Penn State (10-9, 2-5 Big Ten) will try to end a season-high five-game losing streak when it plays Ohio State (14-6, 5-2), who has lost its last three road games.
It's Target 10 day, and there is a large number of students wearing white tonight, but the general public hasn't shown up.
Starting Lineups
Penn State:
Talor Battle
Stanley Pringle
Danny Morrissey
Andrew Jones
Jamelle Cornley
Ohio State
Jamar Butler
Evan Turner
David Lighty
Othello Hunter
Kosta Koufos
PSU-10, OSU-10; 15:32 left in the first half
The Nittany Lions have been much better offensively early on this game. And with an early steal by Battle, the defense has been effective, too. Jones has led the way for Penn State so far, scoring 5 points and getting 3 rebounds. The Buckeyes have been the better team on 3s thus far, hitting two 3-pointers.
PSU-19, OSU-12; 11:56 left in the first half
The Lions have found their 3-point range, as 3-pointers by Battle and Pringle has opened up the largest lead of the game for either team. Pringle has also been strong on fastbreaks, as he took ball the length of the floor before passing to Battle to get the easy two points.
PSU-24, OSU-23; 6:58 left in the first half.
Both teams are rebounding the ball on offense well. Butler and Light have saved Ohio State with two long 3s. The pair have a combined points. After struggling to score for a little bit, Mike Walker hit a 3 to give Penn State the lead again.
OSU-30, PSU-28; 3:32 left in the first half
Koufos is starting to impose his will underneath the basket, with 6 points to his credit to go along with 4 rebounds. But Butler continues to be the sparkplug for his Buckeyes, shooting 3-for-4 from the field and tying Battle's game-high 10 points so far. Both teams have tried to make a living from long-range, as each side has attempted 10 3-pointers.
PSU-34, OSU-34; halftime
Morrissey hit back-to-back 3s at one stretch to give Penn State the lead for the first time since it was 24-23. A late Ohio State field goal ties the game up at 34, but the Lions head to the locker room to a standing ovation.
Leading Scorers:
Penn State: Battle, 10
Ohio State: Butler, 10
PSU-42, OSU-38; 15:30 left
Penn State is being left open on 3s, and it is making the Buckeyes pay right now, with Battle and Morrissey hitting shots from long range. But the real surprise has been the impact of Jones. He seems to be on his way to a double-double with 8 points and 8 rebounds so far. He has picked up the slack from Jamelle Cornley, who only has 2 points on 1-for-4 shooting.
OSU-45, PSU-44; 11:33 left
Both teams seem to be making it an effort to shoot as many 3-pointers as possible, with a combined 36 3s attempted by both teams. Koufos has saved some Ohio State possessions by putting in putbacks after missed 3s.
OSU-52, PSU-44; 7:59 left
Ohio State is on a roll, and the Lions have sputtered. It's now a 12-0 run for Ohio State, as Butler has raised his point total to a game-high 18, and Penn State has made it a habit of turning the ball over more frequently than in the first half, including failing to convert some simple shots after great passes through the lane.
OSU-59, PSU-49; 2:37 left
The 16-0 run is over with a 3-pointer by Pringle ends a 10:16 scoring drought for Penn State. But Ohio State hasn't slown down to give the Lions a chance to catch up. A bright spot has been Jones, who just posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
OSU-68, PSU-56; final
Penn State continues to scrap, but the deficit is too much to overcome in so little time. Jones had a career day and both Battle and Morrissey scored in double figures. Butler led the way for the Buckeyes again, but the Lions' 14 turnovers took away their advantage on the glass.
It's a tough way to lose with the team playing overall pretty well, but Ohio State is a potential NCAA tournament team, and the Lions stood toe-to-toe for most of the contest. It will be interesting to see how the team responds when fellow league power Michigan State comes to town Saturday night.
Just a few things to note before the big matchup with Ohio State.
As most probably already know, the athletic department is hoping to sell 10,000 student tickets to the game, and if it does, then the single-game student ticket proceeds from Saturday's game with Michigan State will go to THON. We got a press release from the student section, Nittany Nation, encouraging students to wear white to both games this week.
