Lady cagers hoping to halt skid with road wins


Friday, Feb. 20, 1998	Lady cagers hoping to halt skid with road wins By DON STEWART Collegian Sports Writer Carrying a four-game losing streak with the Big Ten Tournament less than a week away, the Penn State women's basketball team is looking to stop the bleeding. The Lady Lions take to the road this weekend in search of a tourniquet against Michigan State and No. 23 Wisconsin. They will face the Spartans at 7:30 tonight in East Lansing, Mich., before traveling to Madison to meet the Badgers at 1:30 p.m. (CST) on Sunday.
`Penn State Women's Basketball page`	The two games are the last in the regular season for Penn State (13-11, 7-7 Big Ten). Despite being out of the regular season title hunt, these games are still important for Penn State in terms of positioning for the Big Ten Tournament. With their current slide, the Lions now find themselves in a tie with the Badgers for sixth place in the conference. With the top five teams in the conference receiving first-round byes in the tournament, Penn State hopes to move up in the standings for obvious reasons.
Lady Lion forward Jamie Parsons attempts a 3-pointer in a match against Michigan on Feb. 13 at The Bryce Jordan Center. The team has lost four straight and will go on the road to face Michigan State and Wisconsin. (Collegian Photo/Alex de Jesús - click for full size image)	"The group has to come together," Lion coach Rene Portland said. "They sing a little song before every game that's called 'I am Conceited,' and that's what they have to be. This group has to step up and make a bold statement." In attempting to step up, Penn State may be without a key member of its lineup -- senior team captain Jamie Parsons. Parsons injured her ankle in practice Wednesday and is questionable for tonight. Portland said she's waiting for the team physician's final analysis of the injury, saying the injury could range from a minor injury to a broken ankle. With or without Parsons, the Lions will face a hard-luck Michigan State squad tonight in hopes of preventing further blood loss. The Spartans (5-9, 11-13) are the conference also-rans this season after winning a share of the Big Ten title last year. After a slow start, they seemed ready to turn the corner earlier this month after beating Iowa and going on a three-game winning streak. However, a close loss to Purdue and a 47-point loss to Illinois last weekend put a slight damper on Michigan State's spirits. "I'm not sure that a 40-point loss does anything for your confidence," Spartan coach Karen Langeland said. "We've improved every game, but not as quickly as I hoped we would."
`Michigan State Women's Basketball page`	Like the Lions, Michigan State is seeking to stop its downward momentum heading into the tournament. In order to do that, Langeland said her team will have to do well defensively and on the boards. When the two teams met on Dec. 30, Spartan forward Kristen Rasmussen set a Bryce Jordan Center record with 20 rebounds. Portland agreed that controlling the boards will be a key factor tonight. "(Rasmussen's) rebounding was unbelievable. It will be real important for us not to give up those defensive rebounds," Portland said.
`Wisconsin Women's Basketball page`	In Sunday's matchup with Wisconsin (18-8, 7-7), Penn State will have to control more than just the boards. With their newly built Kohl Center, the Badgers have broken attendance records all season long. Sellout crowds of over 16,000 fans have made Wisconsin a tough team to play on the road. "We love our new arena," Badger coach Jane Albright-Dieterle said. "It can give you a lot of energy, but if you don't play well it takes a lot of energy." The Lions hope the Kohl Center will be a negative for Wisconsin. The team has been successful in recent games against the Badgers, upsetting the then-No. 8 squad earlier this season and beating them by 28 points to close out the regular season last year. In preventing another loss to Penn State, Albright-Dieterle will try to rely on a balanced attack. Wisconsin possesses a number of weapons, including Katie Voigt (17.5 points per game), Ann Klapperich (15.3 points per game) and LaTonya Sims (12.3 points per game). "We've got a lot of different weapons rather than just an inside or outside game," Albright-Dieterle said. "We've got a lot of people we can depend on rather than just one person." And when playing at home, the Badgers have about another 16,000 people they can depend on.