Live from the Bryce Jordan Center, welcome to another installment of Lady Lions basketball. Tom Copain here as Penn State hosts the No.18 Ohio State Buckeyes in the final home game of the season for the Lady Lions. This is the second meeting of the season between the two. Ohio State won the first meeting in Columbus, 89-53.

The Buckeyes come in off an overtime loss to Indiana, while your Lady Lions have lost nine games in a row. Yes, NINE times. But to avoid the un-perfect 10, Penn State will have to deal with Ohio State fab frosh Jantel Lavender, who leads the team in scoring with 17.2 points per game. She's second in the conference in scoring behind Jolene Anderson of Wisconsin, and she's second in the nation among freshmen behind UCONN'S Maya Moore. Penn State will counter with fellow freshman Evelyn Lewis, making her first career start

Starting Lineups

Ohio State
Ashlee Trebilcock
Shavelle Little
Marscilla Packer
Jantel Lavender
Tamarah Riley

Penn State
Brianne O'Rourke
Tyra Grant
Julia Trogele
Kam Gissendanner
Evelyn Lewis

15:53 left in the first half - Ohio State 8, Penn State 8
Jantel Lavender is doing what she does - she's scored four points, and forced Evelyn Lewis to the bench with one foul already. Tamarah Riley has the other four points for the Buckeyes. Kam Gissendanner has had a nice start in her last home game as a Lady Lion, scoring four of the team's first eight points.

11:26 left - Ohio State 17, Penn State 16
The Lady Lions have stayed in it to this point, but Ohio State has a large advantage on the boards. Lavender continues to be a force, leading all scorers with 10 points. But she has turned the ball over three times already to this point. Penn State has been able to keep it close, but they will have to start rebounding better to stay in it.

7:37 left - Ohio State 22, Penn State 21
Brianne O'Rourke has shown up, leading the Lady Lions with seven points. Mashea Williams, back after a one-game hiatus, continues to struggle with only one point, but she does have two rebounds and an assist right now.

1:37 left - Ohio State 38, Penn State 36
It's been up and down play all half, and the Lady Lions are hanging around with the Buckeyes. Brianne O'Rourke, Tyra Grant and Kam Gissendanner are pacing Penn State, while Lavender and Marscilla Packer have been the offense for Ohio State

Halftime - Ohio State 44, Penn State 41
The Lady Lions have almost matched their point total from their last meeting with the Buckeyes in this first half. Kam Gissendanner and Brianne O'Rourke are both in double digits, and Penn State has even had contributions from Janessa Wolff and Julia Trogele in their frontcourt.
Ohio State has been led by Lavender, who has a game-high 14 points and Marscilla Packer with 13, including three foul shots with nine seconds left to give the Buckeyes the lead right before the half.

15:42 left in the second half - Ohio State 53, Penn State 51
Kam Gissendanner now has the game high with 19, as Penn State continues to stay with Ohio State. Packer has put together a very nice game with 16 for Ohio State, and Lavender has 16 as well to pace the Buckeyes.

11:12 left - Ohio State 67, Penn State 61
Brianne O'Rourke had hit a pull-up jumper to tie the game at 61, but Maria Moeller hit back-to-back 3s to give the Buckeyes their largest lead of the game. Lavender has found her second wind, now she has a game-high 24 points.

6:45 left - Ohio State 75, Penn State 73
Brianne O'Rourke, Kam Gissendanner and Janessa Wolff have been the offense of late, bringing the Lady Lions back from an eight-point deficit. But Penn State has no answer for Lavender, who has tied her career high with 30 points, 16 of them in the second half.

3:48 left - Ohio State 81, Penn State 75
Lavender now has a career high 32 points, including a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line. Ohio State is 24-of-25 from the free-throw line, while Penn State is only 7-of-9. That might be the difference when this one is said and done.

1:52 left - Ohio State 83, Penn State 80
Lavender had been perfect from the free throw line, until she missed two big free throws that resulted in a 3 from O'Rourke. But Lavender found Alison Jackson for a big jumper to put the lead back up to three.

Final - Ohio State 87, Penn State 84
Kam Gissendanner had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but her shot missed the rim and Penn State makes it 10 consecutive losses. The Lady Lions stayed around with Ohio State all night, but there was no answer for Lavender, who finished with a career high 36 points, along with 16 rebounds and six assists. Penn State finishes the regular season on Sunday at Indiana.

-Copain

Howdy yall, it's Wible once again bringing you all of the action from today's Lady Lions game against Michigan State. The Spartans feature Allyssa DeHaan, the tallest player in women's college basketball at six-foot-nine. Let's just say she looks almost like a giraffe on the court.

In a change of pace, especially for a division I game, freshman forward Janessa Wolff just finished singing the national anthem.

It's also senior day as the fans and coaching staff honor Penn State's lone senior, Kam Gissendanner.

