| 87 | 90 |
| Bryce Jordan Center | University Park, Pa.. | 3,429 | |
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Dec. 21, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Regulation wasn't enough for the Penn State Lady Lions (3-8) on Sunday against USF (9-3), as the Bulls claimed a 90-87 overtime victory inside the Bryce Jordan Center. The second half and overtime featured 16 ties and 16 lead changes, with the final lead change coming on a pair of Alisia Jenkins free throws with 41 seconds left to play to give USF the victory.
It was the first overtime contest at the Bryce Jordan Center for the Lady Lions since a 71-65 win vs. Michigan on Feb. 18, 2010 and marked the first time since 2010-11 that Penn State has played multiple overtime games in the same season.
Neither team enjoyed much of a lead in the second half or overtime, with the largest margin for either team reaching three points over the final 18:38 of the contest. After Penn State built a four-point advantage, 51-47, with 13:38 to play, the game was played within one possession.
Sophomore Lindsey Spann (Laurel, Md.) netted a career-high 28 points, marking the highest scoring game for a Penn State player since Ariel Edwards poured in 29 points versus Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament on March 7, 2014. It was the 10th double-digit scoring game for Spann this season, which includes three 20-point efforts.
A pair of double-doubles highlighted the afternoon for Penn State with Candice Agee (Victorville, Calif.) and Sierra Moore (Hanover, Pa.) each accomplishing the feat against USF. It was the first time since Feb. 20, 2012 in which more than one Lady Lion posted double-doubles when Nikki Greene, Mia Nickson and Maggie Lucas all notched double-doubles vs. Ohio State.
It was the first career double-double for Agee, who scored 21 points and grabbed 17 boards against the Bulls. The 21 points equaled her career-high which came against Seton Hall on Nov. 22, and her 11 rebounds are a career best, surpassing her previous high of nine, which she accomplished four times, most recently against Rider on Dec. 14, 2014. Agee swatted four more shots versus USF and now has 24 blocks on the season, surpassing her career-best total of 21 from 2013-14.
Moore earned her second career double-double with a 17-point, 10-rebound performance versus USF. Her previous double-double came earlier this season vs. Seton Hall (14 pts., 10 rebs.) on Nov. 22. Her 17 points moved her career total over 200. She has 202 career tallies, with 139 of those points coming in a Lady Lion uniform. She also netted 63 points during her freshman season at Duke. The 10 rebounds also equaled Moore's career high, tying her 10 rebounds from Nov. 22 vs. Seton Hall.
Playing in her first game this season, sophomore Alex Harris (Lorian, Ohio) set a career-high with nine points. She was 3-of-8 from the free throw stripe, setting her career-high in both categories, and tied her personal-best marks with three blocked shots, two assists and by going 3-of-5 from the field.
USF's Courtney Williams led all scorers with 34 points, while Jenkins finished the afternoon with 23 tallies and a game-high 21 rebounds.
USF got out to an early six-point lead in the first half when Tamara Taylor knocked down a three-pointer to make it 9-3 in favor of the visitors with 16:54 to play. The Lady Lions would close the gap to one point, 12-11, and eventually take their only lead of the first half, 22-21, on a pair of free throws from Spann at the 6:55 mark.
Neither team found a rhythm in the opening 20 minutes, but as the seconds ticked off the clock towards halftime, Spann delivered a three-pointer from the right wing to knot the score at 37-37 entering the break. Spann paced all scorers in the first half with 14 points, while Moore added 10 points over the opening 20 minutes. USF's Jenkins registered a double-double in the opening frame with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The second half stared much like the first half, with USF building an early lead. The Bulls scored the first six points to grab a 43-37 edge just two minutes into the half. That lead didn't last long, as Penn State roared back to take their second lead of the day, 49-47, when Peyton Whitted (Suwanee, Ga.) converted on a layup with 15:09 to play.
Spann's layup on the next possession extended the Lady Lions' lead to four points, but USF's Laura Marcos Canedo converted on back-to-back possessions to knot the contest at 51 with 13:04 to play. The remainder of the half would be played within one possession.
Jenkins gave the Bulls a two-point lead, 77-75, with 19 seconds to play in regulation, but, like she did to end the first half, Spann connected on a jumper with just seconds left and the Penn State defense forced a turnover on the ensuing possession to send the game into overtime, tied at 77.
The Lady Lions struck first in the extra frame, with Agee connecting on a bucket from short range. The Bulls answered back to tie things at 79, before Kaliyah Mitchell (Stone Mountain, Ga.) scored to give the home team an 81-79 lead.
The two teams would trade points and the lead multiple times during the five-minute overtime, with the final coming on Jenkins' free throws with 41 seconds remaining. Williams, who scored 30 of her game-high 34 points after halftime, made a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left to account for the final margin.
The 2014-15 Penn State Lady Lion Basketball season is presented by Kish Travel and Kish Insurance. The Lady Lions take a week-long break for the holidays and return to open Big Ten Conference play with a pair of road games at Iowa on Sunday, Dec. 28 and at Michigan on Thursday, Jan. 1. Both games are available on BTN Plus. Penn State is back in the BJC on Sunday, Jan. 4 to meet Illinois at 2 p.m. for First Responders Day.
Lady Lion Basketball single-game and season tickets are available by calling 1-800-NITTANY. Single-game tickets range from $10-17 for adults and seniors and $5-11 for youth (12 and younger). Season tickets are $105 for adults and $52 for youth (12 and under). Additionally, the Family Season Ticket package, which features two adult tickets and two youth tickets in the family section in section 114L, is $210. There is a $15 handling fee per order on season tickets.
The PNC Flex Books are $120 and give 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 Lady Lions also have a pair of mini-plans available this season with the B1G Deal and the Five for the 50th plans. The B1G Deal is a mini-plan that includes the nine Big Ten Conference home games. Tickets for the B1G Deal are $90 for adult sideline, $63 for youth sideline, $63 for adult baseline and $45 for youth baseline tickets. To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Women's Athletics at Penn State, there is a Five for the 50th mini-plan. The plan features a ticket to the following games: South Florida (12/21), Illinois (1/4), Rutgers (1/10), Michigan State (2/11) and Ohio State (2/26). The package is $50 in honor of the 50th anniversary.
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.