Jan. 11, 2013
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Tickets! | Promotions | LadyLions.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - After a bye date on Thursday, the #8/8 Penn State Lady Lions (12-2, 2-0 Big Ten) return to the court to face Nebraska (12-4, 2-1) Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center for THON Day and Alumni Day. The game will air on ESPN2 and WatchESPN with Beth Mowins (play-by-play) and LaChina Robinson (color) calling the action. Fans that donate a new hat to benefit THON will receive a $5 ticket.
PROMOTIONS: It's THON Day and Alumni Day in the BJC on Sunday. Fans that donate a new hat to benefit THON will receive a $5 ticket. Additionally, Penn State athletics will donate a hat to THON for every 10 single-game tickets sold. Penn State Alumni Association members that present their valid membership card at the ticket office will also get $5 admission. It's also Spirit Day and the local school that has the most kids check in will get a pizza party or pep rally with Lady Lions at their school later this spring.
POSTGAME: Senior Alex Bentley and juniors Maggie Lucas and Ariel Edwards will be on the concourse postgame to sign autographs.
TV: The game will air on ESPN2 and WatchESPN with Beth Mowins (play-by-play) and LaChina Robinson (color) calling the action.
RADIO/LIVE STATS: The game is on the Penn State Sports Network and ESPN Radio 1450 locally with Jerry Fisher and Brian Tripp calling the action. Links to audio feed and GameTracker are available at www.GoPSUsports.com.
LAST TIME OUT: The Lady Lions shot 51.8% (29-56) from the field and held Michigan State (13-2, 1-1) to just 29.3% (17-58) shooting on the way to a dominating 76-55 win at the Breslin Center Jan. 6. Junior guard Dara Taylor paced four Lady Lions in double figures with a career-high 18 points. Taylor was 7-for-10 from the field with a 3-for-4 effort from three-point range. Senior center Nikki Greene posted her second double-double of the season and 11th of her career with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes of action. Senior guard Alex Bentley chipped in 13 points and three rebounds.
SCOUTING NEBRASKA: The Cornhuskers are 12-4 on the season and 2-1 in conference games. Jordan Hooper leads the Nebraska attack with team-highs of 18.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Lindsey Moore chips in 15.5 points per outing and has dished out a team-best 5.6 assists per game. Emily Cady is closing in on a double figure scoring average at a 9.5 mark.
ALL-TIME VS. THE HUSKERS: The Lady Lions are 3-1 all-time against Nebraska with a 1-1 mark in home games. Last season, the squads split the season series with each team winning on the road. The Huskers claimed a 71-63 victory to open Big Ten play Dec. 30, 2011 in the BJC, but Penn State struck back with a 93-73 win in Lincoln Jan. 15, 2012.
LAST TIME VS. UNL: The Lady Lions shot 60.6% from the field in the second half and Maggie Lucas and Alex Bentley each reached the 20-point mark as the Lady Lions earned a 93-73 win at No. 15/23 Nebraska Jan. 15, 2012. Lucas led all scorers with 24 points on 7-for-15 shooting. Bentley accounted for 23 tallies via a 9-for-17 shooting effort. Zhaque Gray added 16 points, while Nikki Greene and Mia Nickson also reached double figures with 12 points apiece.
BENTLEY IN GREAT COMPANY: With 13 points at Michigan State Jan. 6, senior guard Alex Bentley surpassed the 1,500-point plateau and became the fifth player in Big Ten history and second player in Lady Lion history to accumulate 1,500 points, 500 assists and 250 steals. Bentley joins the Big Ten list that includes: Stephanie White, Purdue (1996-99; 2,182-578-277), Yvette Angel, Ohio State (1982-85; 1,563-562-326), Tamara Moore, Wisconsin (1999-02; 1,662-554-353) and Katie Douglas, Purdue (1998-01; 1,965-526-327). Additionally, Bentley joins Suzie McConnell (1985-88; 1,897-1,307-507) as the only Lady Lions to accomplish the feat. Bentley has 1,506 points, 512 assists and 271 steals in her career.
BIG TEN START: With a 76-55 win at Michigan State Jan. 6, the Lady Lions moved to 2-0 in conference play. It was the first time since the 2004-05 season that Penn State has won it's first two games. The 2004-05 squad opened league play with a 7-0 mark.
MIA JOINS 500-BOARD CLUB: Senior forward Mia Nickson became the 28th member of the Lady Lions' 500-rebound club with six caroms at Michigan State Jan. 26. She has accumulated 504 rebounds in her three seasons in the Blue & White since transferring from Boston College after her freshman season.
GREENE & TAYLOR LEAD LIONS: Senior center Nikki Greene and junior guard Dara Taylor led the way for the Lady Lions in the road win at Michigan State Jan. 6. Greene posted her second double-double of the season and 11th of her career with 14 points, including 10 markers in the second half, and 10 rebounds. Taylor posted a career-high 18 points in the win, surpassing her previous mark of 17 vs. Clemson of Feb, 14, 2010 while she was with Maryland. Taylor was 7-for-10 from the field, including hitting three of her four attempts from three-point range.
GREENE MOVES UP BLOCKS LIST: Senior center Nikki Greene moved into third place on Penn State's career rejections chart after recording one rejection at Michigan State Jan. 6. With 190 career blocks, Greene passes Rashana Barnes (189; 1999-02) for the third spot. Greene needs two rejections to tie Mary Donovan (192; 1977-81) for second spot.
GREENE CLIMBS BOARDS LIST: Senior center Nikki Greene moved into sixth place on Penn State's career rebounding chart with 10 boards at Michigan State Jan. 6. With 830 career caroms, she passes Mag Strittmatter (820; 1975-78) for sixth position. Greene needs 88 rebounds to tie Angie Potthoff (918; 1993-97) for fifth place.
The Lady Lions remain home to face Wisconsin Thursday at 7 p.m. It's a Dollar Dog Night at the BJC. Additionally, Thursday marks the start of our wind-up walker series. Fans will get the first of the five senior class wind-up walker with the Marisa Wolfe walker giveaway at the gate (first 2,000 fans). Go to www.GoPSUsports.com/promotions/wbb.html for complete promotions information.
Single game tickets for the Lady Lions are on sale now. Tickets are $15 and $12 for adults and seniors and $9 and $7 for youth (12 and younger). The PNC Flex Books are available again this year for $99. The Flex Book gives fans 12 vouchers, 10 that can be redeemed in any combination for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball tickets throughout the year and two extra vouchers for the Nittany Lions' Coaches Vs. Cancer game and the Lady Lions' Pink Zone game.
The 2013 Pink Zone at Penn State will take place on Sunday, Feb. 24 as the Lady Lions take on Michigan in the Bryce Jordan Center. Last year, the Lady Lions donated a record $203,000 to 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.pennsylvaniapinkzone.org.
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.