And today's starting lineup looks a little different for the Lady Lions as coach Coquese Washington is obviously trying to send a message to her players and is starting walk-on Nicole Arcidiacono and freshman Julia Trogele in place of leading scorer Tyra Grant and junior Mashea Williams.

Starting Lineups

Penn State

Brianne O'Rourke
Julia Trogele
Nicole Arcidiacono
Kam Gissendanner
Janessa Wolff

Michigan State

Mandy Piechowski
Brittney Thomas
Mia Johnson
Kalisha Keane
Allyssa DeHaan

15:29 remaining first half: MSU 6 PSU 4

The honeymoon is over for Arcidiacono as Williams checked in with 16:33 to play. Both teams are not playing particularly well right now and DeHaan has proven ineffective on the inside. She's already been blocked twice and is on the bench.

11:59 remaining first half: MSU 13 PSU 8

Grant is still on the bench, she must really be in Washington's doghouse. Again, neither team has really gotten into a rhythm offensively and the game is almost haphazard. On a side note, the cheerleaders were just slingshotting t-shirts into the crowd and those suckers are flying, probably going at least 30 miles per hour. I hope I don't catch one in the face.

7:58 remaining first half: MSU 21 PSU 10

Well the Spartans have found their stride and appear to be playing with more fire and intensity. They also appear a half-step quicker than the Lady Lions when getting down the floor. Grant checked in at the 8:53 mark, so we'll see if she can give Penn State a lift it desperately needs. Things could get bad quick, we'll see how Washington's team responds after this timeout.

2:27 remaining first half: MSU 33 PSU 17

The Lady Lions woke up and went on a 7-0 run to pull within eight, but the Spartans responded with an 8-0 run of their own and hold a comfortable lead. Penn State needs to get the deficit to less than 10 points if it wants to be able to have a chance in the second half. We also just witnessed the longest pause ever on the kiss cam. A guy in a cameo hat didn't know he and significant other were on the camera and sat there for about 10 seconds before finally realizing it and kissing for the BJC crowd.

Halftime MSU 35 PSU 21

Washington doesn't look too happy walking off the court. The Lady Lions appear lifeless and will need a big turnaround if they want to win this game. It just keeps getting worse for the Lady Lions.

15:41 remaining second half: MSU 39 PSU 31

The Lady Lions have caught a case of the runs and have pulled within eight of the Spartans. The run has been fueled by a steal and an unforced Michigan State turnover. Penn State looks more lively than it did in the first half and its run caused Spartan coach Suzy Merchant to call a timeout in hopes of disrupting the Lady Lions' rhythm.

11:31 remaining second half: MSU 46 PSU 35

Just as it appeared as though the Lady Lions were mounting a furious comeback, Michigan State's Taja Wilson banked a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired. It deflated the BJC crowd and energized the quiet Spartan bench.

7:47 remaining second half: MSU 52 PSU 38

The Lady Lions just can't get past the seven or eight point deficit. When it appears as though Penn State is going to mount a decisive run to take the lead, the Lady Lions start turning the ball over and most of them are unforced errors. Michigan State's Lauren Aitch just air balled a free throw, can't say I see that everyday (except when I'm at the line).

2:54 remaining second half: MSU 59 PSU 48

It looks bleak for the Lady Lions. They just appear out of sync and nothing is easy. A lot of fans have already started heading for the exits. A loss here would make it seven straight, the longest in school history, and nine of the last 10.

Final: Michigan State 66 Penn State 50

After a pair of close losses to Iowa and Minnesota, the wheels have fallen off the Lady Lions. Nothing went well for Penn State and the season may have a new low point. Last year the team at least could win at home, but this year nothing is going right.

Hello Lady Lions fans and welcome to yet another installment of Penn State women's basketball. Things in Happy Valley have been dark as of late, as the Lady Lions enter tonight's game with five game losing streak, dropping them to ninth in the Big Ten conference. Tonight Penn State will look to get back on track as it hosts the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The Golden Gophers aren't one of the flashiest teams in the conference, but with an 8-5 record in Big Ten play, they are a force to be reckoned with this season. Minnesota is led by guard Emily Fox, who will keep the Lady Lion defense focused around the perimeter. Fox averages 16.7 points per game, one of three Golden Gopher starters averaging double figures.

The home team boasts four starters in double figures, led by junior guard Tyra Grant. Grant is averaging close to 15 points per game, despite only having a .707 free throw percentage, the worst among Lady Lion starters.

Can Penn State snap its five game conference losing streak? Or will the Golden Gophers scratch and claw their way to a ninth win in the Big Ten? Let the action begin.

16:36 left in the 1st half- Minnesota 6, PSU 2

Just four minutes in and it isn't looking pretty for Penn State. The Gophers are outrebounding the home team seven to one, and Penn State is shooting just 16 percent. Emily Fox has two early points for the Gophers, and Mashea Williams has Penn State's only basket.

