Nov. 17, 2011
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NEWARK, DEL. - In front of a raucous crowd, the #11/12 Penn State Lady Lions (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten) struggled from the field in the second half, shooting just 28.9%, and dropped an 80-71 decision at Delaware (2-0) Thursday night. Elena Delle Donne led all scorers with 40 points.
Junior guard Alex Bentley (Indianpolis, Ind.) narrowly missed out on her first career double-double with a team-best 20 points and nine assists, which ties her career high. She also added three rebounds and three steals in the loss. Senior guard Zhaque Gray (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in 15 points, while sophomore guard Ariel Edwards (Elmont, N.Y.) tallied eight points and eight rebounds in her first career start.
In front of many of her hometown fans that made the trip from Narberth, sophomore guard Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.) accounted for 12 points, three rebounds and two assists. Sophomore center Talia East (Philadelphia, Pa.) continued her solid play with six points, a career-high 11 rebounds and two blocked shots.
Delaware dictated the pace early, sprinting out to a 15-3 lead in the first four and a half minutes of the game before Edwards sparked the Lady Lions' comeback with a jumper, which was followed by Lucas having a hand in the game's next nine points with a free throw, a pair of three-pointers and a beautiful feed to Bentley on the break. Bentley gave the Lady Lions their first lead of the game with a layup and Gizelle Studevent (La Jolla, Calif.) made it an 18-15 lead with just under 11 minutes to play to cap the 15-0 run.
The Blue Hens retook the lead with an 8-2 spurt, but Penn State responded with a layup by Gray and back-to-back scores by East and Edwards to make it a 26-23 lead for the Lady Lions with seven minutes to play in the opening frame. Delaware once again surged ahead with a 7-2 run to establish a 30-28 margin with 1:40 remaining in the half, but the Lady Lions put together a furious finish to the first half with a seven-straight points, including five by Gray in a one-minute stretch. Elena Delle Donne capped the scoring in the first half to send the teams into the break with Penn State leading 35-32.
Bentley, Lucas and Gray paced the balanced Penn State scoring attack with seven points each. Bentley also dished out five assists and had a steal, while Lucas had a pair of helpers. Edwards was solid with six points and six rebounds for the Lady Lions, who shot 50% (15-30) from the field in the first half.
The Lady Lions continued their hot finish to the first half with a pair of Nikki Greene (Diboll, Texas) free throws and a layup by Lucas to establish a 39-32 lead less than a minute into the closing period. Penn State extended the lead to eight (51-43) over the next seven minutes before the Blue Hens scored eight-straight points to even the score at 51-51 with 9:15 left.
On the ensuing Penn State possession, Bentley knocked down a three-pointer, but Delaware responded with a three-pointer of their own by Trumae Lucas to tie the game at 54-54 with less than nine minutes to play. The squads swapped scores over the next three minutes until the Blue Hens went on a 5-0 run to take a 66-62 lead with 4:21 left.
After an exchange of free throws, Delle Donne connected on a jumper over Edwards to make it a 70-66 game with less than four minutes left. Bentley connected on a layup and Gray nailed a three-point to get the Lions within one at 70-69 with 3:16 left, but that is as close as Penn State would get as the Blue Hens scored 10 of the game's final 12 points to claim the nine-point win.
GAME NOTES: Sophomore Ariel Edwards made her first career start ... Edwards tied her career high with eight rebounds ... Sophomore Talia East posted her first career double-digit rebounding game with 11 caroms ... Freshman Tori Waldner saw her first collegiate action and pulled in two rebounds ... Junior guard Alex Bentley turned in her second 20-point performance of the season with a team-best 20 tallies ... Bentley also tied her career high for the fourth time with nine assists ... Sophomore Maggie Lucas moved into seventh place on Penn State's career three-pointers list (121), passing Brianne O'Rourke.
The Lady Lions continue their four-game road trip at South Carolina before traveling to Reno for the Nugget Classic over Thanksgiving. Last season, Penn State posted 78-48 win over the Gamecocks, led by 19 points from Julia Trogele and 14 tallies each by Maggie Lucas and Zhaque Gray. 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. Single game tickets go on sale Tuesday, Oct. 11. PNC Flex Books are available again this year for $99. The Flex Book gives fans 12 vouchers, including one for the Coaches vs. Cancer game and one for the Pink Zone game, that can be redeemed for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball tickets in any combination.
The 2012 WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State will take place on Sunday, Feb. 26 as the Lady Lions take on Minnesota in the Bryce Jordan Center. Last year, the Lady Lions donated nearly $200,000 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 Cancer Fund, J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital and Lewistown Hospital. For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.gopsusports.com/pinkzone. The WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pinkzoneatpennstate.
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.