Masley provides strong force as conference tourney MVP

By ANN TATKO
Collegian Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS -- Senior Missy Masley stood her ground beneath the basket, taking a charge in the semifinal game of the Big Ten women's basketball tournament on March 5.

Pumping her fist and smiling, she looked downcourt for Assistant Coach Annie Troyan.

"Yeah, Annie, that's a sticker," she said.

The sticker -- a basketball with the saying, "I have guts, I took a charge" -- was the finishing touch on a career-high day where Masley tallied 27 points and 11 rebounds in Penn State's 72-64 win over Indiana.

The next night, Masley paced her team with 20 points and seven rebounds as the Lady Lions won the tournament title by outlasting Ohio State, 68-63. This time, Masley finished the game with more than a sticker.

The forward was named the tournament's most valuable player, joining two teammates -- point guard Tina Nicholson and forward Angie Potthoff -- and Buckeyes Peggy Evans and Katie Smith on the all-tournament team.

Masley wrapped up the tourney averaging 22 points and eight rebounds and shooting 87 percent from the free-throw line. For Masley, her performance was only about winning.

"This is my last shot," the senior said. "You do whatever you dreamed of doing. That means you've got to play your all."

It also meant playing two games with a left hand that she bruised in the quarterfinal on March 4.

"You can physically see it, but the X-ray shows that her hand is not broken," Coach Rene Portland said. "I thought she did it at Ohio State, but she actually did it at Iowa and just refused to tell anyone about it."

That anything-for-the-team philosophy is the core of Masley's attitude, which is why she quickly brushes aside the individual recognition by crediting her teammates.

"If Tina wasn't there, I'd never get the ball," Masley said. "And it is harder for them to double team me because Angie is such a force."

Before the tournament, both Nicholson and Potthoff were named to the All-Big Ten first-team, while Masley drew an honorable mention -- a fact Portland was quick to note.

"When you get honorable mention and you're doing a good job on a team, you're feelings have a right to be hurt," Portland said, adding she pushed Masley to aim for the all-tournament team.

Heading into the final, Portland said she knew a good game would give Masley the MVP title. "Missy got it," she said, "and she deserved it."

The honor capped a late-season turnaround for Masley, who struggled with shooting at the beginning of the year. It was a long way from Portland's early season criticism of her post players.

By the semifinal game, Indiana Coach Jim Izard was praising those post players, especially the Lady Lions' leading scorers.

"I'll take Missy Masley and Angie Potthoff and let Rene have a few of mine," he said. "They are two premier players."

Despite the success and praise, Masley didn't dwell on her own accomplishments, as she diverted questions to her coach about earning MVP honors.

Instead, with a smile, Masley detailed how the night before the finals she had dreamt about Evans going baseline.

Even her on-the-court philosophy about reacting rather than thinking was laced with humor about Portland's joke-telling in the game huddles.

In vain, Masley tried to recall the jokes her coach told to lighten the players' tense moods during the Ohio State game.

"All I know is that I laughed," Masley said. "They were funny. I was like, 'Hee hee, hee hee.' "

But beneath the humor and beyond the regular-season and tournament successes, Masley still has one very serious goal in mind -- the NCAA tournament.

After the buzzer sounded and the celebration began, Masley found fellow senior Carla Coleman. The two silently embraced.

"Sometimes you don't have to say anything," Masley said. "It was just a hug, 'Yeah,' and two down, one to go."