Dec. 8, 2014
By Gabrielle Richards, GoPSUsports Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Looking to snap a skid, the Lady Lions took the court against Wagner Sunday afternoon hungry for a victory. Thanks to a big afternoon from Lindsey Spann, Sierra Moore and Kaliyah Mitchell, the Lions powered past Wagner for a 96-66 win inside the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday.
Heading into this season, coach Coquese Washington knew that it would take a few games for her team to find their groove and develop some on-court chemistry. But, during Sunday's contest it was obvious that Spann, Moore and Mitchell have come into their own, as the trio contributed to 62 of 96 points for the Lady Lions. Sunday was the first time since 2011 that three Lady Lions registered 20 points or more in the same game.
"They are our starting backcourt and they are starting to develop some chemistry on both ends of the floor," coach Washington said. "Chemistry, especially with guard play, is big for our program. When our guard play has been fluid, we've been a better team. That's what we saw out there tonight."
Spann versus the Seahawks
The redshirt freshman got the ball rolling for the Lady Lions following the opening tip, as she sunk the first basket of the matchup just 18 seconds in. Spann netted her 100th career point just 3:30 into the matchup. She scored another 16 points after surpassing the century mark, securing her eighth-straight double-digit performance of her career.
"This was a team win," Spann said. "We were sharing the ball and getting each other open looks. We worked on our transition [at practice] and by doing the things we practice it can open things up for all of us."
She wasn't kidding; Moore and Mitchell followed suit with career-high games.
Moore versus the Seahawks
Aside from posting a 20-point game, the sophomore was nearly perfect from the free throw line, going 11 for 12 on the game. Moore also tallied seven assists, a career-best, with her five-assist game against Seton Hall coming in second.
"We did a good job of moving the ball tonight," Moore said. "Just passing the ball around and getting a lot of ball reversals opens up a lot of different opportunities for us. When that happens, it's easier to get to the basket and score."
Mitchell versus the Seahawks
Mitchell's sophomore season is off to a solid start, as she notched her 200th career point with a layup in Sunday's matchup. With two solid halves on Sunday, Mitchell tallied 20 for the Lady Lions.
"I think it [career high game] was another sign of growth," Mitchell said. "Moving from last year to this year, it was a rough start but I have just been focusing on my game. Being able to contribute to the team is something that I'm really focused on and I will try to do it any way I can."
Undeniable Court Chemistry
Individually, Spann, Moore and Mitchell are starting to come into their own; they are becoming more and more comfortable on the offensive end of the floor. But, this trio is strongest together. Aside from the 96-66 win, the mere fact that three Lady Lions had 20-point nights shows they are finding each other on the court and creating opportunities for multiple scorers.
Sunday's contest was the highest point total the team has secured all season and was just 20 points shy of tying the Bryce Jordan Center's all time record of 117 points scored in a single game (Nov. 8, 2013 against St. Francis).
Team bests aside, Sunday's much needed win wouldn't have been possible without the efforts of Spann, Mitchell and Moore on both offense and defense.
"They are all starting to develop camaraderie out there on both ends of the floor," Washington said. "When they are playing with that kind of confidence and synergy amongst themselves, it rubs off on the rest of the team and provides us the opportunity to make good plays."