Falcone clutch off lady cager bench

After two seasons without basketball, Penn State guard Chrissy Falcone has picked up her game in the postseason.

The Lady Lion basketball has a new weapon in its arsenal.

After seeing limited playing time during the regular season Chrissy Falcone has emerged as a vital spark off the bench for Penn State. The redshirt freshman guard's contributions throughout the postseason have been instrumental in the Lions' run to the Big Ten Tournament finals and the Final Four of the WNIT Tournament.

Whenever Penn State has needed a big basket in the postseason, Falcone has come in and knocked down a clutch 3-pointer. Against Northwestern in the first round of Big Tens her four treys broke a close game wide open and sent the Wildcats home for the year. Falcone struck again last Sunday in the second round of the WNIT against St. Joseph's, breaking a late second-half tie and putting the Lions on top for good with another 3-point bomb.

"She's putting it all together. She's hit some great 3-point shots down the stretch when we needed them the most," fellow guard Christine Portland said. "She works extremely hard and she's a great team player."

Before this season Falcone had not played basketball for two years due to torn anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Because it took Falcone a long time to get back into the flow of playing every day, her time on the court was limited for most of the season. As she has progressed and picked up her defense, though, coach Rene Portland has given her more and more minutes.

"She had two years off and it's been giving it time and playing good defense, getting in the weight room and taking the time to shoot," Portland said. "We have really been on her about team concepts and she has responded to that challenge. We're real pleased with her."

Adjusting to the first year of Div. I basketball is never easy for freshman players -- something Penn State freshmen Maren Walseth and Lisa Shepherd have recently discovered.

After a solid regular season that culminated in earning a spot on the All-Big Ten Freshman team, Walseth has struggled during the postseason. Sunday against St. Joe's she picked up two early fouls and played for only two minutes.

Shepherd, who also picked up All-Big Ten Freshman honors, has found the going tough in the postseason as well. The Lions' 3-point specialist struggled with her shot during the Big Ten Tournament and was held scoreless for the first time against Purdue in the finals. Sunday against St. Joe's, though, Shepherd showed signs of coming out of her slump and nailed three treys.

"I think they hit somewhat of a freshman wall," Portland said. "They have given us so much and this is a long season. The time off is good for them and so now we'll see them coming back."

If Penn State defeats Indiana Friday night it will advance to the finals and play either Baylor or LSU. Whether or not it hosts that game, however, is up to the fans.

Home games in the WNIT are based on attendance. The team that attracts the most fans is rewarded home court advantage. Thus if the Lions outdraw both Baylor and LSU they will host the championship game Tuesday night.

"I don't care who we play. We'll take it one step at a time. I just hope we get to play at The Jordan Center," Portland said. "It's hard to have to go somewhere else. The players win the game but the fans are an integral part of giving you the best opportunity to win."