April 2, 2013
Lucas espnW Blog | LadyLions.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Penn State Lady Lion junior guard Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.) has been named to the Associated Press All-America second team, while senior guard Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) garnered honorable mention AP All-America accolades. Lucas's second team All-America status is the highest AP honor for a Lady Lion since Kelly Mazzante was named a first team AP All-American in 2004, which was also the last time Penn State had two AP All-American honorees.
Lucas, who was an honorable mention AP All-American as a sophomore, paced the Lady Lions as she was third in the Big Ten and 16th in the NCAA with a 20.1 scoring average. The 2013 Big Ten Player of the Year's 644 points this season ranks fifth on the Penn State single-season charts. With back-to-back 600-point campaigns, she is just the second player in school history to record multiple 600-point seasons, joining Mazzante who accomplished the feat three times. Lucas was also stellar from long range, connecting on a conference-best 46.2% of her shots from three-point range. In addition to placing fourth in the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage, Lucas is in the Top 15 in the country in free throw percentage (9th - .900) and three-point field goals made (11th - 3.06). In just three seasons, Lucas has propelled herself into seventh on Penn State's career scoring list (1,838), second in three-point field goals made (292) and three-point field goal percentage (.433) and 19th in steals (176). She also tops the Lady Lions' career free throw percentage charts with an .887 mark.
Bentley earns AP All-America honors for the first time in her career after averaging 14.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists. The three-time All-Big Ten first team choice and two-time Big Ten All-Defensive team selection led the Big Ten and is sixth nationally in steals per game at a 3.4 clip. Bentley was selected as the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award winner for the nation's outstanding female collegian 5-8 and under, joining Suzie McConnell and Helen Darling as the award winners for the Lady Lions. Bentley is just the fourth player in Big Ten history to accumulate 1,500 points, 500 assists and 300 steals. She finished her career in the Top 10 in school history in steals (2nd - 325), assists (T-6th - 567) and scoring (8th - 1,786).
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2013 Associated Press All-America Teams
First Team
Brittney Griner, Baylor
Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame
Chiney Ogwumike, Stanford
Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
Odyssey Sims, Baylor
Second Team
Alyssa Thomas, Maryland
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Connecticut
Maggie Lucas, PENN STATE
Chelsea Gray, Duke
A'dia Mathies, Kentucky
Third Team
Kelsey Bone, Texas A&M
Stefanie Dolson, Connecticut
Elizabeth Williams, Duke
Meighan Simmons, Tennessee
Kayla McBride, Notre Dame
Honorable Mention
Natalie Achonwa, Notre Dame; Kayla Alexander, Syracuse; Rachel Banham, Minnesota; Alex Bentley, PENN STATE; Tiffany Bias, Oklahoma State; Gennifer Brandon, California; Brandi Brown, Youngstown State; Brittany Chambers, Kansas State; Layshia Clarendon, California; Hallie Christofferson, Iowa State; Jerica Coley, Florida International; Aaryn Ellenberg, Oklahoma; Shante Evans, Hofstra; Kelly Faris, Connecticut; Angel Goodrich, Kansas; Tianna Hawkins, Maryland; Tayler Hill, Ohio State; Jordan Hooper, Nebraska; Chucky Jeffery, Colorado; Tyaunna Marshall, Georgia Tech; Drey Mingo, Purdue; Lindsey Moore, Nebraska; Jasmine Newsome, UT-Martin; Karisma Penn, Illinois; Michelle Plouffe, Utah; Chelsea Poppens, Iowa State; Niveen Rasheed, Princeton; Ebony Rowe, Middle Tennessee; Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, North Carolina; Sugar Rodgers, Georgetown; Andrea Smith, South Florida; Markel Walker, UCLA; Toni Young Oklahoma State.