Feb. 4, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Penn State Lady Lions (15-7, 7-5) shot just 26.2% (16-61) from the field and scored their fewest points since the 2006-07 season in a 65-44 loss at Michigan State (15-7, 6-5) Thursday. Penn State's 44 tallies are the fewest since a 55-41 loss to Michigan on Jan. 7, 2007.
Senior Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio) led the Lady Lions with 13 points and three steals, while freshman Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) added 11 tallies, all in the first half, to go along with two assists and three steals. Junior Julia Trogele (Devon, Pa.) accounted for five points and a game-high 12 rebounds and three steals.
The Lady Lions took the early lead off of the tipoff as Bentley drove in for the wide open layup four seconds into the game. Trogele added to the lead as she hit one of two free throws at the 18:26 mark, but the Lions went cold from the field and the Spartans went on a 6-0 run to take a 6-3 lead four minutes into the game.
Bentley stopped the run with a jumper in transition, but the Spartans responded with a three-pointer by Lykendra Johnson. Following one free throw by Grant, Nikki Greene (Diboll, Texas) picked up her second foul and had to join Janessa Wolff (Park Rapids, Minn.), who had two fouls in the first four minutes of the game, on the bench. The undersized Lady Lions saw Michigan State extend their lead to 10 points at 18-8 with 11 minutes left in the first half.
The lead remained 10 after several exchanges until a 8-0 run gave the Spartans a game-high 16-point lead (28-12) with 4:34 left in the half. The Lady Lions began to chip away with a rebound and layup by Wolff and a drive a bucket for Grant to make it a 28-16 game. The lead remained 12 until a three-pointer by Bentley jumpstarted Penn State. Marisa Wolfe (Ford City, Pa.) helped chip away at the deficit with two free throws and Grant added a basket with 38 seconds left to make it a 34-27 MSU lead. The Spartans got a layup just 16 seconds later to push the lead back to nine where it would remain until the half.
The Lady Lions started the game shooting just 17.4% (4-23) from the field, but made six of their last eight shots in the late first-half surge. Bentley led all scorers with 11 points, while Grant added seven points for the Lady Lions. Allyssa DeHaan paced the Spartans with eight points and four rebounds.
Less than a minute into the second half, Greene picked up her third foul of the game, which led to a pair of free throws by Aisha Jefferson and an 11-point (38-27) MSU lead. The Lady Lions responded with a three-pointer by Grant, but Michigan State would score the game's next four points to push its lead back to 12 points at 42-30 with 17:22 left in the game.
A pair of free throws by Grant and a 15-footer by Wolfe put the deficit at eight points (42-34), but an old-fashioned three-point play by Kalisha Keane sparked a 23-10 run for the Spartans to end the game for the 21-point win.
The Lady Lions return to the Bryce Jordan Center for a Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 7) meeting with No. 4/6 Ohio State at 1 p.m. The Ohio State game is a Subway Full Court Four Pack game where fans can get four tickets, four sodas and a voucher for four 6" Subway subs (offer not valid the BJC Subway) for $40. 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.