Feb. 10, 2010
Minnesota Game Note (2/11/10) |
Check Out These Lady Lion Basketball Promotions
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The Penn State Lady Lions (15-8, 7-6) looks to snap a four-game losing skid when they host Minnesota (11-12, 4-8) on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center. The game can be heard on the Penn State Sports Network and is available as a live streaming event on BigTenNetwork.com for $2.99.
PROMOTIONS/GIVEAWAY: It is also THON night for the Lady Lions and for each single-game Penn State student ticket purchased, $5 will be donated to THON. PNC customers will receive a special deal of two tickets for $20 for Thursday night's game. Fans will receive a blinking shaker while supplies last.
NATIONAL GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY: Penn State will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day with members of the Penn State women's sports teams on the concourse signing autographs before the game. The women's volleyball team will also be honored for their 2009 National Championship.
RADIO/WEB/TV: The game is on the Penn State Sports Network with Jerry Fisher and Kellie Goodman calling the action. The game can be heard on ESPN Radio 1450. The audio feed is available at www.GoPSUsports.com. The contest will also be available on BigTenNetwork.com via a live video stream for $2.99. The game will be rebroadcast as a Student U production on the Big Ten Network on Fri., Feb. 12 at 10:30 a.m.
LAST TIME OUT: The Lady Lions led by as 15 points and forced 25 turnovers, but a late 17-4 run by No. 8/9 Ohio State gave the Buckeyes an 86-73 win Sunday. The Buckeyes were unstoppable from three-point range, knocking down a Big Ten record 17 threes and shooting 65.4% (17-26). Senior Tyra Grant led four Lady Lions in double figures with 22 points to go along with four steals and two assists. Freshman Alex Bentley posted her second career 20-point game with 20 tallies on 10-of-13 shooting, including an 8-for-8 start from the field. She also dished out three assists and had two steals.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA: The Golden Gophers are 11-12 overall and 4-8 in Big Ten play. Minnesota enters Thursday's game having lost its last six games. Kiara Buford leads the Gophers with a 13.5 scoring average to go along with 4.6 rebounds. Ashley Ellis-Milan accounts for 9.7 points and a team-best 5.2 rebounds per game, while China Antoine, who missed three games with an injury, chips in 9.2 tallies.
ALL-TIME VS. THE GOLDEN GOPHERS: The Lady Lions lead the all-time series against Minnesota, 20-10, but have lost the last five meetings with the Golden Gophers. Penn State is 12-2 all-time in home games against Minnesota. The Lady Lions dropped a 56-48 decision at Minnesota on Dec. 6 in the Big Ten opener despite 23 points from Tyra Grant and 15 tallies from Alex Bentley.
LAST TIME VS. MINN: Despite 23 points from Tyra Grant, the Penn State Lady Lions dropped a 56-48 decision to Minnesota in the Big Ten openers for both teams. The Golden Gophers made more free throws (23) than the Lady Lions had field goals made (18). Minnesota also shot a sizzling 88.5% (23-26) from the charity stripe. Grant also accounted for four rebounds and steals. Freshman Alex Bentley also reached double figures for the Lady Lions with 15 points to go along with two assists and four steals, while fellow freshman Nikki Greene had three blocked shots and four rebounds.
PRESSURING THE BALL: Penn State forced Ohio State into 18 first-half turnovers and 25 for the game in a tough loss to the nationally-ranked Buckeyes on Feb. 7. It is the most turnovers by a Lady Lion opponent since Bucknell had 30 turnovers on Dec. 9, 2008. The Lady Lions also notched a season-high 15 steals on the game, marking the first time since Dec. 21, 2008 against Michigan State that Penn State nabbed 15 thefts.
17TH IN ATTENDANCE: The Lady Lions are currently 17th in the NCAA in attendance in the Feb. 8 report. Penn State is averaging 4,910 fans per game, an increase of nearly 600 fans per game from last year's total.
FOUR IN DOUBLE DIGITS: The Lady Lions landed four players in double digits in a tough loss to #8/9 Ohio State on Feb. 7. Tyra Grant paced the Lions with 22 tallies, while freshman Alex Bentley earned her second career 20-point game with 20 markers. Bentley started the game 8-for-8 from the field and finished shooting a career-best 76.9% (10-13). Fellow rookie Nikki Greene equalled her personal mark for the sixth time this season with 12 tallies, while junior Julia Trogele chipped in 11 points.
OSU'S RECORD-BREAKING DAY: The Lady Lions blitzed the #8/9 Ohio State Buckeyes early and established a 15-point lead on Feb. 7, but the Buckeyes needed a conference record 17 three-pointers to stave off Penn State's upset bid. The 17 treys are also a record for a Lady Lion foe, surpassing the mark of 13 threes set by Villanova on Nov. 16, 2001. Ohio State's sizzling 65.4% shooting percentage from beyond the arc is the highest for Penn State opponent since Iowa shot 87.5% (7-8) from three on Feb. 18, 2007.
The Lady Lions travel to Purdue on Sunday at 2 p.m., before returning home to face Michigan on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. It will be Beach Day in the Bryce Jordan Center with fans wearing a Hawaiian shirt will get in for $5. 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 took place on Sunday, Jan. 24 when the Lady Lions take on Illinois in the Bryce Jordan Center. The first three Pink Zone events have raised more than $80,000 for breast cancer awareness. This year's fundraising efforts will benefit Mount Nittany Medical Center, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition and the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. For more information or to donate online to 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.