Sept. 25, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Former Penn State women's basketball standout and the Big Ten's all-time leading scorer (men or women) Kelly Mazzante will be appearing at The Blue Band Tailgreat Show prior to the football team's game against Illinois on Saturday. Mazzante, who will be holding a basketball clinic in Philipsburg prior to coming to Happy Valley, will be presenting a 2007 WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury jersey to Lady Lion Basketball and the Penn State Athletic Department. The presentation will take place at approximately 6:10 p.m.
The doors open for Tailgreat, which is held in the Bryce Jordan Center, at 5 p.m. and Mazzante will be signing autograph cards on the concourse of the Bryce Jordan Center from 5:15-5:45 p.m. This week's Tailgreat also features Putt for Prizes presented by the Penn State Golf Course on the arena floor from 5-6 p.m. and a free Collector's Football Card--this week's featured player is Anthony Scirrotto.
In 2007, Mazzante and the Phoenix Mercury accomplished a feat that no other team in WNBA history has been able to, win a WNBA Championship-deciding game on the road. The Mercury posted a 108-92 win over the defending champion Shock in the Motor City to claim the first-ever WNBA Championship for the franchise. Mazzante had an outstanding Game 5 off the bench with 12 points, all via the three-pointer, two rebounds and an assist. In the five-game series, the 2004 Penn State grad averaged 6.6 points and 1.6 rebounds. She is the first former Lady Lion to win a championship in the WNBA.
This season, the native of Montoursville, Pa., accounted for 5.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists for the Mercury. Mazzante ended her Penn State career with a Big Ten-record 2,919 points and was a three-time Kodak All-American. She was also the first four-time All-Big Ten first team selection in conference history and led the NCAA in scoring in 2002. Mazzante also excelled in the classroom, earning three Academic All-America honors, including being selected as the 2004 CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year.
The Lady Lions return four starters and 10 letterwinners from a year ago, including third team All-Big Ten selection Brianne O'Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa.). The senior point guard led the Big Ten in assists for the second time in her career and finished 51st nationally with a 4.7 per game mark. She was also 39th in the NCAA in free throw percentage (.838). Junior guard Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio) garnered All-Big Ten honorable mention accolades for the second time in her career after leading the team and finishing ninth in the conference in scoring (13.8).
The Lady Lions being the 2008-09 campaign with an exhibition game against California (Pa.) on Sun., Nov. 9, before opening the 2008-09 regular-season campaign with a three-game homestand against South Carolina (Sun., Nov. 16), Stony Brook (Wed., Nov. 19) and Prairie View A&M (Fri., Nov. 21). For information on Lady Lion Basketball tickets, call the Penn State ticket office at 814-865-5555.
Penn State will also participate in the Third Annual Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden on Sun., Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. where it will face perennial national contender Connecticut, a game that will be televised on ESPNU. A Penn State block of tickets for the Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden, starting at $15.00, are available; please call 1-800-NITTANY to purchase tickets in the block or for more information. The Lady Lion Cager Club is planning a bus trip for the Maggie Dixon Classic, for more information visit www.LadyLionCagerClub.com.