7:30 left in the 1st half- Minnesota 20, PSU 17

After starting out the evening cold as ice from the field, Penn State has roared back, and the Golden Gopher lead which at one time was 10 is now just three. Freshman Janessa Wolff leads the Lady Lions with six points, and Emily Fox had been sidelined with two fouls for Minnesota.

It'sssss Halftime here at the Bryce Jordan Center, with Minnesota leading Penn State 30-21. Golden Gopher forward Leslie Knight is the game's leading scorer, registering 10 points. Minnesota has outplayed Penn State in almost every aspect, despite only being up nine at the half. The rebounding stat is 18-8, in favor of the away team. Penn State has only committed seven turnovers, but they seem to be coming at the most costly times. As usual the scoring for the Lady Lions has been fairly balanced. Wolff leads with six points, followed by Kam Gissendanner and Brianne O'Rourke, both of whom have five points. Let's see if coach Coquese Washington can put a spark in her Lady Lions in the locker room.

15:15 left in the 2nd half- Minnesota 44, PSU 27

Well it looks like history is going to be made tonight, but it's not the kind of history this Penn State program had in mind. The Lady Lions, currently down by 17 points, are on their way to losing their sixth consecutive game, a first in Penn State women's basketball history. Everything is going wrong for this team right now, partciularly on the defensive side of the ball. Both Ellis-Milan and Fox have a dozen points for Minnesota, and Penn State is being outrebounded 22-8. The only bright spot for the Lady Lions is they have just nine turnovers so far, compared to 11 for the Golden Gophers.

6:53 left in the 2nd half- Minnesota 52, PSU 40

Could there be a possible comeback? Well I'm not sure about that one, but the Lady Lions are starting to play with a sense of urgency, though it may have come too late. Emily Fox continues to dominate for Minnesota, hitting almost every shot she puts up. Brianne O'Rourke has taken charge for the Lady Lions, and now has a team high 12 points. A once silent crowd has now found new life, mirroring the suddenly aggressive Lady Lion team.

Final: Minnesota 56, PSU 48

Despite a furious comeback by the Lady Lions, it was not enough to overcome an early 2nd half deficit of 20 points. With the loss Penn State falls to 4-9 in the conference, extending its season and historically-long losing streak to six games.

For the Golden Gophers, guard Emily Fox led the way with 21 points on 9 of 16 shooting. Both forward Leslie Knight and guard Katie Ohm finished in double figures, as Minnesota scored 24 points in the paint.

Kam Gissendanner led the scoring for Penn State, scoring 17 points and pulling down seven rebounds. Freshman Julia Trogele came off the bench to score all six of the Lady Lions' bench points. She also registered a career-high three blocks in just 22 minutes of play.

Penn State will now have two days off, and will be back in the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday to face Michigan State, and 6 foot 9 center Alyssa DeHann, the nation's leader in blocked shots. For more information on tonight's game and all of the Lady Lions' games, check out the Daily Collegian. Im Brian Eller, and thanks for tuning into the Coquestioner.

If the Penn State women's basketball team continued to lose games like they have recently (five in a row and seven of its last eight), then it had to happen soon.

And it finally did Monday.

The Lady Lions finally fell out of the NCAA Tournament in the latest brackets, according to ESPN Bracketologist Charlie Creme. Penn State was a No.11 seed last week, but thanks to losses at Michigan and vs. Iowa, fell out of the latest bracket projections.

And in a great game between two Top 10 programs in Knoxville, No.2 Tennessee beat No.7 Rutgers, 59-58.

-Copain

-Copain

The big day has finally arrived, and no, it's not the Pro Bowl.

We've finally arrived at the second annual Think Pink Day for the Penn State women's basketball team. Tom Copain here to take you through the latest installment of Lady Lions basketball, as the conference-leading Iowa Hawkeyes come into the Bryce Jordan Center to take on the Lady Lions.

As I mentioned, the arena, players and fans are all decked out in pink for Think Pink Day to raise money for breast cancer awareness and research, definitely a worthy cause. Penn State is wearing all-pink uniforms, while Iowa is wearing their white uniforms with a pink trim. And like last year, it is one of the bigger crowds of the season.

As for the game, the Hawkeyes look to stay in a first-place tie with Purdue in the Big Ten, while the Lady Lions are trying to end a disastrous stretch. Penn State has lost four in a row and six out of its last seven games.

