Nov. 18, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Penn State Lady Lion senior Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio) is one of 50 players on the Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T preseason watch list, it was announced today by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Grant, a preseason All-Big Ten selection, is also on the Wooden Award preseason watch list.
Grant is off to a solid start in the first two games of her senior season, averaging 18.0 points and 7.5 rebounds. Grant started her season off on the right foot, posting her first career double-double with 25 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in a win over Drexel. She has surpassed Katina Mack and Jess Strom this year to move into 11th-place on Penn State's all-time scoring list with 1,514 career tallies.
Last season, Grant finished second in 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, an All-Big Ten first team choice, also 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.
The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2009-10 college basketball season. The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded at the 2010 NCAA Women's Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
"The competition this year seems to be at an all-time high, and there are numerous candidates who have the opportunity to showcase their abilities throughout the season," said Gary Stokan, Atlanta Tipoff Club president. "Once the games start it will become clearer who emerges as the leading candidate to claim the Naismith Trophy, the most prestigious award in college basketball."
In late February, the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors will compile a mid-season team of the Top 30 players in the nation. Then in March, the Naismith Trophy voting academy will vote to narrow the list to the four finalists. The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball's player of the year. For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
The Lady Lions open a four-game road trip at Bucknell tomorrow night at 7 p.m. before heading to South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks Sunday at 3 p.m. Penn State then travels to Maine for the Dead River Classic over Thanksgiving weekend, before returning to the Bryce Jordan Center on Wed., Dec. 2 to face Georgia Tech in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at 6:30 p.m. 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.
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