Jan. 22, 2014
By Mike Esse, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Sometimes all a team needs is a wakeup call and No. 13/13 Penn State (13-4, 4-1) got theirs on Sunday Jan. 12 after a discouraging loss against Purdue at home.
The result was a coaches meeting with the team leaders regarding the Lady Lions defensive effort. A meeting that may have redefined the 2013-14 campaign.
"The coaches brought the starters in and said `what are you going to do to change this team's defensive mindset? Are you going to let people come on your home court and shoot whenever they want or are you going to lock down?'" senior forward Talia East said.
"We looked at each other and said `we're going to get after it.' If we want to accomplish great things we have to lock down on defense. Everybody took that to heart and against Ohio State and Michigan State you could tell that was working."
After giving up a season high 84 points to Purdue, Penn State has locked down and then some. In their past two outings, the Lady Lions have held opponents under 55 points in back-to-back games for the first time all season while forcing a combined 40 turnovers.
While their zone defense has been thriving most notably, head coach Coquese Washington doesn't believe a certain scheme is the reason why they are playing improved. It's the increased focus on team defense.
"We can defend when we want to," Washington said. "When we are really locked in defensively we can be really tough on that end of the floor. I think we are building our toughness and our character is growing."
Team defense has helped Penn State slow two of the Big Ten's better scorers in Ohio State's Ameryst Alston and Michigan State's Aerial Powers. Both players were held below their season averages against the Lady Lions, including Alston's lowest points output in conference play with just 12.
Wednesday when the Lady Lions face Indiana (15-3, 2-3) at the Bryce Jordan Center at 7 p.m., another versatile scorer will be at hand for Penn State to find a way to stop. Hoosiers freshman Larryn Brooks averages 17.8 points per game and is the pulse of her team's scoring attack.
"She's fearless and doesn't play like a freshman," said Washington of Brooks. "She has the full arsenal, She can shoot the three, has the pull-up [jump shot], can get to the rim and finish and is a pretty good passer. She's a really good player."
Now, however, the Lady Lions know what they have to do to stop a player like Brooks.
"Team defense," said East. "It's not just one person's goal to stop a particular person, it's to contain her and force her to a spot and the other players will help out."
Penn State's game plan will be no different than the previous two contests. Play team defense for a full 40 minutes and Washington believes the positive performances will continue.
"Last week hit it on the head for us that defense has to be the constant," she said. "If we can be tough defensively every night then I think we've got a shot to be competitive with every team in our conference."
Penn State will look to make it five straight wins over the Hoosiers tonight, before a nationally televised match up at home against Minnesota on Sunday at 1 p.m. on CBS.