Starting Lineups

Iowa
11 - Kristi Smith - G
32 - Wendy Ausdemore - F
34 - Johanna Solverson - F
51 - Krista Vandeventer
40 - Stacy Schlapkohl - C

Penn State
3 - Brianne O'Rourke - G
5 - Mashea Williams - G
1 - Tyra Grant - G
25 - Kam Gissendanner - G
42 - Janessa Wolff - C

15:57 left in the first half - Iowa 12, Penn State 2
Another slow start for the Lady Lions, as the Hawkeyes have sucked all the energy right out of the building with a quick start. Penn State doesn't have a field goal, both of their points have come from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Iowa's Johanna Solverson is pacing the Hawkeyes, scoring seven of their 12 points.

11:09 left - Iowa 20, Penn State 8
Solverson's cooled off a little bit, missing her last two shots, but Iowa was still able to stretch the lead thanks to five points from Kristi Smith and a cold Lady Lion offense. Penn State is shooting 3-of-11 from the field, and Gissendanner and Wolff have scored all eight points for Penn State.

7:10 left - Iowa 26, Penn State 14
Solverson now has 11 points in this half, three more than the Lady Lions. Penn State has five field goals, and a combined six points from O'Rourke, Grant and Williams. Iowa hasn't been shooting as well as it was earlier in the half, but the Hawkeyes are still shooting 73 percent, and the Lady Lions haven't been able to capitalize.

3:48 left - Iowa 28, Penn State 20
The Hawkeyes have gone cold, and the Lady Lions have been able to capitalize and finally get the lead within single digits. Brianne O'Rourke finally got on the scoresheet, and Penn State has done a better job getting inside the paint and drawing fouls.

Halftime - Iowa 33, Penn State 28
Brianne O'Rourke hit two 3-pointers in consecutive possessions, and the Lady Lions were able to cut what was once a 14 point lead down to two, before a Wendy Ausdemore 3-point play gave the Hawkeyes a five point lead at the half. Penn State has been able to get back into this game by going back to basics, mostly getting easy baskets and going to the free throw line. Penn State is 10-of-13 from the charity stripe, while Iowa has only three attempts. The Lady Lions had all of the momentum and the crowd behind them before Ausdemore's basket and foul, so it will be interesting to see how both teams come out in the second half, especially in the first couple of minutes.

15:13 left in the second half - Iowa 42, Penn State 39
Penn State came out and got the important first basket of the half, but despite a 3 from Tyra Grant, the Lady Lions haven't been able to get within two. Kristi Smith is very quietly having a solid game for the Hawkeyes, while Solverson has only six points since the 16 minute mark of the first half.

11:59 left - Iowa 48, Penn State 41
The Hawkeyes have started to pull away again, as the Lady Lions have gone on a cold spell from the field. But a point of emphasis for the rest of the game: Julia Trogele has three fouls for Penn State, but Johanna Solverson has four for Iowa. If she's forced to sit on the bench for a long period or foul out, that would be a big break for Penn State

6:55 left - Iowa 55, Penn State 47
Johanna Solverson was the hot hand for Iowa early, but it's been Wendy Ausdemore who's been hitting the big shots for Iowa. First, she had the 3-point play at the end of the first half, then the 3-point play in the second half to put the Hawkeyes back up by five. And just moments ago, with Solverson on the bench, Ausdemore hit a three to put Iowa back up by 10.

3:09 left - Iowa 61, Penn State 59
The Lady Lions were finally able to get the Iowa lead down to one, when Solverson knocked down a big 3-pointer from the corner, but Brianne O'Rourke countered at the other end with a basket and foul. Solverson has now fouled out. She finishes with 16 points, and only five in the second half. O'Rourke will have the chance to cut the lead down to one with the free throw after the timeout

2:38 left - Iowa 63, Penn State 60
After O'Rourke hit the free throw to cut the lead down to one, Kristi Smith hits a running jumper to put the lead back up to three for the Hawkeyes.

1:06 left - Iowa 69, Penn State 60
The Lady Lions couldn't stop Kristi Smith down the stretch, scoring six straight points to ice the game for Iowa, and barring a comeback, give Penn State its fifth straight loss and seventh in the last eight games.

Final - Iowa 73, Penn State 65
Despite a 3-pointer from Gissendanner to cut the lead to six with 40 seconds left, Penn State just couldn't get break through and fall to 4-8 in conference and will host Minnesota on Thursday. Iowa improves to 10-3 and stays in first in the Big Ten, setting up a big showdown with Purdue at West Lafayette on Thursday.

-Copain

It's hard to believe the last seven days can't have been much worse for your Penn State women's basketball team, but as of right now, the Lady Lions still have reservations for March.

Yes, you heard right.

ESPN's Bracketologist Charlie Creme still has the Lady Lions in the NCAA tournament as the No. 11 seed in the Greensboro region, playing the No. 6 seed Utah. But, Creme said in his analysis that the Lady Lions are holding on by a thread.

Ohio State, Minnesota and Iowa are still projected to be in the tournament, while Indiana has now entered the bracket as a No. 9 seed in the New Orleans region.

