Feb. 27, 2015
By Gabby Richards, GoPSUsports Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Two of the best guards in the country on one team make for one interesting, unpredictable Big Ten matchup. With a 20-plus points per game average between them, the Lady Lions knew they needed to work hard to contain the scoring power of Ohio State's Ameryst Alston and Kelsey Mitchell.
"I think they're two of the best guards in our conference," head coach Coquese Washington said. "Kelsey's [Mitchell] leading the nation in scoring and Amersyt [Alston] is third in our conference in scoring so they're very talented. Any time you have five people in double figures you probably have a chance to win the game. Those other players, they do a great job of playing off of [Ameryst] Alston and [Kelsey] Mitchell. Mitchell is really good at creating for herself and creating for her teammates so she's a tough cover."
The Lady Lions were the first to put points on the board, but trailed by six heading into the half, with the Buckeyes up 36-30. The pace of the game picked in the second half. The Lady Lions battled, but the Buckeyes pulled away late for an 88-70 victory.
Several Lions contributed to the team's offensive outing, including Sierra Moore and Candice Agee. Moore, who has been solid for the Lady Lions from both inside the paint and the three-point line, put up 18 points, tallying her 19th double-digit scoring outing this season.
"Sierra definitely showed a lot of fight," Washington said. "Sometimes you look up at the score board and it can be tough emotionally to play through when you're down. I thought Sierra [Moore], Tori [Waldner], Candice [Agee], and Keke [Sevillian] just kept fighting and we were able to cut the lead back to nine points, but it was a little too much. I think those three turnovers to start the half gave them a cushion that they were able to play with for the rest of the game. I did think our kids kept fighting and that was certainly led by Sierra's effort."
Agee was the most impactful against the Buckeyes, delivering both offensively and defensively in the pursuit. She not only put up 15 points, but grabbed 10 rebounds, too. But Agee was equally as effective defense, blocking two for the Lady Lions, marking her 13th-straight game with at least one swat. All season, various coaches have referenced Agee's size, and how they have to coach to her height. In the matchup against the Buckeyes, Agee was paired with another player who is relatively close in height.
"Sometimes it can be easier for tall [post players] to play against other tall [post players] than it is to play against smaller players," Washington said. I thought Candice [Agee] was aggressive and looking for her shot tonight. I thought she was working hard to get touches and Tori [Walder], in particular, did a good job of getting her touches. [Candice] did a good job getting to the free throw line tonight and converting. Getting a double-double against [Lisa] Blair and [Alexa] Hart, and they're sandwiching her and being physical, trying not to let her get position, is good. I thought she did a good job trying to have a presence in the middle and be a force."
Looking Ahead The Lady Lions welcome the Wisconsin Badgers to the Jordan Center on Sunday for the ninth-annual Pink Zone game. This game, which honors breast cancer survivors and draws awareness to the disease that claims thousands each year, will also be the last regular season game. The Lady Lions begin Big Ten Tournament play March 4.
"As the head coach for this program, we talk about each season being its own experience," Washington said. "You have to take that experience for what it is. So coming into this season, we knew it was going to be a transition year and we knew that there was going to be a lot of growth and a lot of learning. That's what we've focused on from day one, but that's who we are as a program. Even when we're playing very well and winning championships, we focused on growing and getting better and learning lessons that will help us play our best basketball at the end of the season; whatever that looks like."