With six seconds remaining in the Penn State women's basketball team's game Friday against No. 8 Texas A&M, Tyra Grant stepped up to the foul line for her second of two free throws.
The first had gone in, and if the guard made the second, the game would be tied, capping off a tumultuous comeback and likely sending the Lady Lions' first-round game of the Timeout 4 HIV/AIDS Tournament in Malibu, Calif., into overtime.
But, like most of her teammates' free throws that night, Grant's second attempt missed the mark, and the Aggies (6-0) held off the Lions' upset bid with a 61-57 win.
"I thought that our team fought and battled," coach Coquese Washington told the Associated Press. "Texas A&M is one of the most athletic teams in the country."
Penn State (4-2) went 8-for-20 (40 percent) from the charity stripe Friday, while Texas A&M hit 15 out of 21 free throws (71.4 percent). This season, the Lions have shot just under 62 percent from the free-throw line.
Penn State's woes from the foul line undid a second-half comeback in which the Lions fought back from a 15-point deficit with 14 minutes remaining. Grant led the way in the comeback attempt, scoring a game-high 22 points and recording a career-best six steals.
Friday was Grant's third straight 20-point game and the 14th such game in her career.
Defense helped fuel the comeback, as four consecutive steals -- one by Grant and three by freshman Emily Phillips -- led to a nine-point Lion run, bringing the Aggies' lead down from 11 to two in a span of a minute and a half. The Aggies were held to just 31.8 percent shooting for the game and committed 22 turnovers.
"There's no excuse against a team that doesn't press and plays a zone," Texas A&M coach Gary Blair said to the Associated Press. "We played OK, not great. We made a lot of defensive mistakes in the second half."
Penn State took the lead with three and a half minutes to play, but three converted foul shots by Danielle Gant and Takia Starks -- the Aggies' leading scorers with 14 and 20 points, respectively -- swung the lead back to Texas A&M, which never gave it back.
The Lions bounced back Saturday in the consolation game, defeating Coppin State 76-61. Five players, including Grant, finished with double-digit points for Penn State, and three Lions recorded double-doubles.
Brianne O'Rourke and Julia Trogele notched their first career double-doubles, while Janessa Wolff recorded the third of her career. O'Rourke scored 12 points and dished out a career-best 13 assists, the highest single-game total for Penn State since 2001.
"She does a great job of leading our team and being our Coquese Washington on the floor," assistant coach Kia Damon told the Penn State Sports Network.
Trogele tallied 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, and Wolff added 15 points and 10 boards in Saturday's win over the Eagles.
