Macciocco delivers despite injuries, illnesses

Lady Lion junior Tara Macciocco has perservered, especially behind the 3-point line, despite nagging setbacks.

On some nights, the ball goes into the bucket just like a quarter being flung into a huge pond. But on other nights, it might resemble trying to fit a half-dollar into a electric socket.

Macciocco has kept shooting. Sometimes the ball has gone into the hoop, but lately, it hasn't. She went 2-of-7 from the field Sunday at Illinois.

"Everybody always says you live and die by the 3," Macciocco said. "I guess you shoot yourself out of it."

After a dream year at Dunmore High School, leading her team to the state title game as a senior in 1994, Macciocco found her freshman year at Penn State a nightmare. Injuries and illnesses plagued her from the start. The next season wasn't better. She missed seven games with severe tendinitis. Macciocco rededicated herself to work hard and put the nagging problems in the past.

"I've been in the gym working a lot," Macciocco said. "I have not been thinking about missing a shot."

This year, Macciocco has been a pleasant surprise for the Lady Lions and coach Rene Portland. After acquiring the starting shooting guard position, she has shot 41 percent -- 43.1 from behind the 3-point line -- and averaged 7.2 points per game, only to have the injury bug bite her again and cause her to return to the bench.

"In the last couple of weeks, I think that she has done a lot of soul searching, and certainly knows why she came to Penn State," Portland said. "Tara is the person, or is becoming the person, that I recruited."

One of Macciocco's memorable moments came on Jan. 21, when she scored a career-high 21 points to lead Penn State to a 61-60 win at Iowa. But the most important points in the game came with under 10 seconds remaining to play. With the Hawkeyes leading, 60-58, Penn State inbounded the ball. Macciocco went into the far corner of the court as she received the ball. She was wide open, but a Hawkeye was closing fast.

"We didn't design a specific shot," Macciocco said. "The ball came to me, and I turned and I thought I just threw it."

But when she did, it found its way into the net to give Penn State the win.

"I think she's getting stronger," Portland said. "I think she understands what it takes as a high school player. She was one of those high school players that was always in the gym, and every time I spoke to her, she was extremely frustrated with her teammates, who were all doing high school things, and she was in the gym shooting.

"I'm happy for Tara," Portland added, "and know that she's very focused to get it done."

With talent like senior Angie Potthoff, sophomore Shauntai Hall, and freshman Helen Darling surrounding the Lady Lions, Macciocco feels she is ready to step up and do whatever she can to lead them back to the NCAA tournament.

"I like being a leader," Macciocco said. "I'm -a very vocal person."