Tourney time
Lady cagers set for Tigers

By BRAD YOUNG
Collegian Sports Writer

As both regular season and tournament champions of the Big Ten Conference, the Penn State women's basketball team has already cut the cotton cords of two nets.

Its quest to snip a few more begins tonight in Rec Hall.

As the No. 2 seed in the Midwest region, the Lady Lions (25-4) start their NCAA tournament run tonight against Jackson State (22-6). The first-round contest will tip off 30 minutes after the conclusion of a 6 p.m. game between seventh-seeded North Carolina State (19-9) and No. 10 Marquette (19-11).

The winners of those two games will advance to a second-round showdown at 2 p.m. Sunday in Rec Hall.

To get to that second-round game, the Lady Lions will have to get past Southwest Athletic Conference champion Jackson State. The Lady Tigers are making their first tourney appearance since 1983 and appear to be overmatched against Penn State -- one of the nation's top programs.

But Jackson State Coach Andrew Pennington said his team will not be intimidated by playing the Lady Lions on their home floor.

"I feel that we have a chance to win any game, anywhere, any time," Pennington said. "Regardless of who the competition is, we're confident."

Perhaps they have a reason to be, with forward Tera Sheriff prowling the paint. The 6-foot-1 senior is one of the nation's best-kept secrets. She not only leads the SWAC in rebounding with 14 per game -- she leads the entire nation.

She also ranks 14th in the country in scoring with 22.9 points per game. She is 23rd in the NCAA in field-goal percentage, shooting 58.6 from the floor. And Sheriff has had more double-doubles than any other player in women's Division I basketball.

She teams up with senior All-SWAC center Kim Linson to form an interior tandem that has made the Lady Tigers the best rebounding team in the country. Jackson State has outrebounded opponents by an average of 10.5 boards per game, an accomplishment Penn State Coach Rene Portland admires, even though the Lady Tigers play in one of the nation's less-recognized conferences.

"I don't care who you play, that's an incredible feat," Portland said. "My team has a lot of concerns about their rebounding."

In the first game of today's Rec Hall doubleheader, North Carolina State will take on Marquette in its first tournament game since 1991.

"As we would say, the 'Pack is back," longtime Wolfpack Coach Kay Yow said. "We're just happy to be a part of the NCAA tournament once again."

Yow is also happy with the play she's gotten from forward Chasity Melvin. Thrust into the starting lineup by injuries at the beginning of the season, Melvin has become one of the nation's best freshmen. She leads N.C. State in both scoring (16.8 points per game) and rebounding (7 per game).

Melvin will need to play big if she and her teammates hope to get past Marquette. The Golden Eagles have won eight of their last nine games, including three in a row in taking the Great Midwest tournament title.

Coach Jim Jabir got his team ready for the postseason by playing one of the nation's toughest schedules. But in slating games against the likes of Lousiana Tech and Georgia, he did not endear himself to his players.

"We thought he was nuts, and we didn't like him very much," Golden Eagle forward Kerri Reaves said. "But I think we're a better team for that now."

Notes:

-- Penn State guard/forward Tiffany Longworth will most likely miss today's game because of a spiral fracture in her foot. The sophomore will be replaced in the starting lineup by senior Shelby Thayer. All the other Lady Lions who have been battling injuries will be medically able to see some minutes.

-- The Lady Lion game tonight will be aired live on WPSX-TV (TCI and HFS Ch. 3). If they win, their second-round game against the N.C. State-Marquette winner will also be shown by WPSX. Air time is 2 p.m.