Been wondering why Lady Lions senior guard Kelly Mazzante's shooting has been off the last three games? Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland has a theory.

"Senioritis?" the coach said with a laugh.

However, in all seriousness for the No. 6 Lady Lions (21-4, 13-1), something has not quite been right with Mazzante recently, and it probably has very little to do with the proximity of her graduation day. She is a combined 15-for-49 from the field in the last three games for a woeful shooting percentage of 31.

Even the normally coy-with-the-media Mazzante had to admit something has gone awry lately.

"It hasn't felt as good as it usually does on the court," she said.

Up until Sunday's performance at Iowa, Mazzante's off shooting has gone largely unnoticed, but a four-point, five-foul and 2-for-12 shooting effort -- the worst game of Mazzante's career -- meant the issue could no longer be ignored.

"My mechanics aren't really where they are suppose to be," Mazzante said, "but I'll watch some film."

Mazzante, stating that mechanics are the foundation of her perimeter problems, answered the question of whether it was opposing defenses shutting her down or just a self-afflicted slump causing her to score below her 20.4 average in her last three contests.

On their weekly teleconferences, Big Ten coaches offered some thoughts on Mazzante's shooting woes.

"Maybe she is pressing a little bit at the end of the year," Iowa women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder said. "She got herself into some foul trouble, and she only played 22 minutes. I don't know if it was us [causing her to struggle offensively] or more her picking up some fouls."

Tired or maybe even a little banged up, for brutal and tactical battering has been a typical way of defending Mazzante for opposing teams this season.

The knee brace Mazzante wore against Wisconsin last Thursday showed this season has had a toll on her body. However, Mazzante said yesterday the brace was only on because of a bruise with some swelling, and she doesn't foresee wearing it again.

In her relative absence, her teammates have performed well. Junior guard Tanisha Wright took home Big Ten Co-Player of the Week for averaging 20.5 points against Wisconsin and Iowa, forward Jess Brungo played two of her best games of the season, and point guard Jess Strom was also solid.

Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland said she was glad to see other members of the team step up their games on the offensive end.

"We've really been on the players about shooting the ball and having the right kind of balance, and this is the right time of year for [other players] to all be stepping up," she said.