Nov. 9, 2008
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UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The Penn State women's basketball team 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. The game also marked the return of Lady Lion Legend Jess Strom, who is an assistant coach for the Vulcans.
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. She also added four steals in the win. O'Rourke was dominant in the second half as she connected on all six of her shots, including a trio of three-pointers, to finish the period with 15 tallies.
Sophomore guard/forward Julia Trogele (Devon, Pa.) notched a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds, including eight on the offensive glass. She also dished out three assists and registered three steals. Sophomore forward Janessa Wolff (Park Rapids, Minn.) came off the bench to knock down eight of her nine shots en route to 16 points, while junior guard Meggan Quinn (Red Lion, Pa.) added 14 points and two steals in 16 minutes off the bench. Freshman guard Zhaque Gray (Chicago, Ill.) also had a solid performance in her first action as a Lady Lion with seven points and two rebounds.
After a sluggish start to the game, O'Rourke broke the scoreless tie with a jumper in the lane at the 18:30 mark to spark a 10-2 Lady Lion run. The Vulcans kept the deficit within six points before Quinn knocked down a three-pointer to open an 8-0 run that included five points from Quinn and two points apiece from Trogele, Evelyn Lewis (Hampton, Va.) and Wolff to make it a 25-8 game. California (Pa.) would climb within 13 points (28-15) as the half progressed, but the Lady Lions ratcheted up the defense to force five Vulcan turnovers in the final five minutes of the half to head into the locker room with a 38-19 lead.
Trogele had an outstanding opening half with nine points, eight rebounds and two steals, while Quinn added a team-high 11 points to go along with a pair of steals. O'Rourke guided the offense with eight points and two steals. The Lady Lions held California (Pa.) to just 24.1% shooting from the field in the opening frame and forced 16 turnovers.
The Lady Lions came storming out the of the locker room in the second half as they extended the lead to 33 points at 55-22 with just under 16 minutes remaining in the game. O'Rourke had the hot hand as she scored nine of PSU's first 15 points of the second frame. The Vulcans would climb back within 25 points (65-40) with 8:24 on the clock, but that was as close as California (Pa.) would get as the Lady Lions went on a 9-0 run over the next minute and a half to establish a 34-point lead and never look back.
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). Football season ticket holders have a great deal available to them during the Indiana Football weekend (Nov. 14-16). They can show their football game ticket at the Bryce Jordan Center box office and receive a buy one, get one free deal for either basketball opener that weekend. The Nittany Lions open their season Friday, November 14 at 6:30 p.m. vs. William and Mary and the Lady Lions open their season two days later when they host South Carolina at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 16. It's a tremendous offer and a great way for football fans to fully enjoy a loaded weekend of Penn State Athletics! 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.