Creme is projecting the four No. 1 seeds to be Connecticut, Tennessee, North Carolina and Maryland

- Copain

Welcome again from beautiful and scenic Happy Valley for today's Lady Lions matchup with Wisconsin. Im your trust sidekick Lady Lion reporter Andrew Wible and I'll be brining you every bead of sweat, impact of fouls and slaps on the floor.

Wisconsin comes into the game 10 days after trouncing Penn State in Madison, Wis. 79-52.

The Lady Lions come into this one with revenge on their minds, along with devising a gameplan to stop Wisconsin's prolific-scoring guard Jolene Anderson. A senior, Anderson has already eclipsed 2,000 career points and leads the Big Ten with a 20.1 per game average.

Here are you starting lineups

Penn State

G - Brianne O'Rourke
G - Tyra Grant
G - Mashea Williams
G - Kam Gissendanner
F - Rashida Mark

Wisconsin

G - Jolene Anderson
G - Janese Banks
G - Rae Lin D'Alle
G - Teah Grant
F - Danielle Ward

15:49 remaining first half: PSU 8 Wisky 6

After an early 6-0 run by Wisconsin to start the game, the Lady Lions have responded with a quick 8-0 run of their own, fueled by steals and fastbreak points. Expect both teams to settle down and the runs to get smaller and the teams to start trading baskets.

10:40 remaining first half: Wisky 17 PSU 14

Jolene Anderson has made her presence felt already. The high-scoring guard just delivered a 3 from the corner and a layup. She already has seven points and as they say on NBA Jam "She's heating up"

7:38 remaining first half: Wisky 22 PSU 14

Just call me the prophet cause Anderson has already reached double-digits with 11 points and the Badgers have staked a decent lead. The Lady Lions have been hurt by offensive fouls, turnover and missed layups, highlighted by a 15-second volley of four missed putback layups. Penn State does not look sharp thus far and need to step its game up.

2:25 remaining first half: Wisky 36 PSU 24

I hate to sound like a broken record, but Jolene Anderson is a beast, flat out!!! For a good portion of the first half she single-handedly outscored the Lady Lions. She has cooled off a little, or maybe Penn State has stepped it up a little bit, but Anderson currently has 18 points, and she's done it in a variety of ways from hitting threes, to runners in the paint. She is a gifted scoring and putting on a display today.

Halftime: Wisky 40 PSU 28

The first frame was dominated by Anderson, but the Lady Lions were able to keep their deficit reasonable and are still very much in the game. If they can find a way to just slow down Anderson and forward Lin Zastrow (12 points) they can get back in the game. Expect a Penn State run early in the second half and for the game to morph into a nail-biter.

Quick side note, I don't really know why, but I love Wisconsin's uniforms. They're simple, yet classy and the red and white really go well together.

Halftime entertainment today is the Bucket Boys from Chicago. Pretty cool group playing five-gallon buckets as drums. Kinda gives me an idea, maybe I could start the first KFC bucket drum group or coffee can drum group. Look out world, I'll be coming to a halftime show near you sometime soon.

As for the game, here are some quickie halftime stats

Penn State

Kam Gissendanner - 9 points
Brianne O'Rourke - 7 points, 4 assists

Wisconsin

Jolene Anderson - 18 points
Lin Zastrow - 12 points

The Lady Lions only shot 34.5 percent in the first half. They can't stay that cold the entire game, so expect some more scoring from Penn State in the second half.

15:51 remaining second half: Wisky 47 PSU 34

About that early second half run . . . Wisconsin has actually be able to extend its lead, mostly behind Anderson and Zastrow who have combined for more points (35) than the entire Penn State team. It's still early though and the Lady Lions have not gotten many calls to go their way. It got so bad that during the last timeout, Coquese Washington walked 20 feet onto the floor to air her grievances with the refs.

13:51 remaining second half: Wisky 51 PSU 34

The Lady Lions just can't find the basket. While Anderson (23 points) continues to light it up, Penn State has gone ice cold. The Lady Lions haven't even been able to cash in from the free throw line where they have missed seven straight attempts. If they want to have any chance of getting back in the game they have to make the freebies with the clock stopped and extend the game. This game is very close to getting out of hand and reaching blowout proportions.

7:37 remaining second half: Wisky 60 PSU 46

Every time the Lady Lions appear to mount a comeback, Wisconsin finds a way to sequester the run. Anderson hasn't scored since last update, but Zastrow has taken charge and shown her versatility by banging away inside for layups and stepping outside and draining long-range shots. Only a freshman, Zastrow is a straight-up baller and will be making some noise in the Big Ten for years to come.

3:56 remaining second half: Wisky 71 PSU 52

In the words of former Monday Night Football announcer "Dandy" Don Meredith, "Turn out the lights, the party's over." This game is over. The crowd's heading for the exits with the Lady Lions down by 18. Anderson has increased her total to 27 points and is awaiting a foul shot after the timeout for a potential and one. All that remains to be seen is if she can eclipse 30 points for the night cause this game's done.

