Wrapping up the Lady Lions' season

By DONNIE COLLINS
and WILLIAM KALEC
Collegian Staff Writers

For the members of the Penn State women's basketball team, the only thing left to do before next season is to refine their skills by hitting the weight room, skipping rope or trying their hands at the always-challenging "Pop-A-Shot" basketball game.

Following a two-year hiatus from the NCAA Tournament and national prominence, the Lady Lions' brief stay in this year's Big Dance capped a season filled with accomplished goals and memorable moments.

Unsung hero

Coach Rene Portland said from the first day of practice that her frontcourt was the best in the Big Ten.

While the experts were familiar with the talents of last year's Big Ten Tournament Most Valuable Player, Andrea Garner, and the physical presence of Clara Carter, it was sophomore Maren Walseth who established herself as the Lions' most consistent player in the paint toward the end of the season.

At the Big Ten Tournament, Walseth averaged 12 points per game, including a 19-point explosion against Michigan State. Eleven of those 19 points came from the charity stripe, where Walseth's success set a team record.

Willis Reed Award

All that was missing were Marv Albert announcing from courtside and Walt Frazier's outrageous fur coats.

Limping and sporting a brace that served as a badge of courage around her left knee, Garner did something Sunday that seemed unthinkable as she screamed in pain after dislocating her kneecap two nights previously -- she played.

And she played brilliantly. Garner finished with 18 points and nine rebounds in the Lions' second-round loss to top-seeded Louisiana Tech before fouling out with 11.2 seconds to play.

Quote of the year

"That's part of the game. It's not like we're out here doing gymnastics." -- Minnesota coach Cheryl Littlejohn, responding to questions about her squad's physical play against Penn State Feb. 14.

Also nominated:

"We have no gyms of this size in Russia. There was so much space, the girls didn't know what to do." -- Russian Select Team coach Pavel Nourazera, describing his team's awe of The Bryce Jordan Center after his team's Nov. 6 loss.

"The atmosphere here is very different than junior college. We had a small, little gym that looked like a high school gym, and we had about 30 or 40 people at the games. We didn't have a mascot or anything like that." -- Penn State guard Shawnta Vanzant, describing the differences between playing at Penn State and playing at a junior college.

"I liked the little center inside, number 31." -- Indiana coach Jim Izard, after Penn State's No. 31, freshman Rashana Barnes, scored 16 points in just 17 minutes during a 95-48 drubbing of the Hoosiers Jan. 24.

MVP

It would be easy to give this honor to Garner, who led Penn State in both scoring and rebounding. A case could also be made for guard Lisa Shepherd, whose play off the bench and later in the starting lineup keyed many a rally for the Lions.

But this year's edition of the Lions lived and died by the play of Helen Darling.

In an early season battle with Pittsburgh, Darling spent most of the game on the bench with foul trouble. Penn State lost.

Against Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament, Darling amassed just five points and turned the ball over seven times. Again, Penn State lost.

But more often than not, when Penn State was the best team on the scoreboard, Darling was the best player on the court. A rock of consistency and determination, Darling led the Big Ten in assists and was the Lions' third leading scorer.