March 9, 2013
Big Ten Tournament Semifinal Notes
Inside the Numbers Blog
HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL. - The top-seeded Penn State Lady Lions will continue their quest for a Big Ten Tournament title when they face Michigan State Saturday at approximately 7:25 p.m. (ET). The contest will air live on the Big Ten Network with Kevin Kugler and Stephanie White calling the action. The game is the second of two semifinal games with #2 seed Nebraska meeting #3 seed Purdue at 5 p.m., which will also appear on the BTN.
The Lady Lions are 26-13 all-time against the Spartans, including a regular-season sweep this season. Penn State topped the Spartans, 71-56 on Feb. 10 at home and 76-55 in East Lansing. Penn State is 2-1 in Big Ten Tournament games against Michigan State. The Lady Lions last met the Spartans in the Big Ten Tournament in 2005 with MSU picking up with 83-76 semifinal round win.
Penn State advanced to the semifinal round with a 76-66 win over ninth-seeded Ohio State on Friday evening. Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) went 8-for-13 from the field en route to 20 points with four assists and a steal to lead the Lady Lions. Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.) knocked down a trio of three-pointers en route to 18 markers with two assists and two steals, while Nikki Greene (Diboll, Texas) also reached double figures with 17 points, five rebounds and a pair of blocks. Senior forward Mia Nickson (Ashburn, Va.) just missed out on a double-double with eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Junior guard Dara Taylor (Wilmington, Del.) was also solid for Penn State with nine points, four assists and two steals.
The Ohio State win marked the 25th win of the season for the Lady Lions. It is the 13th 25-win campaign in program history and the third consecutive season that Penn State reached the mark. This is only the second time in program history that the Lady Lions have posted three consecutive 25-win seasons, joining the 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96 campaigns.