Feb. 2, 2013
Purdue Game Notes (2/4/13) | WatchESPN.com | Listen |
Tickets! | Promotions | LadyLions.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The #7/8 Penn State Lady Lions (17-3, 7-1 Big Ten) will look to bounce back from their first conference loss of the season with a home game against #14/11 Purdue (18-3, 7-1) in the Bryce Jordan Center Monday at 7 p.m. The game, which will have first place implications on the line as the teams are tied atop the Big Ten standings, is part of ESPN's Big Monday and will air live on ESPN2 with Beth Mowins and Stephanie White on the call. The first 2,000 fans at the game will receive a Nikki Greene Wind-Up Walker, the third walker giveaway in the series of five.
GIVEAWAY: The first 2,000 fans will receive a Nikki Greene Wind-Up Walker, the third walker giveaway in the series of five.
PROMOTIONS: Fans are encouraged to wear blue to support victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. The Purdue game is also Centre County Women's Resource Center night and fans that bring an item off of the CCWRC's needed items list will get $5 off of their ticket to the game. Additionally, the supporters of Coquese's Drive will also be honored at halftime. Monday is also Dollar Dog Night and fans can get hot dogs at any BJC concession stand for just $1. Additionally, it is Penn State Bookstore night and those fans that present a receipt from the Penn State Bookstore will get a buy one, get one free ticket offer.
PENN STATE STUDENTS: As always, Penn State students get free admission to Lady Lion games. The first 300 PSU students will also receive a Code Blue t-shirt, courtesy of the Penn State Bookstore.
TV: The game will be televised on ESPN2 with Beth Mowins (play-by-play) and Stephanie White (color) on the call. The game can also be accessed online on WatchESPN.com.
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. A link to the audio feed and GameTracker are available at www.GoPSUsports.com.
LAST TIME OUT: The Lady Lions had their 11-game winning streak snapped as Tiera Stephen converted on a rebound and layup with five seconds left to lift Wisconsin to a 63-61 Thursday. Maggie Lucas was 7-for-12 from the field, including 4-of-6 from three-point range, en route to 18 points. She also had three rebounds and a pair of steals. Mia Nickson added 11 points and six boards, while Dara Taylor rounded out the double figure scorers for the Lady Lions with 10 points, two assists and three steals.
SCOUTING PURDUE: The Boilermakers are ranked 14th in Jan. 28 AP poll and 11th in the Jan. 29 USA Today Sports Coaches' poll after posting an 18-3 overall record and 7-1 mark in conference play. Courtney Moses leads Purdue with a 13.7 scoring average to go along with 35 steals and 45 assists on the year. Drey Mingo also accounts for double figures in the scoring column with 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while Sam Ostarello averages a double-double with 10.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per outing. KK Houser also contributes double figures for the Boilers at an 11.0 clip.
ALL-TIME VS. THE BOILERS: The Lady Lions are 16-26 all-time against Purdue, including a 9-8 mark in home games. Penn State has won two of its last three games against the Boilers. The Lady Lions posted a 74-63 win during the regular-season a year ago, but dropped an 68-66 decision on a buzzer-beater in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
LAST TIME VS. PURDUE: Nikki Greene scored five points in 11 seconds to tie the game at 66-66, but Brittany Rayburn connected on a layup with 1.6 seconds left to lift Purdue to a 68-66 win over the Lady Lions in the Big Ten semifinals on March 3. Alex Bentley led the Lady Lions with 22 points to go along with three assists and three steals. Greene also reached double figures with 12 points and had three rebounds and two blocks. Mia Nickson added nine points and 13 rebounds.
BEN DAVIS TEAMMATES MEET AGAIN: Penn State senior Alex Bentley and Purdue junior Dee Dee Williams will square off for the final time during the regular season Monday. The pair were high school teammates at Ben Davis and led the Giants to an Indiana State Championship in 2008-09 and the #1 ranking in the final USA Today Super 25 poll.
LUCAS CLIMBS INTO TOP 10 ON ALL-TIME SCORING LIST: Junior Maggie Lucas moved up one spot on Penn State's career scoring list with her 18-point performance at Wisconsin Jan. 31. The 18 tallies push Lucas into a tie with teammate Alex Bentley (1,592) for the 10th spot. Lucas' career total is now at 1,592 points and she needs 27 points to tie Andrea Garner (1,619; 1997-00) for ninth place.
EDWARDS SCORES #500: Junior guard Ariel Edwards surpassed the 500-point plateau with a seven-point performance at Wisconsin on Jan. 31. Also in the game against the Badgers, Tori Waldner scored her 100th career point on a layup off of a pass from Gizelle Studevent.
AB DISHING HER WAY UP THE ASSISTS CHART: Senior guard Alex Bentley handed out four assists at Wisconsin on Jan. 31 to move into eighth place on Penn State's career helpers chart. With 530 career dimes, Bentley passed Nancy Kuhl (528; 1975-79) for eighth place. Bentley needs 30 assists to tie Brianne O'Rourke (560; 2006-09) for seventh spot.
STREAK SNAPPED: The Lady Lions had their 11-game winning streak with a 63-61 loss at Wisconsin Jan. 31. The streak was the sixth longest streak in school history and was the third-longest active streak in NCAA Division I when it ended.
BEST START SINCE 1993-94: With wins in 17 of their first 19 games, the Lady Lions got off to their best start since the 1993-94 season. The 1993-94 squad won 18 consecutive games to start the season and went 22-2 in their first 24 games. That team tied for the Big Ten regular-season title with a 16-2 conference record and won the inaugural Big Ten Tournament before advancing to the Elite Eight.
NICE BIG TEN START: The Lady Lions started conference play with a perfect 7-0 record for the first time since the 2004-05 season, which also went undefeated in its first seven Big Ten contests.
RECORD-BREAKING B1G STREAK: Penn State collected a school record 14 consecutive Big Ten regular-season games, dating back to last season, before the streak was snapped at Wisconsin on Jan. 31. The streak broke the previous school mark for consecutive Big Ten wins of 13 over the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons. Prior to the Wisconsin loss, the Lady Lions last lost in Big Ten play on Jan. 29, 2012 at Michigan State. The overall school record for consecutive conference victories is 16 as the 1990-91 squad won 14 straight Atlantic 10 games and the 1992-93 team won its first two games as a member of the Big Ten (PSU did not play in a conference in 1991-92) to account for the record.
The Lady Lions visit Indiana for a Big Ten Network game at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday before coming back to the BJC to face Michigan State on Sunday. The Lions will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day with a pregame NGWSD clinic hosted by several of the Penn State women's teams in the basketball practice facility. There will also be a postgame autograph session on the concourse with the entire Lady Lion Basketball team. Fans are also encouraged to wear white for the Michigan State game. Additionally, the first 2,000 fans will receive an Alex Bentley Wind-Up Walker, the fourth in the series of five. Go to www.GoPSUsports.com/promotions/wbb.html for complete promotions information.
Single game tickets for the Lady Lions are on sale. 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.