Since THON is held at the Bryce Jordan Center, it forces the team to play on the road that weekend, meaning the players cannot be involved with the actual event. I talked to Mike Walker at practice on Monday about what something like this means to the team.
"We've tried to do things for THON this year, we had the dodgeball tournament earlier," Walker said. "At the end of the day, those are the types of things that are really important. Any money that we can help them to raise obviously would be a big impact for our season."
Another reason to come out to the game will be to see the television personalities covering the game. It will be televised by ESPN, and the A-team will be broadcasting the game. The lovely Erin Andrews will be providing sideline reports, while Steve Lavin and the incomparable Brent Musberger will be providing color and play-by-play.
It will be very interesting to see the atmosphere tomorrow night, if anything it should provide a boost to a team in desperate need of any kind of lift right now.
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
Greetings from State College. Tonight's game is in Iowa City, IA, and is televised by the Big Ten Network. This is Steve and I'll be updating the blog.
There has already been one big upset in the Big Ten today, as Connecticut downed Indiana 68-63. Wisconsin could be the next victim. The Badgers are trailing at Purdue with around three minutes to play.
They've announced the starting lineups. Ed DeChellis is using his typical lineup, but with Stanley Pringle starting instead of Jeff Brooks. Pretty interesting move.
They're wrapping up the pre-game and tip-off should be coming momentarily.
15:09 remaining in the first half
Iowa 5 PSU 2
It has been a sloppy start here in Iowa City. Penn State did not score its first basket until Jamelle Cornley knocked down a long two with 15:36 left in the first.
Iowa has not been much better, having turned the ball over three times already.
11:47 remaining in the first half
Iowa 9 PSU 2
Penn State has been awful on the offensive end. The Lions are 1-for-7 from the field and 0-for-2 from the free throw line.
The Nittany Lions have four turnovers, and have struggled to even get good shots off. Many of their possessions have gone deep into the shot clock but have still failed to even produce a quality attempt.
The Purdue game has gone final. The Boilermakers knocked off Wisconsin 60-56.
10:31 remaining in the first half
Iowa 13 PSU 2
Ed DeChellis needed a timeout after the Hawkeyes scored two quick buckets after the T.V. timeout.
Just a really disappointing start for the Lions. It looks like a continuation of Wednesday night.
7:44 remaining in the first half
Iowa 21 PSU 5
A Talor Battle 3-pointer got the Lions to five points, but the Hawkeyes have been having their way offensively, getting a 3-pointer from Justin Johnson, an old-fashioned 3-point play from Jeff Peterson and a dunk from Cyrus Tate.
2:26 remaining in the first half
Iowa 29 PSU 15
The Hawkeyes have buried Penn State from long range, shooting 4-for-9 from the 3-point line.
Stanley Pringle leads the Lions with six points, and will try to convert a 3-point play after this timeout, but he traveled on a three-on-one fast break earlier in the half, which is just inexcusable.
Halftime
Iowa 29 PSU 17
Penn State managed to stop the bleeding and enters the locker room on a 6-0 run.
Pringle knocked down a pretty baseline jumper just before the buzzer to give the Lions some momentum heading into the locker room.
Just like Wednesday night, only three Lions have scored in the first half. Pringle leads the way with eight points, Battle has five and Cornley has four. Justin Johnson leads the Hawkeyes with nine points.
The 12 point deficit is definitely disappointing but could be worse considering Penn State is 7-for-24 from the field and 2-for-7 from the free throw line.
15:26 remaining in the game
Iowa 36 PSU 26
Penn State cut the deficit to single digits by scoring the first four points of the half but the Hawkeyes have managed to keep the lead in double-digits for most of the half.
Pringle continues to be the catalyst. He now has 11 points, as well as three steals.
10:16 remaining in the game
Iowa 45 PSU 31
Pringle is keeping Penn State competitive, but every time the Lions come back a little, Iowa answers with a three.
Jeff Peterson knocked down a desperation 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to put the Hawkeyes up by 14.
