If George Washington coach Jack McKeown knew before the game that his team would hold Tanya Garner and Susan Robinson to a total of just 17 points, he probably would have thought the Lady Colonials could upset the women's basketball team Saturday night in Rec Hall.

But George Washington could not stop the Lady Lion bench, or much of anything else, as the Lady Lions ran wild on the Lady Colonials, 96-52.

Forward Terri Williams led the charge from the bench with a season- high 11 points, just one shy of her personal best. Williams also hit a pivotal three-pointer at the end of the first half to lengthen the Penn State lead to 13 after the Lady Colonials had cut the lead to 10.

The Lady Lions also got a strong performance from backup center Adrie DeVries, who pulled down 10 rebounds and scored four points.

"I think that (depth) is what kills you," McKeown said. "In the first half we battled back pretty hard, we cut it to 10, and I think Williams made a three-pointer at the end of the half and really took a little bit of the heart out of our comeback. But the depth wears you out."

After the starters opened a 19-2 lead, Coach Rene Portland began liberal substitution; every Lady Lion played at least nine minutes and scored at least one point.

"They have to learn the role that they have for us," Portland said. "(They) have to understand that they'll see a starter make a mistake and I won't yank a starter. But if the bench kid makes a mistake she says, 'I'm outta there.'

"And they say 'Well, how come you are judging us different?' Well, it's not really judging them differently, but they have time on the bench they have to use wisely."

No matter what combination Portland put in the game -- Dawn Chambers for point guard Dana Eikenberg, Jen Kretchmar for Chambers -- the Lady Colonials could not stop it.

"Down the line to the freshmen, we all came in prepared," forward Robinson said.

And against the Lady Colonials, even the freshmen got into the scoring act. Forward Kim Lazor scored eight points in a solid 11-minute performance, center Tina Henry added four points and guard Kretchmar hit one free throw, much to the delight of her home crowd.

The emergence of the bench can only benefit the Lady Lions in the upcoming weeks as they battle tough Atlantic 10 foes St. Joseph's and West Virginia.

"In the past few weeks, I said that this third of the season was dedicated to (bench players)," Portland said. "It is now time for me to spend an awful lot of time with those kids. In the last few days of practice, we have been . . . trying to get everybody time and they have to use that time wisely.

"Until I get the faith in the next group and this consistency I was impressed with tonight. They have to gain my confidence and their own confidence just like the starters do," she added.