Dec. 10, 2013
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UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The #12/12 Penn State Lady Lions (6-2, 0-0 Big Ten) and newly-minted 2,000-point club member Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.) will make their first-ever trip to the state of South Dakota to face South Dakota State (6-4) Wednesday at 8 p.m. (ET). The game is on WRSC 1390 locally with Jerry Fisher calling the action. The audio feed is available at www.GoPSUsports.com for a fee.
RADIO: The game is on WRSC 1390 locally with Jerry Fisher calling the action. The audio feed is available at www.GoPSUsports.com for a fee.
WEBSTREAM: A video webstream is available on GoJacks.com for a fee.
LAST TIME OUT: Senior guard Maggie Lucas scored 30 points and joined the exclusive 2,000-point club as the Lady Lions won their first true road game with a 77-68 victory at Georgetown Sunday. Lucas connected on five three-pointers on the day en route to her sixth career 30-point performance and second of the season. She also added five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Senior guard Dara Taylor had a strong second half, scoring all 12 of her points after the break. She added six assists, five rebounds and a steal in the win. Talia East and Ariel Edwards also reached double figures for Penn State with 10 points apiece. East also pulled in five rebounds and dished out two assists, while Edwards added six rebounds and four assists.
SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA STATE: The Jackrabbits are 6-4 on the season, including wins over Georgetown and TCU. South Dakota State has a strong contingent of three-point shooters as the Jackrabbits connect on 36.3% of their shots from beyond the arc as a team. Megan Waytashek leads SDSU in scoring at 12.8 points per game with a team-best 17 three-pointers made. Steph Paluch accounts for 9.2 points per outing, while Mariah Clarin chips in 7.9 points and a team-best 6.8 rebounds per game.
ALL-TIME VERSUS THE JACKRABBITS: The Lady Lions won the only previous match-up with South Dakota State, a 60-50 decision in Happy Valley last December. South Dakota State is the only current Summit League team that Penn State has played. This is Penn State's first-ever trip to the Mount Rushmore State.
LAST TIME VS. SDSU: The Lady Lions earned a 60-50 victory over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Dec. 16, 2012. Alex Bentley led the way for the Lady Lions with 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Nikki Greene led all scorers with 17 points to go along with six rebounds. Maggie Lucas scored nine points while recording a career-high four blocks and five steals. Mia Nickson added nine points and five rebounds in the win.
NEWEST 2,000-POINT CLUBBER: Senior Maggie Lucas became the fifth player in Penn State history to score 2,000 career points with a 30-point performance at Georgetown on Dec. 8. Lucas joins Kelly Mazzante (2,919; 2001-04), Susan Robinson (2,253; 1989-92), Tyra Grant (2,044; 2007-10) and Kahadeejah Herbert (2,025; 1982-85) in the program's 2,000-point club. Lucas is the second 2,000-point scorer in Penn State history to play under Coquese Washington (Grant).
LUCAS EARNING SPOT ON BIG TEN SCORING LIST: With her performance at Georgetown on Dec. 8 to move into the 2,000-point club, Lucas also climbed three spots on the Big Ten career scoring list. Lucas passed Illinois' Jonelle Polk (1,984), Wisconsin's Barb Franke (1,994) and fellow Penn Stater Tanisha Wright (1,995) to move into 17th place in conference history. Lucas is the 17th player in Big Ten history to reach 2,000 points. Lucas needs two points to tie Ohio State's Samantha Prahalis (2,010; 2009-12) for 16th spot and seven tallies to tie OSU's Tayler Hill (2,015; 2010-13) for 15th place.
SOLID ON THE BOARDS IN DC: The Lady lions were solid on the glass in the win at Georgetown on Dec. 8, outrebounding the Hoyas, 46-41. Junior forward/center Tori Waldner tied her career high with 10 rebounds, matching her previous personal best set against Wagner as a freshman on Dec. 18, 2011. All five starters had at least five rebounds against the Hoyas, marking the first time since Nov. 18, 2012 against Lafayette that Penn State has accomplished that feat.
MAGGIE MARCHING UP CAREER SCORING LIST: Senior guard Maggie Lucas is in fifth place on Penn State's all-time scoring chart with 2,008 points. With a 30-point performance at Georgetown on Dec. 8, Lucas moved past Tanisha Wright (1,995; 2002-05) for fifth place. Lucas needs 17 points to tie Kahadeejah Herbert (2,025; 1982-85) for fourth place. With 30 tallies at Georgetown, Lucas moved into a tie for second place with Herbert on Penn State's all-time 30-point games chart with her sixth career contest with 30 or more tallies.
The Lady Lions return home to face #24 Texas A&M Sunday at 2 p.m. for the Toys for Tots game. Fans that bring a new, unwrapped toy will receive a ticket for $5. It is also a Subway Full Court 4-Pack game where fans will receive four tickets and a voucher for four 6" Subway subs and four 21 oz. fountain drinks at any of the seven State College Subway locations for just $40. Additionally, fans will get a Talia East mini-bobblehead while supplies last as the second in a series of six giveaways.
Lady Lion Basketball single-game and season tickets are available by calling 1-800-NITTANY. Single-game tickets are $15 and $12 for adults and seniors and $9 and $7 for youth (12 and younger). Season tickets are $99 for adults and $50 for youth (12 and under), this includes a Nittany Lion Kids Club Membership for 2013-14. New this year, the Lady Lions have introduced a Family Season Ticket package. For $200, fans will get two adult tickets and two youth tickets for the 2013-14 campaign. 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 2014 Pink Zone at Penn State will take place on Sunday, Feb. 16 as the Lady Lions take on Wisconsin in the Bryce Jordan Center at 1 p.m. Last year, the Lady Lions donated a record $260,000 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.