In the weeks leading up to opening day, the Penn State women's basketball team insisted its 12-game losing streak had ended with the final buzzer of last season's Big Ten tournament.
But following Sunday's 56-42 victory over South Carolina, the Lady Lions can officially put the worst losing streak in program history in the record books.
"It's great," junior guard Tyra Grant said. "But we've been saying this whole time, last year is behind us. We just use it as motivation now."
After being held scoreless in last Sunday's exhibition against California (Pa.), Grant scored 17 points to lead the Lady Lions, who won their opener for the third consecutive season.
Grant's most impressive performance, however, may have come on the defensive end where she drew four offensive fouls, including three charges in a span of nine minutes during the first half, helping Penn State jump out to an early 11-point lead.
"She's a natural at drawing charges because she's good at reading what's going to happen, and getting herself into position to take the charge," Penn State coach Coquese Washington said. "She doesn't have fear."
Despite struggling offensively in the first half, the Lady Lions carried a 25-15 lead into halftime thanks in large part to their defense. They held the Gamecocks to 5 of 28 shooting and forced 10 turnovers during the opening session.
The only time the victory was in jeopardy for Penn State came during the first three minutes of the second half, when South Carolina opened up with four consecutive points off turnovers.
"We talked about it at halftime, that they were going to come out and be more aggressive," Washington said. "We had to withstand the run that they were going to make and we did that."
With 6:48 remaining, Grant put the game out of reach when she hit a three to put the Lady Lions up, 43-27. Seconds later Grant drew her fourth offensive foul, an off the ball foul on the Gamecocks' Demetress Adams.
"We knew it would be physical and a defensive battle," Washington said. "We didn't know what they'd do offensively, but we knew their personnel. We knew Demetress Adams was their best player, and we had to make it a long night for her."
Adams, who was named to the all-SEC second team last season, was second on the team in scoring and first in rebounding a year ago.
Despite foul trouble to two of their post players, the Lady Lions held Adams to 11 points, three of which came in the first half.
Less than a minute into the game Julia Trogele picked up her second foul, and her replacement Janessa Wolff left the game with 12 minutes left because of two fouls of her own.
But according to Wolff, the Lady Lions were able to stay out of more foul trouble while still getting points in the paint because of their depth.
"Our team is really well rounded, and that's one of the things that's going to be a positive for our team this year," she said. "They can't just pick out one person to stop, they have to stop all of us."