Penn State still has only four players that have scored. D.J. Jackson hit some free throws here in the second half, but only Battle, Pringle and Cornley have field goals.
7:40 remaining in the game
Iowa 48 PSU 37
The deficit has plateaued at around 11 points. It's good that Penn State has kept it from getting embarrassing, but if the Lions must defend the perimeter better to have any hope of a comeback. The Hawkeyes have eight 3-pointers tonight.
Neither Mike Walker nor Danny Morrissey has attempted a 3-pointer tonight.
5:15 remaining in the game
Iowa 51 PSU 39
Even Hawkeye 7-footer Seth Gorney has gotten in on the 3-point party, knocking one down to put the Hawkeyes at 51 points.
Penn State has turned on full-court pressure.
3:27 remaining in the game
Iowa 55 PSU 42
Morrissey finally got his first 3-point attempt, but it didn't fall. The full court press has not really made much of a difference, and it looks like the Lions' losing streak will be stretched to five.
Final Score
Iowa 64 PSU 49
Only four Nittany Lions scored in this one, with Pringle leading with 17 points. It's the second straight game in which the Lions scored less than 50 points.
The telling statistic in my opinion is that Walker and Morrissey were a combined 0-for-1 from the field.
Andrew Jones had two points, accounting for the Lions only points off the bench.
For the Nittany Lions, it's all about getting back to the way things were two weeks ago.
Penn State (10-8, 2-4 Big Ten) will try to end a four-game losing streak when it travels to Iowa (9-11, 2-5) for a 6 p.m. game Saturday night. Two of the losses have been by wide margins, with both of those blowouts coming in front of the home crows.
And the recent stretch for the Lions has not only wore down the team in the win-loss column, but also in morale.
"And I talked to them yesterday, we were having all kinds of fun when won seven straight, were 2-0 in the league. Everybody was smiling, was having fun," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "And now we hit this skid, and no one's smiling. We come out to practice, guys are upset and down, and I understand that."
But reversing the slide won't be easy against the Hawkeyes, who have gone 38-7 dating back to the 2005-2006 season and beat then-No. 6 Michigan State in Iowa City, 43-36.
Iowa is led by guards Tony Freeman and Justin Johnson, who are the top two scorers on the team. Freeman averages 16.3 points per game and shoots almost 44 percent from 3.
The Hawkeyes' style of play is in stark contrast to Penn State's last opponent: Purdue. Iowa mostly plays man-to-man defense and slows the game down, as it only averages 57 points per game.
"Possessions are important, because you don't have as many of then. Sometimes when teams push it, there's more possession," DeChellis said. "But this is not one. Every possession is important, whether it's offensively or defensively...hopefully our guys understand that."
Penn State coach Ed DeChellis, Purdue coach Matt Painter and Jamelle Cornley assess the aftermath of Wednesday's game against Purdue, which Penn State lost 64-42.
It's almost game time at the Bryce Jordan Center, with the Nittany Lions set to take on the Boilermakers. At the moment, Purdue is a two-point favorite, which seems a little low to me. The Lions have lost their last three and the Boilermakers have won three straight and six of their last seven. If you put a gun to my head, I'd lay the points.
The student section is scarce with fans and there's less than seven minutes until tip-off. This is not a good sign for Penn State basketball. Clearly, people are not nearly as interested in seeing an inferior, Claxton-less product.
Purdue will be starting two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior, an interesting matchup for Penn State's equally young team (three freshmen and two juniors).
Some of the students hve pieces of paper with "5" written on them, in honor of Geary Claxton, who is in attendance. He's in street clothes on the bench. We just found out he'll be having surgery on Wednesday afternoon.
17:17 remaining in the first half-
After Battle just made one of two free throws, PSU leads 5-4. It looks like the Lions have abandoned the "pass around the perimeter and eventually take a bad jumper" offense for the "actually try to get to the basket" offense so far. There's promise here.
