April 10, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The Penn State women's basketball team held its annual postseason banquet today at the Penn Stater and honored both players and supporters of the program for their dedication and commitment during the season.
Sophomore guard Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) and senior guard/forward Julia Trogele (Devon, Pa.) shared the Joanie O'Brien Most Outstanding Player Award, while Trogele was also honored with the Jeanette Goss Courage/Leadership Award. Sophomore forward Marisa Wolfe (Ford City, Pa.) earned the Tom Caldwell "Unsung Hero" Award and sophomore Mia Nickson (Ashburn, Va.) garnered the Robin Lombard Award in honor of those qualities that exemplify the true spirit of Lady Lion basketball. Freshman guard/forward Ariel Edwards (Elmont, N.Y.) took home the Academic Achievement Award, while junior guard Zhaque Gray (Chicago, Ill.) won the Most Improved Player Award and sophomore center Nikki Greene (Diboll, Texas) claimed the Collegiate Pride Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Deb Mulhatten of Collegiate Pride was recognized for her outstanding service to Lady Lion basketball with the Hank Gambocurta Award. The Kent Petersen Student Fan of the Year Award was presented to Timothy Gabel, a member of the Penn State Basketball Pep Band, while Uta Trogele of Devon, Pa. was honored with the Ruth Ingram Award in recognition of a Lady Lion Basketball fan for outstanding enthusiasm and support.
Bentley became the 11th different Lady Lion to take home first team All-Big Ten honors after a solid sophomore campaign. She finished in the Top 15 in the Big Ten in scoring (12th/14.4), assists (2nd/5.0), field goal percentage (14th/.446), free throw percentage (11th/.798) and assist-to-turnover ratio (4th/1.7). The Indianapolis native was outstanding for the Lady Lions in their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2004-05, averaging 23.0 points and 4.0 assists in two games. Bentley is 10th on Penn State's career assists average chart (4.5) and 12th in scoring average (13.2). She needs one assist to become the 14th player in school history to tally 300 career helpers.
Trogele wrapped up an unsung career with a stellar senior season as she averaged personal bests of 9.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals. She ranked seventh in the Big Ten in rebounding, field goal percentage and free throw percentage on the way to All-Big Ten honorable mention accolades. In conference play, Trogele paced the league with an .881 free throw percentage, becoming the first Lady Lion to lead the Big Ten in free throw shooting since Adrienne Squire in 2005-06. Trogele, who finished her career with 803 points and 690 rebounds, is fifth on the Lady Lions' all-time free throw shooting chart with an .817 effort from the charity stripe in four seasons. She is also 14th in rebounding average in program history with a 6.1 mark.
Wolfe earned her first eight collegiate starts this season and finished the year averaging 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. The sophomore was outstanding from the free throw line this year, going 17-for-20 (.850). Wolfe also tallied a career-best eight assists, 12 steals and five blocked shots.
After sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules, Nickson returned to the court with a vengeance where she accounted for 10.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Starting the final 27 games of the season, the sophomore was ninth in the Big Ten in rebounding and 14th in free throw percentage (.795). Nickson finished second in the league in field goal percentage with a .521 effort on the year and was third in offensive rebounds (3.2). She tallied six double-doubles on the season, including a 14-point, 10-rebound performance against Dayton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Edwards was a solid reserve for the Lady Lions in her freshman season. She appeared in 33 games and accounted for 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. The native of Elmont, N.Y. was solid at the free throw stripe with an .857 mark, which is fourth on Penn State's freshman season free throw percentage list. Edwards also tallied 13 assists, nine steals and four blocks in her rookie campaign. In the classroom, she was a Dean's List recipient in the fall and tallied a perfect 4.0 during summer classes.
Gray made a marked improvement between her sophomore and junior years as she improved on her three-point shooting by 11% (.303 to .414) and her field goal shooting by 8.5% (.338 to .423). With a 9.5 scoring average, the Chicago native also nearly doubled her scoring output to finish fourth on the team. Additionally, Gray was third in the Big Ten in three-point field goal percentage (.414) and eighth in three-pointers per game (1.8). She also had career bests of 78 rebounds, 53 assists and 19 steals this season.
A daunting figure in the paint, Greene became one of the top shot-blocking forces in the conference en route to Big Ten All-Defensive Team honors. She tallied a career-best 75 rejections, which is sixth on the Penn State single-season list, and became the seventh player in school history with 100 blocks earlier this year. The All-Big Ten honorable mention choice has 130 rejections in two seasons. Greene was also solid on the boards for the Lady Lions, accounting for 7.8 rebounds per game to rank sixth in the Big Ten. A starter in every game, Greene chipped in 8.5 points per game and 1.1 steals per outing. She ranks third on the Lady Lions' career blocked shots average list (2.0) and eight in rebounding average (7.0).
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 2011 Lady Lion Basketball Camp schedule is as follows: Shooting Camp (June 12-14), Skills Camp (June 12-14), Total Package Team Camp (June 23-25), Elite Camp (June 25-26) and Games Galore Team Camp (August 5-7). For more information on Lady Lion Basketball Camps, please visit psusportcamps.com and click on Lady Lion Basketball Camp.
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.
2010-11 Lady Lion Basketball Award Winners
Robin Lombard Award - Mia Nickson
Academic Achievement Award - Ariel Edwards
Jeanette Goss Courage/Leadership Award - Julia Trogele
Joanie O'Brien Most Outstanding Player Award - Alex Bentley and Julia Trogele
Tom Caldwell "Unsung Hero" Award - Marisa Wolfe
Most Improved Player - Zhaque Gray
Collegiate Pride Defensive Player of the Year - Nikki Greene
Hank Gambocurta Award - Deb Mulhatten, Collegiate Pride
Kent Petersen Student Fan of the Year Award - Timothy Gabel
Ruth Ingram Award - Uta Trogele