Jan. 18, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Penn State Lady Lion guard Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) was selected as the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week along with Wisconsin's Taylor Wurtz, the conference office announced today. Bentley guided the Lady Lions (13-4, 5-2) to wins over Iowa and No. 23/20 Michigan State last week. She is the second Lady Lion to earn Freshman of the Week honors this season, joining Nikki Greene (Diboll, Texas) who was the Dec. 14 Freshman of the Week.
Bentley averaged 14.5 points, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals last week. Bentley was 7-for-13 from the field en route to 15 points, five assist, two steals and a block in the road win at Iowa. She sparked an 11-0 run that put the Lions in front in Iowa City with a three-pointer in transition and a fastbreak layup. Bentley accounted for 14 points, three assists and a steal in the upset win over #20 Michigan State Sunday. She helped seal the win with a pair of free throws in the final 30 seconds.
Bentley leads the team and is seventh in the Big Ten in assists with a 3.8 per game average. She is also second on the team and 21st in the conference with a 10.4 scoring average. The rookie is shooting 42.0% from the field and 37.1% from three-point range on the season. The Lady Lions have surpassed their win total from a year ago and have also tied the mark for most wins under head coach Coquese Washington, equaling the 13 wins in the 2006-07 season.
The Lady Lions visit Wisconsin on Thursday at 8 p.m. (Eastern) before returning to the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday, Jan. 24 for the Fourth Annual WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State against Illinois at 1 p.m. Penn State will donate $2 from every single-game ticket sold to the Pink Zone to the fundraising cause. All Penn State students will receive buy one ticket, get one ticket free for the Illinois game with valid ID. 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 hold several camps throughout the summer. There is a Lady Lion Basketball Camp available for girls of all ages, ranging from shooting camp to elite camp. The 2010 Lady Lion Basketball Camp schedule is as follows: Shooting Camp (June 13-15), Elite Camp (June 20-22), Skills Camp (June 20-23), Total Package Team Camp (June 24-26) and Games Galore Team Camp (August 6-8). For more information on Lady Lion Basketball Camps, please visit psusportscamps.com and click on Lady Lion Basketball Camp.
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.