Nov. 14, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The Penn State women's basketball team opens the 2008-09 season they host SEC foe South Carolina in the season-opener on Sunday at 2 p.m. Fans in attendance will receive a 2008-09 Lady Lion Schedule Magnet while supplies last. Football season ticket holders can present their Indiana game ticket to get a buy one, get one free admission to the game. Sunday is also Dad/Daughter day where an adult/youth ticket combo can be purchased for $10. The first of four WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State ball launches will take place on Sunday following the game.
The game can be heard on the Penn State Sports Radio Network with Jerry Fisher (play-by-play) 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 and Gamecocks have split six all-time meetings. However, Penn State has come away three-straight wins over South Carolina, including a 70-63 victory in Columbia last season. The Lady Lions are 2-2 all-time against South Carolina in Happy Valley. The last time these teams met, the Lady Lions earned a 70-63 win at South Carolina on Nov. 20, 2007. Kam Gissendanner registered a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, while Janessa Wolff (Park Rapids, Minn.) came off the bench to accumulate 12 points and five boards.
Last time out, the Lady Lions forced 29 turnovers and shot better than 50% from the field (53.7) en route to a 90-56 exhibition win over PSAC foe California (Pa.), which is ranked #2 in the preseason USA Today/ESPN Division II coaches poll, on Nov. 9. Senior point guard Brianne O'Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa.) led four Lady Lions in double figures with a game-high 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting.
Sophomore guard/forward Julia Trogele (Devon, Pa.) had an outstanding double-double in the exhibition win over California (Pa.). The sophomore guard/forward had 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go along with 15 rebounds and three steals. Junior guard Meggan Quinn (Red Lion, Pa.) was the Lady Lions' top scoring threat in the first half against the Vulcans with 11 points. She finished the game with 14 tallies and a pair of steals in just 16 minutes of action.
The Gamecocks posted a 78-69 exhibition win over Peach State Elite on Nov. 6 thanks in part to a double-double by Demetress Adams with 14 points and 16 rebounds. A total of five South Carolina players reached double figures, led by Brionna Dickerson's 16 tallies.
The Lady Lions being the 2008-09 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.
The 2009 WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State proudly supported by Mimi Barash Coppersmith (formerly known as THINK PINK Day) will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m., as the Lady Lions take on Iowa in the Bryce Jordan Center. The game can be seen on www.bigtennetwork.com. The first two Pink Zone events have raised more than $50,000 for breast cancer awareness. This year's fundraising efforts will benefit the Penn State Hershey Breast Cancer Institute, the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition and the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.gopsusports.com/pinkzone.