Dec. 10, 2009
Pittsburgh Game Notes (12/12/09) |
Official Pink Zone Website | Check Out These Lady Lion Basketball Promotions
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The Penn State Lady Lions (6-3, 0-1) will welcome back their Lady Lion Legends on Saturday as Penn State hosts No. 15/15 Pittsburgh (8-0) at the Bryce Jordan Center at 1 p.m. The Lady Lions will also honor the 10th anniversary of the 2000 Final Four team at halftime of Saturday's game. The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network with Leah Secondo and Stephanie White calling the action.
PROMOTIONS: Saturday will mark the first of four Subway 4 for $40 days for the Lady Lions. Fans will receive four tickets, four sodas and four 6" Subway subs for $40. Subway coupons cannot be redeemed at the Jordan Center Subway locations. All current Penn State student will get in for free with a valid Penn State ID and can enter to win one of three $200 gift cards to the Penn State Bookstore. Saturday is also "Toys for Tots" day. Fans that donate a new unwrapped toy will receive either a free youth ticket or a $5 adult ticket to the game.
GIVEAWAY: The first 1,000 fans will receive a commemorative 2000 Final Four coin.
TV/RADIO: The game will air on the Big Ten Network with Leah Secondo and Stephanie White calling the action. The game is also on the Penn State Sports Network with Jerry Fisher and Stacey Brewer describing play. The game can be heard on ESPN Radio 1450 locally. The audio feed is available at www.GoPSUsports.com.
SCOUTING PITTSBURGH: The Panthers are a perfect 8-0 on the season and are ranked No. 15 in both the WBCA and Associated Press polls. Taneisha Harrison leads three Panthers averaging double figures with a 16.1 scoring average. She also tallied a career-high 27 points in Tuesday's win over Valparaiso. Jania Sims (13.0) and Shayla Scott (11.6) also average double digits. Chelsea Cole leads the team in rebounding at a 9.0 per game clip and is fourth on the squad in scoring (9.4).
ALL-TIME VS. THE PANTHERS: Penn State is 26-13 all-time against the Panthers, but the squads have split the last four meetings with the home team winning in each instance. The Lady Lions are 16-1 all-time in home games against the Panthers. Last season, Pitt earned an 80-59 win at home despite 20 points and seven rebounds by Tyra Grant.
LAST TIME AGAINST PITT: The Panthers handed the Lady Lions their first loss of the 2008-09 campaign with an 80-59 victory over Penn State on Nov. 24, 2008. Tyra Grant led the Lady Lion effort with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Janessa Wolff added eight points, six rebounds and two steals. Shavonte Zellous led four Pitt players in double figures with a game-best 23 points. Shayla Scott turned in a double-double for the Panthers with 10 points and 10 boards.
LAST TIME OUT: The Lady Lions landed four players in double figures and had 11 players score on the way to a 67-42 victory over Monmouth Wednesday. Head coach Coquese Washington decided to shuffle the lineup and it immediately paid dividends as senior Meredith Monroe tallied a career-high 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting and seven rebounds in her second start of the season. Freshman Nikki Greene tallied her first career double-double with career highs of 12 points and 14 rebounds. Senior guard Tyra Grant led all players with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
2000 FINAL FOUR TEAM HONORED: On Saturday, Dec. 12, Penn State will recognize the 10th anniversary of the accomplishments of the 2000 Lady Lion basketball team. The 2000 squad, led by point guard Helen Darling, was the first Penn State team to earn a trip to the NCAA Women's Final Four. The 2000 Lady Lions posted a 30-5 record and a 15-1 mark in Big Ten play. Penn State defeated Louisiana Tech in the NCAA Midwest Regional Final to earn a bid to the Final Four in Philadelphia. Darling, Andrea Garner and Maren Walseth all earned first team Big Ten honors in 2000, while Lisa Shepherd was an honorable mention selection. Members of the 2000 team will be in attendance for today's halftime ceremony.
SOLID "D": The Lady Lions held Monmouth to just 21.7% (15-69) from the field and gave up just 42 point to the Hawks in Wednesday's win. The 42 tallies are the fewest points allowed by a Penn State team since a 56-42 win over South Carolina in the 2008-09 season opener in Nov. 16. As of Dec. 6, the Lady Lions are 11th in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to just 33% shooting.
GREENE WITH ENVY: Freshman Nikki Greene had a career night in the win over Monmouth Wednesday night. The rookie center tallied her first collegiate double-double with career highs of 12 points and 14 rebounds, including eight caroms on the offensive glass. She also rejected a pair of shots, marking her seventh straight game with two or more blocks.
MONROE ON FIRE IN SECOND START: Senior forward Meredith Monroe quickly showed why head coach Coquese Washington decided to put her in the starting lineup against Monmouth. She made her first three shots from the field and three attempts from the free throws line as she scored nine of Penn State's first 11 points against the Hawks. In the first four minutes of the game, Monroe surpassed her previous career high (8) with nine tallies. She added another basket in the opening frame and finished the game with 11 points. She also pulled in six rebounds, including four on the offensive glass, and had a blocked shot.
After taking a break for finals, the Lady Lions continue their four-game homestand against Oakland on Mon., Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m., as part of a men's and women's doubleheader. General admission tickets for both games are $10 for adults and $5 for students/youth. Penn State completes it's homestand with its Big Ten home opener against Iowa on Mon., Dec. 28 at 1 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.