UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- The Penn State Lady Lions came away winners in more ways than one on Sunday afternoon in the Bryce Jordan Center. Not only did the team take down St. Bonaventure, 80-65, to improve to 6-4 on the young season, but Sunday's game against The Bonnies had a bigger meaning. Fans were encouraged to bring toys to the Bryce Jordan Center to be donated to Toys for Tots.
The Lady Lions are often involved in giving back to the community and head coach Coquese Washington believes it's one of the most important aspects of the team.
"They come out and support all of our initiatives," Washington said on giving back. "It's important that we stay connected with them and support the community."
While she appreciates the support, most of all, Washington is grateful for the opportunity to give back.
"It's a pretty big deal being a Lady Lion," she said. "We have so many ways to be impactful in the lives of others."
The players are also appreciative for the opportunities and impacts these drives have on the team.
"You feel the difference when there's a bunch of fans here," senior guard Amari Carter said. "We definitely appreciate the fans coming and I can't wait to go wrap gifts for Toys for Tots."
The holiday spirit was in the air as snow was falling from the rafters while Santa Claus read "The Night Before Christmas" on the court during halftime. But the Lady Lions also received an early Christmas gift with the return of Amari Carter to the lineup after missing a few games due to injury.
Carter played 27 minutes off the bench and tallied 12 points on 50% shooting. Carter's return to the floor had a profound impact on the Penn State team.
"It's good to get Amari back on the court," Washington said. "Just her presence out there gives us a steady influence on the court. Things flow a little bit smoother when she's on the floor for us."
Carter herself was excited to get back into the action.
"It felt really good, I missed a couple of games, so it just feels good to be back out there."
While Carter played well and senior Teniya Page led the way with 23 points, it was another Lady Lion that stood out. Possibly the brightest spot on the Lady Lions for the night came from freshman Lauren Ebo. Ebo was able to record 15 points off the bench while grabbing 12 rebounds as well in 25 minutes of action. Coach Washington was thrilled to see the young forward's progression show in the game.
"I'm pleased to see [Ebo] have a breakout performance and show what she can do," she said. "She's continuing to get better every game and having that post presence inside is important for us."
When asked about how she's been able to handle her role of switching between the starting lineup and coming off the bench in her first season for the Blue and White, Ebo said she's been keeping things simple.
"When I play my role, whether it's being a starter or coming off the bench, it does help and obviously it showed."
With their win over the Bonnies behind them, Penn State will look to keep that momentum going as conference play draws closer on the calendar. The Lady Lions will try to build off of this strong showing during their next game against American, their final nonconference game before conference play begins December 28th vs. Maryland. You can watch the team back in the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday, December 16, at 2 p.m to take on American.
