. Penn State is 25-12 all-time against the Panthers.
2007 WBCA Classic
Bryce Jordan Center (University Park, Pa.)
Friday, November 9
Charlotte vs. Pittsburgh, 5 p.m.
PENN STATE vs. Arizona, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 10
Arizona vs. Pittsburgh, 4 p.m.
PENN STATE vs. Charlotte, 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 11
Arizona vs. Charlotte, 1:30 p.m.
PENN STATE vs. Pittsburgh, 4 p.m.
For tickets, please call the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office at 814-865-5555 or 800-863-3336. All-session tickets are currently available. Adult all-session tickets are $35 and youth and student all-session tickets are $15. Single-session tickets will be available to the public beginning Friday, Oct. 5. Adult single-session tickets are $15 and youth/student single-session tickets are $6. Group packages are also available.