Final: Wisconsin 77 Penn State 59

This is a rare sight. The Lady Lions have been almost unbeatable at home and were just embarrassed by 10th place team in the conference. We're heading down for the press conference and will give you more updates from the players and coaches.

Postgame quotes:

Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone

On the win:
"We broke history today. It's never happened that Wisconsin has come to Penn State and won. And the fact that {Anderson] put her team on her back and did a great job, especially in the first half."

On the importance of Penn State's missed free throws:
"If they make those free throws it's a different game."

Jolene Anderson

On how her scoring looked almost effortless at times:
"It's never easy, Penn State played great defense on me in the second half, they were always following me."

Penn State

Kam Gissendanner
On the disappointment of the loss:
"It's very disappointing, but we're just going to keep going at it. We're going to go to practice Tuesday and work harder than ever."

Tyra Grant

On missing nine consecutive free throws as a team:
"It was kind of frustrating cause you don't know what's going wrong and you have to start thinking 'What am I doing that's wrong?' "

Coquese Washington

On what went wrong:
"We ..."
Pause
"We ..."
Pause
"We need to get a little tougher."

"We just need to get tougher."

On rebounding difficulties:
"We have not had the tenacity on the boards that we need. We haven't gotten smaller, we've gotten less tough as the season has gone on."

On the defense:
"I've been disappointed in our defense from day one. We'll continue to tinker around and find the thing that works for us defensively. [Pause] So that's what we'll do."

Even though the Penn State women's basketball team has lost three of its last four, as of right now the Lady Lions would be playing in March, one bracketologist thinks.

ESPN's Charlie Creme came out with his latest edition of Bracketology today and he is projecting your Lady Lions to be the No.9 seed in the Oklahoma City region, with a first round matchup against Nebraska.

Penn State is one of only four Big Ten teams that Creme is projecting to be in the tournament if it started today. No. 15 Ohio State would be a No.5 seed in the Greensboro region, Minnesota would be an #8 seed in the Spokane region and Iowa would be an No.11 seed in the New Orleans region.

If Penn State can hold on in the season's last month and make the NCAA tournament, it would be Penn State's first trip to the tournament since the 2004-2005 season.

Creme is also projecting the four No.1 seeds would be Rutgers, North Carolina, Connecticut and Tennessee

- Copain

Howdy yall, it's your trust Lady Lion reporter Andrew Wible and I'll be your eyes, your ears and your nose for today's game against Michigan from the Bryce Jordan Center.

I'm sure yall know already, but there's never really been any love loss between Penn State and Michigan in pretty much anything so it should be intense matchup.

Here are the starting lineups for today's game

Penn State

G - Tyra Grant
G - Biranne O'Rourke
G - Mashea Williams
G - Kam Gissendanner
F - Janessa Wolff

A freshman, Wolff is making the first start of her career.

Michigan

F - Carly Benson (6-foot-2)
G - Krista Clement (5-foot-9)
C - Krista Phillips (6-foot-6)
G - Jessica Minnfield (5-foot-5)
G - Janelle Cooper (5-foot-9)

Once again the Lady Lions will be at a size disadvantage, especially with the gigantic Phillips in the middle. Standing courtside during pregame warmups all I could say is 'wow.' She's an intimidating presence down low and I'm pretty sure would block me nine out of 10 times. So expect the Lady Lions to try to run early and often, something they couldn't do against Purdue.

Another note on Phillips, she hails from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (somehow I spelled both correctly without looking). Not only is Saskatoon quite possibly the coolest town name in the world, it is also the namesake of the Johnny Cash song "The Girl From Saskatoon." Also, in David Letterman's top ten signs you're at a bad airport, "All flights are either coming from or going to Saskatoon, Canada."

NFL connection, Michigan reserve forward Katie Dierdorf is the daughter of former Michigan and St. Louis Cardinals (before they moved to Arizona) offensive tackle Dan Dierdorf.

15:02 remaining first half: Michigan 9 Penn State 8

The Lady Lions have brought their running shoes and have four early fast-break points. Phillips has accounted for half of Michigan's total, but oddly enough both baskets came on quick outlet passes where she simply beat the defense down the court, not something you see everyday from a 6-foot-6 center. Penn State will need to tighten its reigns defensively and not allow Michigan to keep getting easy transition buckets.

10:54 remaining first half: Michigan 17 Penn State 14

A lot of loose play from both teams early on. Both are looking to get down the court quickly, combining for 16 fast-break points already, but have both also missed several layups and easy shots. Fellow Lady Lion reporter Brian Eller said it best, both teams can look sloppy one possession and explosive the next. Whichever team can find consistency will be the one to walk out of the BJC with a 'W' today.

