For the defense

Lady cager Jamie Parsons continues defensive legacy

A broad smile broke across the 8-year-old boy's face.

One of the local girls wanted to play basketball, but since Raleigh, N.C., did not have a girls' division she had to play in the Salvation Army Boys' League. As fate would have it, she would be guarding the suddenly happy boy. There was no doubting, he thought, he would be player of the day.

Unfortunately for the young boy, he was given a harsh lesson in gender equality by Jamie Parsons. Even at the age of 8 the Lady Lions' senior co-captain was already showing the skills that have made her one of the Big Ten's best defenders. Parsons flustered the poor boy so much that late in the game he did not know where to shoot anymore.

Frustrated is the word that best captures the way a player guarded by Parsons feels. For four years the senior guard has put the clamps on some of the country's premier players. Whenever the Lions need someone to throw someone off her game, Parsons gets the call.

Earlier this season Parsons tormented two-time Big Ten player of the Week Kristi Green into one of her worst games, holding the Hoosier point guard to eight points. Green had so much trouble dealing with Parsons' suffocating defense that by the time she got the ball up court she only had around 15 seconds to set the offense.

"She's our defensive stopper. She's like Smokey the Bear trying to put out everybody," Penn State coach Rene Portland said. "Jamie has been everything to us this year. She has put everything on the table for us."

While her defense earns most of the attention, Parsons has made numerous other contributions to push a young Lion team near the top of the Big Ten. In addition to providing stellar leadership she has lead the team in minutes played and has made the big baskets when Penn State has needed them most.

Never was this more apparent than when the Lions battled Michigan last month in Ann Arbor. The Lions were down by 13 midway through the second half when Parsons helped fuel a Penn State rally and force overtime. It was there the veteran guard took control of the game.

Putting the Lions on her back, Parsons carried the team to an 85-84 victory. She scored all but two of Penn State's eight points in the extra frame, including the game-winning free throws with 35 seconds remaining. More impressive than the scoring, though, was that Parsons played all 45 minutes and still had enough energy to spark the Lions when they needed it most.

"She works her butt off and she gives you that incentive to work harder," forward Clara Carter said. "She's the type of person that doesn't want to let her teammates down."

Although her all-around performance has been indispensable to Penn State's fortunes, Parsons continues to receive little notoriety. She is arguably the best defensive player in the Big Ten no one has ever heard of.

Such is the life of a player who does the dirty work on the basketball court. Someone who does not rack up big statistics is often overlooked. But while Parsons may not score 25 points or grab 10 rebounds per game, the Lions would be lost without her.

Although she may not get the proper recognition for her effort, Parsons has no problem playing the role of the unheralded performer. She said she has never been one to care about statistics. Instead, she just wants to win.

"I'm glad to be on the court as much as I can. I've never been one of the players that likes to score a lot, but I love defense. I like seeing the frustration in their eyes," Parsons explained. "I never back down from anything."

Just ask the humbled boy from Raleigh.