Oct. 3, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The Penn State Lady Lion basketball team will open their 2010-11 season with their first official on Monday, October 4 at 5 p.m., in the South Gym at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Under a new NCAA regulation, women's basketball programs are allowed to begin practice 40 days before their first regular-season competition. During those 40 days, teams can conduct 30 practices.
Head coach Coquese Washington and the Lady Lions are coming off of their first postseason appearance since the 2004-05 season with a WNIT berth. Penn State returns a trio of starters in senior Julia Trogele (Devon, Pa.) and sophomores Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Nikki Greene (Diboll, Texas). Trogele, a team co-captain, led the team and was 11th in the Big Ten with a 6.2 rebounding average. She was also fifth in the Big Ten with an .827 free throw percentage.
Bentley was a third team All-Big Ten selection and a unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman team choice as a rookie. She finished 10th in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.445), fourth in assists (4.03), seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.47) and 15th in steals (1.6). Greene was the only Lady Lion to start every game last season and was a solid presence in the middle for the Lions. She averaged 7.0 points and was second on the team with a 6.2 rebounding average, which was 12th in the Big Ten. Greene's 55 blocks a year ago place her second on Penn State's freshman rejections list and ninth on the single-season chart.
For the second consecutive season, the Lady Lions secured a Top 25 recruiting class. The 22nd-ranked recruiting class by ESPN/Hoopgurlz includes McDonald's High School All-American Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.), WBCA High School All-American Ariel Edwards (Elmont, N.Y.) and All-State performer Talia East (Philadelphia, Pa.). Lucas, who won the McDonald's High School All-American three-point contest, is widely considered the nation's best shooter in the 2010 recruiting class.
The Lady Lions, who will face Gannon in an exhibition on Sun., Nov. 7, open their season on the road at Dayton on Fri., Nov. 12. Penn State then faces Rider in its home opener on Sun., Nov. 14. 2010-11 Lady Lion Basketball season tickets are available by calling 814-867-2557. Season tickets are $117 for adults, $52 for youth and $91 for seniors. The PNC Flex Books are available again this year for $99. The Flex Book gives fans 10 vouchers that can be redeemed for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball tickets in any combination.
The 2011 WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State will take place on Sunday, Feb. 27 at noon as the Lady Lions take on Northwestern in the Bryce Jordan Center. The game can be seen on the Big Ten Network. Last year, the Lady Lions donated more than $80,000 for breast cancer causes. This year's fundraising efforts will benefit the Mount Nittany Medical Center, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund and J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital. 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 sports information contact Kris Petersen (@ladylionsid) and the Lady Lions and coaches (@pennstatewbb) to get the inside scoop. The Lady Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstateladylions.