Oct. 29, 2009
CHICAGO - Penn State Lady Lion senior Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio) was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team, it was announced by the Big Ten Conference today. Joining Grant on the five-player Preseason All-Big Ten team are Preseason Player of the Year Jantel Lavender of Ohio State, Illinois' Jenna Smith, Michigan State's Allyssa DeHaan and OSU's Samantha Prahalis.
Grant garnered first team All-Big Ten honors a year ago as she finished second the conference and 18th in the country with a 19.6 scoring average. Her scoring mark also ranks sixth on Penn State's single-season chart. Grant, a preseason Wooden Award candidate, finished in the Top 10 in the Big Ten in free throw percentage (.764), three-point field goal percentage (.367) and three-pointers made per game (1.9). The senior had 15 games with 20 or more points last season en route to becoming a semifinalist for the Naismith Player of the Year award.
Grant has already etched her name into the Penn State record books. She ranks 13th in school history with 1,447 entering her final season and is one pace to become just the fourth player in school history with 2,000 points. Grant is also fifth in career three-pointers (130) and 16th in blocked shots (54). She is one of five players in school history to have three career games with 30 or more points.
The Lady Lions were selected to finish seventh in the preseason coaches poll and eighth in the media voting.
The Lady Lions open their season with an exhibition game against Indiana (Pa.) on Sun., Nov. 8. Penn State fans that attend the Indiana football game can use their football ticket to receive buy one ticket, get one free ticket for the Lady Lions' home opener against NJIT on Sun., Nov. 15. Single game tickets can be purchased by calling the Penn State ticket office at 814-865-5555.
The 2010 WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State will take place on Sunday, Jan. 24 at 1 p.m., as the Lady Lions take on Illinois in the Bryce Jordan Center. The game can be seen on www.bigtennetwork.com. The first three Pink Zone events have raised more than $80,000 for breast cancer awareness. This year's fundraising efforts will benefit the Mount Nittany Medical Center, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, 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.
The Lady Lions are on Twitter. Follow head coach Coquese Washington (@psucoachquese), sports information contact Kris Petersen (@ladylionsid) and the Lady Lions and assistant coaches (@pennstatewbb) to get the inside scoop. The Lady Lions are also on Facebook. Search Lady Lion Basketball and become a fan.
--LADY LIONS--
| BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL | ||
| Coaches | Media | |
| 1. Ohio State | 1. Ohio State | |
| 2. Michigan State | 2. Michigan State | |
| 3. Minnesota | 3. Purdue | |
| 4. Purdue | 4. Minnesota | |
| 5. Iowa | 5. Iowa | |
| 6. Illinois | 6. Illinois | |
| 7. PENN STATE | 7. Wisconsin | |
| 8. Northwestern | 8. PENN STATE | |
| 9. Indiana | 9. Indiana | |
| 10. Wisconsin | 10. Northwestern | |
| 11. Michigan | 11. Michigan | |
| PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM | ||
| Coaches | Media | |
| Jenna Smith, Illinois | Jenna Smith, Illinois | |
| Allyssa DeHaan, Michigan State | Allyssa DeHaan, Michigan State | |
| Jantel Lavender, Ohio State | Jantel Lavender, Ohio State | |
| Samantha Prahalis, Ohio State | Samantha Prahalis, Ohio State | |
| Tyra Grant, PENN STATE | Tyra Grant, PENN STATE | |
| Preseason Player of the Year | Preseason Player of the Year | |
| Jantel Lavender, Ohio State | Jantel Lavender, Ohio State | |