Nov. 29, 2011
North Carolina Game Notes (11/30/11)
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After a four-game road trip, the #16/15 Penn State Lady Lions (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) return home to host #14/13 North Carolina Tarheels (5-0, 0-0 ACC) in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network with Eric Collins and Mary Murphy on the call. It will be a Code Blue Blast game for Penn State students, who get in to Lady Lions for free this season. Additionally, fans will receive a rally towel at the gates.
STUDENT PROMOTIONS: Wednesday's game is a Code Blue Blast event for Penn State students, who can earn two points for attending the game. Penn State students get in for free to Lady Lion games this season. The first 150 Penn State students will receive a voucher for a free large pizza from Domino's Pizza.
PROMOTIONS: Fans will get a Penn State rally towel at the gates while supplies last. Wednesday is also Dollar Dog Night!
HALFTIME: The Russian Bar Trio from America's Got Talent will be performing at halftime of the game.
TELEVISION: The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network with Eric Collins and Mary Murphy on the call.
RADIO/LIVE STATS: The game is on WRSC locally, with Jerry Fisher and Brian Tripp calling the action. The audio feed and live stats are available at www.GoPSUsports.com.
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA: The Tarheels are a perfect 5-0 on the season and are 14th in this week's Associated Press poll. Senior Chay Shegog leads the UNC attack with a 16.4 scoring average to go along with 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. Laura Broomfield is averaging a double-double with 12.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per outing, while She'la White chips in 12.0 points and 2.8 assists per game.
ALL-TIME VS. THE TARHEELS: The Lady Lions have split four all-time meetings with North Carolina, but claimed a 77-71 win at the Bryce Jordan Center on Dec. 5, 2004. Penn State is 2-1 all-time against UNC in home games. The Lady Lions are 33-25 all-time against ACC schools.
LAST TIME VS. UNC: All five starters reached double figures and the Lady Lions shot 50% from the field as unranked Penn State earned a 77-71 win over No. 2 North Carolina on Dec. 5, 2004. Tanisha Wright led all scorers with 21 points, while Jess Strom added 11 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE: After posting an 86-84 win over Duke in the inaugural Big Ten/ACC Challenge, the Lady Lions have lost their last three Challenge games to Florida State (73-60; 2008), Georgia Tech (64-60; 2009) and Boston College (113-104 OT; 2010). North Carolina is 3-1 all-time in the Challenge with wins over Purdue (9-72; 2007), Ohio State (72-63; 2008) and Iowa (76-67; 2010).
BACK-TO-BACK TOP 20 GAMES: The Lady Lions will face #14 North Carolina at home Wednesday before traveling to #19 Texas Tech Saturday. Penn State meets back-to-back Top 20 opponents for the first time since squaring off against #20 Iowa (W, 82-75) and #13 Michigan State (L, 60-49) on Feb. 6 and 10 of last year. However, this is the first time that the Lady Lions were also ranked in the Top 20 since meeting #12 Louisiana Tech (L, 87-84), #14 North Carolina (L, 73-60) and #7 Purdue (W, 47-42) during the 2003-04 season.
LAST BJC TOP 20 GAME: The last time that Penn State was part of a Top 20 match up at the Bryce Jordan Center was when #6 Penn State staged a late comeback to defeat #4 Purdue in front of a sellout crowd to win the Big Ten regular-season title.
STELLAR DOWN THE STRETCH: The Lady Lions have been stellar in the last five minutes of games this season, outscoring their opponents, 10-5.3, and forcing an average of 3.0 turnovers per game. In PSU's five wins, the Lady Lions have outscored their opponents by a 10.6-3.6 count.
NUGGET CROWN: Penn State claimed the Nugget Classic title with Thanksgiving weekend wins over Iowa State (66-59) and host Nevada (103-65). It is the 28th all-time regular-season tournament title for the Lady Lions and the second this season (Lady Lion Classic). Junior guard Alex Bentley was selected as the Tournament MVP after averaging 18.0 points, 4.5 assists and 4.5 steals in two games. She also shot 57.1% from the field. Sophomore guard Maggie Lucas also collected All-Tournament team accolades as she averaged 22.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in the Nugget Classic.
STEALING BENTLEY: Junior guard Alex Bentley worked on her pick-pocketing skills in Nevada with a career-best five steals against the Wolf Pack in the Nugget Classic title game. She also nabbed four steals in the opening round win over Iowa State.
NEWEST 500 BOARD MEMBER: Junior center Nikki Greene became the 27th player in school history to reach 500 rebounds with six caroms against Iowa State on Nov. 25. She joins an elite list that it topped by Kahadeejah Herbert (1,103) and Susan Robinson (1,070).
WALDNER ON THE BOARD: Freshman post player Tori Waldner scored her first collegiate points with a 15-foot jumper at Iowa State Nov. 25. She finished the contest with five points and connected on both of her shots from the field. Waldner also blocked her first career shot.
NICKSON RETURNS: Junior post player Mia Nickson returned after missing two games with concussion-like symptoms. She hauled in 13 rebounds to go along with five points and two assists in the win over Iowa State in the Nugget Classic.
LUCAS INTO 6TH ON 3S LIST: Sophomore guard Maggie Lucas moved into a tie for sixth place on Penn State's career three-pointers list with two triples at Nevada Nov. 26. She is tied with Tina Nicholson (1993-96).
The Lady Lions travel to Texas Tech in the return game of the Big 12/Big Ten Challenge Saturday. Last season, Penn State earned a 76-68 win at home over the Red Raiders. The Lady Lions are 3-2 all-time against TTU with wins in the last two games. PSU dropped a 79-65 decision in the only meeting in Lubbock on Dec. 21, 2004. Penn State opens a three-game homestand against Virginia Tech on Tuesday, Dec. 6. 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.