Another note, freshman forward Julia Trogele is on the court for the first time since November after battling mono.

7:22 remaining first half: Penn State 24 Michigan 24

The offensive paced has slowed a lil, back-to-back threes from Gissendanner and Meggan Quinn pulled the Lady Lions even for the first time since the opening minutes. It's shaping up to be a good game the rest of the way.

3:50 remaining first half: Michigan 29 Penn State 28

Once again, I look like an idiot as both teams trade sloppy possession for sloppy possession. The Lady Lions have missed several layups and have been forced by the Michigan defense to use most of the shot clock. Phillips leads all scorers with 13 points, but just committed her second foul. Look for Penn State to attack Phillips to try to get her in more foul trouble.

Halftime: Penn State 33 Michigan 33

The half ended on a bad note for the Lady Lions as Grant picked up her third foul of the game. She was called for a charge with 1.7 seconds remaining, she will either be on the bench or be forced to play conservatively in the second half.

Halftime team stats:

PSU Mich
Field goals 12-of-29 (41.4%) 4-of-24 (58.3%)
3-pt. FGs 2-of-7 (28.6%) 2-of-4 (50.0%)
Free throws 7-of-8 (87.5%) 3-of-6 (50.0%)
Rebounds (off-def) 17 (4-13) 12 (0-12)
Turnovers 5 8

Halftime player stats

Penn State

Brianne O'Rourke - 5 points, 4 assists
Kam Gissendaner - 7 points, 2 steals

Michigan

Krista Phillips - 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block

Halftime: Penn State 33 Michigan 33

The half ended on a bad note for the Lady Lions as Grant picked up her third foul of the game. She was called for a charge with 1.7 seconds remaining, she will either be on the bench or be forced to play conservatively in the second half.

Halftime team stats:

PSU Mich
Field goals 12-of-29 (41.4%) 4-of-24 (58.3%)
3-pt. FGs 2-of-7 (28.6%) 2-of-4 (50.0%)
Free throws 7-of-8 (87.5%) 3-of-6 (50.0%)
Rebounds (off-def) 17 (4-13) 12 (0-12)
Turnovers 5 8

Halftime player stats

Penn State

Brianne O'Rourke - 5 points, 4 assists
Kam Gissendaner - 7 points, 2 steals

Michigan

Krista Phillips - 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block

15:50 remaining second half: Penn State 39 Michigan 38

Phillips just made perhaps the most disgusting-looking hook shot ever. From about eight feet from the side of the basket she threw a hook shot off the top of the backboard and in. Word on the street is my dad had a deadly hook shot in his day, but then again I never got his basketball genetics, I'm terrible.

12:55 remaining second half: Penn State 49 Michigan 43

A mini run, highlighted by a pair of treys from Grant and O'Rourke has pushed the Lady Lions ahead. Despite the 3-pointers, Michigan is doing a good job defensively and is not allowing Penn State to start its offense until the shot clock is already drained.

8:01 remaining second half: Penn State 51 Michigan 48

Michigan has responded with a run of its own, capped by a Krista Clement layup. Coquese Washington called timeout to regroup her team so it doesn't allow Michigan to take the lead. Phillips has been held in check this half, but Janelle Cooper has led Michigan with seven points in the second frame. O'Rourke is the only Lady Lion in double figures with 10 points along with seven assists.

6:40 remaining second half: Penn State 55 Michigan 50

Michigan head coach Kevin Borseth had a little fun with the fans chanting brick while Mashea Williams was at the line. He got heckled for it and exchanged pleasantries with the crowd behind he Michigan bench. All just good-natured jest I'm sure, unlike what I heard when I was at the Penn State-Michigan football game in Ann Arbor last September.

4:13 remaining second half: Penn State 63 Michigan 52

Phillips just picked up her third and fourth fouls of the game when she was assessed a technical foul after fouling Kam Gissendanner. Phillips yelled and stomped on the court. Nothing I would have given a technical for, but Washington said it's a point of emphasis by the officials this season. Frankly, I've seen worse tantrums from five-year-old kids who don't want to go to the first day of school because they'd rather stay at home, drink Coke, eat candy and watch Power Rangers.

Hello from a snowy State College. Tom Copain here, your guide to another edition of Penn State women's basketball

In this latest installment, the Lady Lions will host the Purdue Boilermakers in what has been dubbed the "Black and Blue Rivalry".
The Boilermakers are usually among the leaders of the Big Ten, but right now have been struggling so far this season with a 7-9 record. They have turned it around in Big Ten play however, coming into this game tied for third with the Lady Lions at 3-2. Penn State will look to rebound from a tough loss on the road last Sunday at Minnesota.
The Lady Lions and Boilermakers are part of a five-way tie for third place in the Big Ten behind Ohio State and Minnesota. Iowa is the only conference team not playing tonight, so Penn State could find itself in first place in the conference depending on how the teams above and tied with them fare.

