Lady cagers in dire need of leadership

All the top Big Ten women's basketball teams have go-to players. The kind who make the big baskets in crunch time. The kind who score when the opponent is threatening to break the game open and no one on her team can find the basket with a map.

"There are some nice stats here for certain people, but these stats are staying consistent and someone has to pick up," coach Rene Portland said. "Somebody at this stage of the game has to go beyond their average. That's a real problem."

It is a problem that could have major ramifications if the Lions (13-11, 7-7 Big Ten) do not find a player to lean on soon. With road games against Michigan State and Wisconsin preceding the Big Ten Tournament, Penn State is in danger of suffering its first losing season in 25 years.

Last year Angie Potthoff accepted the role of go-to player and performed admirably. The All-Big Ten forward averaged 19.5 points and 11.1 rebounds a game and was almost always able to get a basket when Penn State was in desperate need of one.

When Potthoff graduated in the offseason she left the title of go-to player behind. Instead of rushing to seize the position, though, several Lions backed away and insisted the team did not need a go-to player. They believed the team would be better off with a balanced attack in which anyone could come out and be the go-to player on a given night.

They were wrong.

The Lions' strategy was well thought out, but when everyone is hesitant to take the big shots, it simply does not work. Whenever they have fallen behind during their four-game losing streak not one player has stepped forward to bail the Lions out. Instead of playing like a team filled with clutch performers, Penn State has frozen up like a deer caught in the headlights.

Things got even uglier against Iowa. With its NCAA Tournament aspirations on the line Penn State responded by bricking 18 of its first 21 shots and blowing six layups. After trimming the Hawkeyes' lead to 10 midway through the second half the Lion offense pulled another disappearing act and connected on just six of its last 28 shots.

The Lions are young. Captains Em Clements and Jamie Parsons are the only seniors on the team and the majority of the roster consists of freshmen and sophomores, so no one expects them to be world beaters.

That, however, is no excuse for their recent performance.

Penn State had the entire season to jell and learn each other's strengths. By now the freshmen and sophomores should be playing more like upperclassmen. Instead of improving, though, the team is regressing.

Things will get worse unless someone finally accepts the role of the go-to player.

If everyone continues to shy away from assuming that responsibility, the Lions will get a chance to see Berggren, Smith and Johns do their thing at The Big Ten Tournament -- it only remains to be seen whether they will watch from the stands or on television.