Jan. 29, 2012
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EAST LANSING, MICH. - The No. 18/19 Penn State Lady Lions (16-5, 6-3) had their five-game winning snapped in a tough 83-77 loss at Michigan State (13-9, 5-4) Sunday. Sophomore guard Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.) was 9-for-13 from the field on the way to 21 points for her 12th 20-point game of the season, while junior forward Mia Nickson (Ashburn, Va.) added a season-high 18 points via an 8-for-9 effort from the free throw line.
In addition to her 21-point effort, Lucas had three rebounds and a pair of assists in a full 40 minutes. Nickson also hauled in six rebounds, a had a steal and an assist. Junior center Nikki Greene (Diboll, Texas) also reached double figures with 10 points and five rebounds. Sophomore guard/forward Ariel Edwards (Elmont, N.Y.) chipped in eight points and eight rebounds off the bench.
Michigan State sprinted out to an 8-3 lead, much like the first meeting between the teams, MSU was hot from three-point range as the Spartans connected on their first two shots from deep. The Lady Lions responded by scoring eight of the game's next 10 points, including four tallies from Nickson to take an 11-10 lead with 13:23 remaining.
The squads exchanged scores over the next two minutes, but the Spartans took a 16-15 advantage thanks to a pair of three-pointers. The Spartans surged ahead by eight (23-15) with a 6-0 spurt, but Penn State bounced back with a 6-0 run of their own that featured scores from Nickson, Lucas and Greene to close within a pair (23-21) with 8:44 left to play.
The Spartans pushed their advantage back to eight points (30-22) with a 7-1 spurt, but a pair of free throws from Tori Waldner (Milton, Ga.) and an old-fashioned three-point play by Lucas sliced the deficit to 30-27 with 3:40 left. After a bucket by Michigan State, the Lady Lions sandwiched three-pointers by Edwards and Lucas around a Porche Poole layup to go into the half down by one (34-33).
Lucas finished the opening half with 15 points via a 6-for-8 shooting performance while playing all 20 minutes. Nickson added nine tallies and three rebounds, while Edwards chipped in five points off of the bench. The Spartans were hot from three-point range, making 5-of-9 attempts for a 55.6% shooting effort.
Greene opened the scoring in the second half with a rebound and layup, but the Spartans would score the next four points to take a 38-35 lead with 18:36 on the clock. After an exchange of scores, the Lady Lions got free throws from Nickson, a layup by Waldner and a floater by Lucas to take a 43-40 lead with 16:24 remaining. However, the Spartans responded with a 12-3 run to establish a 52-46 lead with 12:34 on the clock.
The Lady Lions closed within two thanks to baskets by Nickson and Waldner, but the Spartans clicked off an 8-1 run to establish a nine-point lead (60-51) with 9:34 left. An old-fashioned three-point play by Nickson jump-started a 10-2 run for the Lady Lions to close within a single point (62-61) with 7:41 on the clock. Bentley nailed a three-pointer and Lucas and Edwards added two points each during the run.
The squads exchanged scoring opportunities for the next two minutes as the Spartans pushed the lead to three points (69-66) with 5:28 remaining. The Lady Lions took a 72-69 lead with 3:47 left thanks to a 6-0 run that featured three points each from Greene and Zhaque Gray (Chicago, Ill.). However, the Spartans would rally to take a two-point lead (74-72) with less than three minutes remaining.
Following three-straight points by Greene to give PSU a one-point advantage (75-74), Porche Poole knocked down a 15-footer to put the Spartans ahead by one and they extended the lead with a basket by Klarissa Bell and a pair of free throws by Lykendra Johnson. Following a jumper by Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.), Poole sealed the win with three free throws.
GAME NOTES: Junior forward Mia Nickson had a season-high 18 points, passing her previous season high of 12 points at Nebraska ... Maggie Lucas posted her 12th 20-point game of the season with 21 tallies on 9-of-13 shooting ... Alex Bentley moved into the Top 10 on Penn State's career assists list, she now has 412 career helpers and passes Tanya Garner (411) for 10th spot ... The Lady Lions have lost four consecutive games to the Spartans and have lost three-straight in the Breslin Center.
The Lady Lions are back in the BJC to meet Indiana on Thursday, Feb. 2 for THON night at 7 p.m. Penn State will also celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day against the Hoosiers. The Lady Lions hit the road again for a Super Bowl Sunday matchup at Minnesota. Single game tickets and PNC Flex Books are available by calling 800-NITTANY. PNC Flex Books are $99 and give fans 12 vouchers, including one for the Coaches vs. Cancer game and one for the Pink Zone game, which can be redeemed for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball tickets in any combination. The Starting 5 Pack is $49 and features tickets to three games of the buyer's choice, a ticket for the Ohio State ESPN2 Big Monday game on Monday, Feb. 20 and a ticket for the Pink Zone game against Minnesota on Sunday, Feb. 26.
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.