Starters

Purdue
G - #11 Lauren Mioton
G - #20 FahKara Malone
G - #45 Kalika France
F - #54 Samantha Woods
C - #15 Danielle Campbell

Penn State
G - #3 Brianne O'Rourke
G - #1 Tyra Grant
G - #5 Mashea Williams
F - #25 Kam Gissendanner
C - #24 Rashida Mark

15:46 left in the first half - Purdue 6, Penn State 4
Both teams have come out a little sloppy in the first few minutes, but Purdue has been able to come out with the lead. No player on either side has more than two points, and both teams have already combined for six turnovers.

11:53 left - Penn State 13, Purdue 11
The Lady Lions look like they have found their footing, as they've been able to go on a 9-3 run to take the lead. Meggan Quinn replaced Mashea Williams early and has been effective, scoring five points on 2-of-2 shooting, a game-high so far, while Gissendanner has also chipped in with four points.

7:39 left - Purdue 21, Penn State 18
The scoring has picked up a bit, as the Boilermakers came right back with a run of their own. Lauren Mioton, Lakisha Freeman and Danielle Campbell have paced Purdue with four points each, while the Boilermakers have picked up the intensity on the defensive end as well, recording two blocks and forcing four turnovers.

3:55 left - Purdue 35, Penn State 21
The Lady Lions look flat as Purdue has used a 14-3 run to open up a 14 point lead on Penn State. The Lady Lions have gone cold as the Boilermakers have been able to force turnovers and turn them into easy baskets at the other end.

3:13 left - Purdue 35, Penn State 23
Tyra Grant finally ends the Lady Lions' drought with a running jumper in the lane. Still Purdue holds a double-digit lead thanks to 11 points off of seven Penn State turnovers, 56 percent shooting from the field and six fastbreak points. The Lady Lions continue to prove that they are successful when they get to the line. So far this half, Penn State has attempted a grand total of two free throws.

Halftime - Purdue 38, Penn State 30
Proving that basketball is a game of momentum, Penn State goes on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to five, before a FahKara Malone three right before the end of the half gave the Boilermakers an eight-point lead at the break. Tyra Grant came alive during the run, she has 10 points so far pacing the Lady Lions. Purdue continues to be paced by France and Freeman, who have combined for 17 of the Boilermakers' 38 points.

I mentioned before the game that all but one Big Ten team was in action tonight, and that the Lady Lions could be in a tie for first in the conference depending on the scores of the other games.
On that note, here are the scores of the other five Big Ten games:
Ohio State 43, Illinois 42 - Final
Minnesota 65, Indiana 63 - 2:27 left in OT
Wisconsin 32, Michigan 26 - Halftime
Michigan State 31, Northwestern 29 - Halftime

With that, here are the up-to-date conference standings:
1 - Ohio State (5-1, 14-3)
2 - Minnesota (4-2, 13-5)
3 - Penn State (3-2, 12-5)
Michigan (3-2, 10-5)
Indiana (3-2, 10-7)
Purdue (3-2, 7-9)
7 - Illinois (3-3, 11-6)
Iowa (3-3, 10-7)
9 - Michigan State (2-4, 10-8)
10 - Wisconsin (1-4, 8-7)
11 - Northwestern (0-5, 4-13)

So Penn State can't move into a tie for first place due to Ohio State's victory, but the Lady Lions or Purdue can still move into a tie for second with a win.

15:34 left in the second half - Purdue 50, Penn State 39
Purdue seems to have the momentum back, as the Boilermakers have pushed the lead back to double-digits early in the half. No one for the Lady Lions have been able to stop Purdue down low, as the Boilermakers have been able to shoot 56 percent for the game, while Penn State has had trouble in the second half figuring out the Purdue zone defense.

11:59 left - Purdue 55, Penn State 41
The Boilermakers continue to frustrate Penn State defensively, while shooting 66 percent for the second half and scoring at will on the inside. Neither Janessa Wolff nor Rashida Mark have been effective defending the athletic Purdue forwards. The Lady Lions also lost one of their role players this half when Evelyn Lewis left with a leg injury.

7:56 left - Purdue 63, Penn State 53
As she did in the first half, Meggan Quinn provided a spark off the bench with a three, but Penn State has not been able to cut the lead down to single digits despite a temporary cold spell by the Boilermakers.

3:59 left - Purdue 75, Penn State 63
This will probably be the final post of the night, and unless the Lady Lions can erase a 12-point deficit in the next four minutes, it looks like Penn State will suffer its first home loss of the season, not to mention a two-game losing streak. In case you were wondering, the last time the Lady Lions lost at home was 371 days ago, a two-point loss to Ohio State on January 11, 2007