Nov. 9, 2007
Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery | Postgame Podcast
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The Coquese Washington era started out with a bang as the Lady Lions defeated Arizona by a 87-78 margin in front of more than 4,600 fans, including 35 members of Washington's family, on the first day of the WBCA Classic at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Kam Gissendanner (Clairton, Pa.) led four players in double figures with 23 points, including a 9-for-9 mark from the free throw line. She also dished out two assists, pulled down four rebounds and had a steal in the win. Junior guard Mashea Williams (Erie, Pa.) accounted for 19 points, five assists and three steals, including a game-changing theft with just over four minutes remaining. Junior Brianne O'Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio) also reached double-digits with 16 and 17 points, respectively.
The two teams were evenly matched in the early going with neither team establishing a lead larger than four in the first 13 minutes of the game. However, the Lady Lions went on a 10-2 run over the next five minutes to build a nine-point lead. Grant was instrumental in the run, connecting on a three-pointer and a free throw, while Williams and Julia Trogele (Devon, Pa.) each added two tallies and an assist during that span.
The Lady Lions shot 51.6% from the field in the first half, led by Gissendanner who finished the opening frame with 10 points. Williams and Grant each added nine points in the first, while Rashida Mark (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added two tallies, six rebounds and two assists.
Arizona came out strong in the second half, scoring 10 of the first 12 points of the closing period to move within two points at 46-44 with 16:01 remaining. After the 16-minute media timeout, Penn State went on a 10-0 run in the next 1:30 thanks to five points each by Gissendanner and Grant to build the lead to 12 points at 56-44 with 14:31 on the clock.
The Wildcats would close back within one (58-57) after a pair of lay-ups, but a acrobatic scoop shot by Williams and a three-pointer by O'Rourke moved the Lady Lions back in front by six points with 10 minutes remaining. However, Arizona would score the next seven points to retake the lead at 65-64 with just over eight minutes left for the first time since the 9:09 mark in the first period.
The two squads swapped baskets before Grant knocked down a three-pointer off of a pass from Gissendanner to give the Lady Lions the 72-69 lead. On the ensuing in-bounds pass, Williams stole the ball and hit O'Rourke for a three-pointer to make it a six-point lead with just over four minutes to play. Following an Ashley Whisonant lay-up that cut the PSU lead to five points, Williams sunk a hanging jumper and Gissendanner knocked down her second three-pointer of the game to make it an 83-73 game with 2:05 on the clock and the Lady Lions held the Wildcats in check until the final horn sounded.
The Lady Lions continue action in the WBCA/Basketball Travelers Classic against Charlotte at 6:30 p.m., tomorrow at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State rounds out the WBCA Classic when they face in-state rival Pittsburgh on Sunday at 4 p.m., in the first-ever Big Ten Network women's basketball telecast.
This season, Penn State introduces a new seven-game Lady Lion Flex Plan package where fans will receive a ticket to the Duke (Sun., Dec. 2) and Georgetown (Sun., Dec. 9) games and the second annual THINK PINK Day versus Iowa (Sun., Feb. 10), as well as four flex vouchers to redeem in any ticket combination for Big Ten games. Fans can purchase single-game tickets or flex plan packages by visiting the Bryce Jordan Center box office, calling 814-865-5555 or 800-863-3336 or by clicking on the ticket link on www.GoPSUsports.com.