Feb. 26, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Junior guard Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio) is one of 30 mid-season candidates for the 2009 Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T, which was announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Grant is one of three Big Ten players on the mid-season list, joining Ohio State's Jantel Lavender and Purdue's Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton.
Grant is second in the Big Ten and 17th nationally with a 19.8 scoring average this season, which is currently sixth on Penn State's single-season chart. Grant also ranks in the Top 15 in the conference in field goal percentage (13th/.431), free throw percentage (13th/.767), three-point field goal percentage (8th/.368), three-pointers made (5th/1.9) and minutes played (12th/33.58).
Grant, who has 14 games this season with 20 or more points, is the 14th junior and 31st player overall in school history to reach the 1,000-point mark with 18 points against Florida State in December. Earlier this season, she became just the fifth player in school history to tally 30 or more in three or more games in their career. Grant is currently 14th on Penn State's career scoring chart (1,394) and is tied for fifth in career three-pointers (124).
The top 30 women's list was voted on by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The board based its criteria on player performances this season. The vote was tabulated and certified by the accounting firm of Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP. HA&W is the largest independent accounting firm in Georgia and one of the top 50 firms in the United States.
The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T is the most prestigious national basketball award given annually to the men's college basketball player of the year. This 2009 winner will be announced at the NCAA Women's Final Four in St. Louis.
For the sixth consecutive season, presenting sponsor AT&T will once again set the standard in allowing fans to participate in determining this year's winner. Through the power and ease of text messaging, fan voting will account for an unprecedented 25 percent of the final results -- more than any other national college basketball award. This year, beginning March 22, AT&T wireless customers -- and sports fans on other wireless networks -- will be able to text their votes for the player of their choice. Fans will be eligible to cast their vote for the winner until 9 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 4.
Other mid-season candidates that were selected are Jayne Appel (Stanford), Chante Black (Duke), DeWanna Bonner (Auburn), Jessica Breland (UNC), Tina Charles (Connecticut), Alysha Clark (Middle Tennessee St.), Shayla Fields (N.C. State), Rachele Fitz (Marist), Laura Kurz (Villanova), Jantel Lavender (Ohio State), Shalee Lehning (Kansas State), Lyndra Littles (Virginia), Angel McCoughtry (Louisville), Danielle McCray (Kansas), Aisha Mohammed (Virginia), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut), Maya Moore (Connecticut), Ashley Paris (Oklahoma), Courtney Paris (Oklahoma), Ta'Shia Phillips (Xavier), Epiphanny Prince (Rutgers), Andrea Riley (Oklahoma State), Kristi Toliver (Maryland), Ashley Walker (California), Morgan Warburton (Utah), Danielle Wilson (Baylor), Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (Purdue), Monica Wright (Virginia) and Shavonte Zellous (Pittsburgh)
The Penn State Lady Lions (10-16, 5-11) return to the Bryce Jordan Center for the final time this season as they host the Northwestern Wildcats (7-20, 3-13) on Senior Night at 7 p.m. tonight. Seniors Rashida Mark (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Brianne O'Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Mashea Williams (Erie, Pa.) will be honored before the game for their Lady Lion careers. The Lady Lions will also celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Thursday with a pregame autograph session with student-athletes from various Penn State women's teams and free admission for all youth (18 and under).
The Lady Lions complete their regular-season at Ohio State on Sunday, March 1 at 4 p.m., a game that will air on the Big Ten Network. Penn State will then travel to Indianapolis for the 2009 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament on March 5-8. For information on Lady Lion Basketball tickets, call the Penn State ticket office at 814-865-5555.