Feb. 9, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - For the second consecutive year, the Lady Lions (13-10, 4-7) will swap their home whites for pink jerseys when they host Iowa in the Second Annual THINK PINK Day proudly supported by Mimi Barash Coopersmith on Sunday at noon at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Lady Lions will be decked out in pink and they are asking their fans to help paint the arena pink too! Last year's inaugural THINK PINK Day raised more than $20,000 for breast cancer research and awareness.
There promises to be a day full of surprises and it begins with fans receiving a pink replica Kam Gissendanner jersey at the gates while supplies last. Former Nittany Lion football standout and two-time NFL Pro Bowl selection Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs will be on the concourse from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m., signing autographs for $5 each with all donations going to the THINK PINK fund. There will also be a special halftime ceremony to honor breast cancer survivors.
Fans will also have the opportunity to take home a piece of the action through the silent auction on the concourse and the live post-game jersey auction. Silent auction items include Penn State athletic memorabilia, professional sports memorabilia, restaurant and hotel gift cards and much, much more.
Additionally, the "67 Women - 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania" traveling photo exhibit debuts on Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center. The exhibit will also be on display on the concourse for the Lady Lions' game against Minnesota on Feb. 14, the men's game against Illinois on Feb. 16 and conclude its stint at the BJC on Sunday, Feb. 17 when the Lady Lions host Michigan State. There will also be a reception for breast cancer survivors and their families following the THINK PINK Day festivities to kick-off the exhibit's time in State College.
The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network with Paul Alexander and Theresa Grentz calling the action. The contest can also heard on the Penn State Sports Radio Network with Jerry Fisher (play-by-play) and Chris Morelli (analyst) describing play. Locally the game will air on the radio on WMAJ. The audio feed and a link to GameTracker are available at www.GoPSUSports.com.
The Lady Lions are 19-13 overall against the Hawkeyes with a 14-11 mark in Big Ten games. The Hawkeyes picked up a 67-59 victory in Iowa City in the Big Ten opener on Dec. 28. Penn State has won six of the last eight encounters with Iowa and is 11-3 all-time against the Hawkeyes in Happy Valley.
These two squads met to open the Big Ten slate with the Hawkeyes handing the Lady Lions a 67-58 loss. Senior guard Kam Gissendanner (Clairton, Pa.) scored a team-high 17 points to surpass the 1,000-point mark for her collegiate career and grabbed nine rebounds, while freshman Janessa Wolff (Park Rapids, Minn.) posted her first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Wolff surpassed the 100-rebound plateau in her career with five caroms in Thursday's loss at Michigan. She is the 12th freshman in school history to reach the century mark in rebounds. She is chasing Rashana Barnes (118 rebs.) for 11th place on the freshman season rebounding charts.
Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio) continues to lead the team in scoring at a 14.4 per game clip, which is seventh among Big Ten leaders. However, Gissendanner has been solid in her last two outings, accounting for 18.0 points per outing to raise her season average to 11.8. She also leads the team and is 10th in the Big Ten in rebounding with a 6.4 per game effort.
The Hawkeyes have won their last seven games to move into a first place tie in the conference standings with a 16-7 overall record and 9-3 mark in Big Ten play. Kristi Smith continues to be solid for Iowa, averaging a team-best 13.2 points per game to go along with 73 assists and 28 steals on the season. Wendy Ausdemore is also accounting for double figures at an 11.4 per game mark.
For more information on THINK PINK Day, visit Penn State's official THINK PINK website at www.gopsusports.com/thinkpink.
The Lady Lions continue their three-game homestand against two teams that have never won in Happy Valley when they take on Minnesota on Thursday at 8 p.m. and Michigan State on Sunday, Feb. 17 at 2 p.m.
Fans can purchase single-game tickets 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.
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