April 3, 2013
Lucas espnW Blog | LadyLions.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Penn State Lady Lion junior guard Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.) added another All-America honor to her collection as she was named to the 10-player United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-America team. Lucas, who selected as a second team Associated Press All-American yesterday, is the first Lady Lion to earn USBWA honors since 2005 when Tanisha Wright was a first team choice. Lucas is becomes the fifth different Lady Lion to claim basketball writers accolades, joining Susan Robinson (twice), Tina Nicholson, Kelly Mazzante (three times) and Wright.
Honored as the 2013 Big Ten Player of the Year, Lucas claimed All-Big Ten first team accolades for the second consecutive season after averaging 20.1 points per game on the year. She is the first Lady Lion to finish the year averaging 20 or more point since Kelly Mazzante in 2003-04 and just the third player to accomplish the feat (Mazzante - 2002, 2003, 2004; Robinson 1988). Lucas tallied 644 points on the season to become just the second player in program history to record back-to-back 600-point campaigns (Mazzante). The Narberth, Pa. native netted 98 three-pointers on the season, which is third on the program charts, and connected on 46.2% of her shots from downtown, which ranks second in Penn State history.
Lucas improved on the defensive end of the floor during her junior season, notching a personal-best 72 steals. Her 2.3 steals average was sixth among Big Ten leaders and made the Lady Lions the only team in the conference to have three players ranked in the league's Top 10 in steals (Alex Bentley - 1st; Dara Taylor - 5th). She also ranked in the Top 10 in the Big Ten this season in scoring (3rd), free throw percentage (3rd - .900), three-point field goal percentage (1st) and three-point field goals made (2nd - 3.1).
In just three seasons, Lucas has made herself one of the elite players in Penn State history. She enters her final season in the Blue & White seventh in program history in scoring (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. Additionally, Lucas is tops in Big Ten history in career three-point field goal percentage (.433) and ranks third in career three-point field goals made.
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.
2013 USBWA All-America Team
Kelsey Bone, Texas A&M
Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame
Stefanie Dolson, Connecticut
Brittney Griner, Baylor
Maggie Lucas, PENN STATE
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Connecticut
Chiney Ogwumike, Stanford
Odyssey Sims, Baylor
Alyssa Thomas, Maryland