Lady cagers drop pair, fall in conference race

After two more losses this past weekend, the Penn State women's basketball team's hopes for a favorable seed in the Big Ten tournament are slipping away.

Yesterday, the Lady Lions were routed 73-49 by Iowa in Iowa City. The loss came on the heels of a 67-59 disappointment to Michigan Friday at The Bryce Jordan Center.

Penn State (13-11, 7-7 Big Ten) has now dropped seven of its last 10 games, including its last four. Once a contender for the Big Ten regular season title, the Lions now have slipped into a tie with Wisconsin for sixth place.

Yesterday against Iowa (14-9, 11-3), Penn State was its own worst enemy. The team shot 30 percent from the field, including just 26 percent in the first half. During numerous spurts, it seemed as if the Lions forgot how to shoot lay-ups.

"Our shooting percentage is what's hurting us," Penn State coach Rene Portland said in an interview on the Penn State Radio Network. "We were missing lay-ups and missing lay-ups and missing lay-ups."

Despite their poor shooting effort, the Lions' defense stepped up in the first half. They forced numerous steals and turnovers, and at halftime, Iowa held a 32-19 lead that could have been much worse.

Both teams picked up their offense in the second stanza. Penn State point guard Helen Darling started the half with a 3-point play by driving for a basket on Hawkeye guard Cara Consuegra and drawing a foul.

Darling cut Penn State's deficit to 10 with her foul shot. However, the Lions would never cross the 10-point barrier. They reached that barrier seven times in the half, but the Hawkeyes repeatedly answered Penn State's field goals with baskets of their own.

As the half wore on, the Lions' shooting once again turned frigid. Iowa took advantage, running away with the game. By the final buzzer, the Hawkeyes stretched their lead to 24.

Penn State received a spark off the bench in junior forward Stacey Brewer. Brewer's 10 points and key rebounds were a big part of the Lions' ability to get within 10 points of Iowa in the second half.

Portland said Brewer would play more if she could cut down on mistakes. After three minutes, Portland said Brewer usually makes a mistake and gets pulled.

"We call her 3-minute Stacey," Portland said. "Today she went 3 minutes and 44 seconds. She hustles and her heart is in the right place."

Hawkeye senior Tangela Smith led all scorers with 18 points. She was assisted by Angela Hamblin, who had 13. Sophomore Andrea Garner led Penn State with 11 points.

In their loss to Michigan on Friday, the Lions also shot poorly down the stretch. Led by a 15-point, 10-rebound performance from senior Pollyanna Johns, the Wolverines turned a four-point half time lead into an eight point win at the Jordan Center.

"I'm tired. I'm exhausted," Michigan coach Sue Guevara said. "This is a huge win for us."

Guevara said she adjusted her defense in the second half, going from man-on-man to a 3-2 zone. Her strategy worked as Penn State shot just 29 percent from the field in the second half.

Portland criticized her team's lack of scoring on players not wanting to shoot. Her team was led by Garner, who had 14 points.

"We have kids on our team that will not shoot the basketball," Portland said.

For Michigan's seniors, the win in State College was particularly satisfying. Four years ago, the Wolverines were buried 92-44 at Rec Hall. Guevara said her seniors hadn't forgotten the experience.

Next weekend, the Lions will finish their regular season schedule on the road against Michigan State on Friday and Wisconsin on Sunday.