Sept. 4, 2008
2008-09 Lady Lion Basketball Schedule
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The Penn State women's basketball team announced its 2008-09 Big Ten Conference schedule today. The Lady Lions kick off their Big Ten slate with four of their first five conference games in the friendly confines of the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State will also host WBCA Pink Zone Day (formerly THINK PINK Day) on Sunday, February 15 against Iowa. The Lady Lions have raised more than $50,000 for breast cancer research through its first two THINK PINK events.
The Lady Lions will once again play their traditional Thursday-Sunday conference schedule with the exception of one Monday tilt at Michigan on Feb. 9 that will appear on the Big Ten Network. The Lady Lions will face every Big Ten foe twice with the exception of Northwestern (home) and Ohio State (away).
Penn State is set to kick off the Big Ten slate with back-to-back home games against Michigan State on Sun., Dec. 21 at noon, followed by a meeting with Illinois on Sun., Dec. 28 at noon. Both games will appear on the Big Ten Network. The rest of the Lady Lions' home Big Ten schedule features three home games in January: Michigan (Sun., Jan. 4 at 2 p.m.), Indiana (Sun., Jan. 11 at 2 p.m.) and Wisconsin (Thurs., Jan. 22 at 7 p.m.), as well as four home contests in February: Minnesota (Thurs., Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.), Iowa (Sun., Feb. 15), Purdue (Thurs., Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.) and Northwestern (Thurs., Feb. 26).
The Lady Lions' away Big Ten schedule has the team slated to play Minnesota (Thurs., Jan. 1 at 8 p.m.), Purdue (Thurs., Jan. 15 at 7 p.m.), Michigan State (Sun., Jan. 18 at 4 p.m.), Indiana (Thurs., Jan. 29), Iowa (Sun., Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.), Michigan (Mon., Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.), Wisconsin (Thurs., Feb. 12), Illinois (Sun., Feb. 22) and Ohio State (Sun., Mar. 1). The Big Ten Network will televise both the games at Michigan State and Michigan.
The last three games of the regular season have the potential to be picked up as part of the conference's wildcard series. On Sun., Feb. 22 ESPN2 will air one of the day's four contests, while the Big Ten Network will broadcast two wildcard contests, one on Thurs., Feb. 26 and one on Sun., March 1.
The Big Ten Tournament will be played March 5-8 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.
The Lady Lions previously released their non-conference schedule, which includes home games against California (Pa.) in an exhibition (Sun., Nov. 9 at 4:30 p.m.), South Carolina (Sun., Nov. 16), Stony Brook (Wed., Nov. 19), Prairie View A&M (Fri., Nov. 21), Dayton (Sat., Dec. 6) and Bucknell (Tues., Dec. 9).
Penn State hits the road in the non-conference slate to face in-state rival Pittsburgh (Mon., Nov. 24 at 7 p.m.) before heading to Malibu, Calif., for the Timeout 4 HIV/AIDS Tournament where they will face Texas A&M, which advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight last season, on Fri., Nov. 28. PSU will then face either the host Pepperdine Waves or Coppin State in the championship/consolation game of the tournament. The Lady Lions also travel to Florida State as part of the Second Annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wed., Dec. 3 and close out the non-conference schedule against Connecticut as part of the Third Annual Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden on Sun., Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
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).