Dec. 20, 2016
By Jeff Sattora, GoPSUsports.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- The Penn State Lady Lions started off hot Tuesday, and used that early momentum to set the tone for the night, holding off the Iona Gaels, 80-67, inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
Paced from two deep buckets by Amari Carter, Penn State hit five 3-pointers in the first quarter, including five of their first six on the night, to jump out to a 25-16 lead after one.
"We feel pretty confident in our ability to make outside shots," head coach Coquese Washington said on her team's hot start from deep. "When we're open, we take them. I think especially when you knock a couple down in transition it's a big momentum boost for the team and sometimes it can be deflating for the defense."
"It can definitely give us the momentum we need to start off the game," Lindsey Spann added on the outside shooting. "We've been focusing on trying to get great starts and kind of dominate from the start of the game. Having starts like that will definitely help us in the long run."
The Lady Lions extended the lead in the second, as a 9-2 run to start the quarter kept Penn State's momentum going and gave the them a 34-18 lead. The home team kept that double-digit lead heading into the break, as Penn State took a 44-30 advantage into halftime led by guard Lindsey Spann, who scored 11 of her team-high 16 points before the break.
"I'm just trying to hit the gaps and find the open spots, running wide in transition, getting out and getting easy buckets." Spann said on the keys to her success. "My teammates found me."
"I thought she shot the ball well and she shot the ball with a lot of confidence," Washington added on her junior guard. "She's a kid who's been in a lot of battles. When she starts hitting shots and gets on a role she plays with a lot of confidence."
Spann wasn't only Lady Lion who played well in the first half, as Kaliyah Mitchell and Teniya Page added seven points apiece and De'Janae Boykin chipped in with six points and six rebounds in the first 20 minutes.
The Lady Lions shot over 50 percent from the field and from 3-point land in the first half, and that hot shooting continued in the start of the second half, as Penn State hit their first three buckets from the field of the third to take a 49-34 lead.
Despite the hot shooting early, Iona didn't go away. The Gaels went on a 13-0 run to cut a 17-point deficit to 52-48 before a Spann layup ended the run with 2:09 to go in the quarter.
That bucket got the Lady Lion's offense back on track, and back-to-back three-point plays by Sierra Moore gave Penn State an 8-0 run of their own and a 60-48 lead at the end of the third.
"I thought the third quarter Sierra Moore really stepped up, in particular on the defensive end," Washington said. "She some big rebounds for us, she got a couple and-ones, got out in transition. She was a little bit of a difference there."
Penn State continued its' strong play in the fourth quarter, as they kept a double-digit for the final 10 minutes of play to take home an 80-67 win and improve to 10-2 on the year.
Along with Spann's team-high 16 points, three other Lady Lions finished the night in double figures. Boykin added career-highs in points and rebounds with 12 and nine respectively, while Mitchell and Page each added 11 points.
Washington will look to keep her team focused over break, but is ready for the team to get away for the holidays before Big Ten play starts.
"We need the break. It's been a long semester academically, and it's been a long semester for us in terms for travel and games," Washington said. "This break is coming at the right time, and hopefully they can go home and rest and refresh and get ready for Big Ten play."
The Lady Lions will begin conference play following just over a week off, as the team won't be back on the court until December 28th when they host Indiana at the Bryce Jordan Center.