15:54
Namanja Calasan is 3-for-4 shooting and has seven of Purdue's nine points. The rest of the scoring has come from freshmen, which will be an interesting trend to watch. (9-7 Purdue)
12:31
Schyler King just checked into the game for Penn State wearing number 24. This doesn't seem like anything worth noting, except that King has now switched his number four times this season. He went from 1 to 24, back to 1 and then 24 again tonight. Is that allowed? used to do that in youth sports, but this is Division I NCAA basketball. I need to find out why this is happening and how he's allowed to do it. (14-12 Purdue)
9:15
After a 7-0 Purdue run, the Boilermakers lead 21-12. A few bad shots and turnovers have realy hurt Penn State. This isn't a new thing for them, either.
7:44
Penn State doesn't have a basket in almost five minutes. They also have three or four turnovers in that stretch. Purdue is taking advantage, pulling away for a 12 point lead (24-12).
5:18
D.J. Jackson just hit a 3 that ended a seven-minute scoring drought for Penn State. Purdue leads 26-15.
Halftime
Purdue ended the half on a good note, with E'Twaun Moore converting on an and-one opportunity. The Boilermakers have opened up a huge lead, 39-18. This was the Lions' lowest first-half point total this year. Seven turnovers, 31 percent shooting from the free throw line and only one made 3-pointer will do that to you. Meanwhile, Purdue is shooting more than 51 percent, with 6 3's and only three turnovers.
The Lions sorely miss Geary Claxton, but here's my take on the situation: As much as the Lions need Geary's production this season, and as sad as it is for him to end his career like that, this is the possibly the best thing for the future of Penn State basketball. Yes, this year is almost hopeless now, but Claxton was gone at the end of the season anyway. Now, the freshmen are getting thrown into the fire early, so they will be much more prepared for the upcoming seasons, when they will be expected to carry the banner for PSU basketball. In the long run, Claxton's injury may make the program better. (But you still have to feel for the guy).
Freshman Robbie Hummel had a hell of a first half for Purdue, with 13 points (4-for-6 shooting), seven rebounds and five assists. He's on pace for a triple double.
Second half
15:51
Penn State is mired in yet another scoring drought. Its last FG was more than eight minutes ago. Purdue has continued its hot shooting and expanded its lead to 44-18. The Lions are once again settling for bad shots, just as they have in previous games without Claxton.
14:28
Hummel is a man among boys right now. He has 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. He's a freshman. Conversely, Penn State's three freshmen starters have combined for 13 points, six rebounds and no assists.
13:38
Jamelle Cornley's bucket just ended an 11-minute field goal drought for Penn State. I've used the word drought so much I feel like I'm writing a weather blog. 39-10 Purdue run. 30 percent chance of snow. (48-22)
11:25
I'm naming my first child E'Twaun. It's decided. I'm pretty sure I could do this if it was a boy or girl. Who's gonna know?
8:07
Penn State just reached 30 points. Purdue was there with about three minutes left in the first half. The fans are filing out. I don't blame them. The crowds are going to keep getting smaller if this is the product that's going to be on the floor.
3:50
64-36 Purdue. Web logging about Penn State basketball is not very fun. I imagine this is what it would feel like to web log about root canals, although I've never done it.
1:46
Down 22 points, Jeff Brooks just got fouled, sending him to the line to shoot one-and-one. He looked annoyed by this, though, which seems to me like a perfect representation of Penn State hoops at the present. I'll leave it at that. (By the way, he missed the free throw.)
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.
Comments
Although the final score does not indicate it, Penn State played tough in this one. The Lions held the lead 52-51 with 11:53 remaining and were tied with the Hoosiers 54-54 before Indiana ended the game on a 27-11 run.
Talor Battle and Jamelle Cornley stepped up for the Lions, scoring 20 and 19 points, respectively. Battle shot 4-for-5 from 3-point range, an extremely encouraging development for Penn State after the way Battle started the season from long range.
Freshman phenom Eric Gordon led the way for Indiana with 25 points, and the Hoosiers exploited Penn State's 2-3 zone by shooting 11-for-23 from 3-point range. D.J. White also scored well in the post, scoring 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting.
The Nittany Lions (10-6, 2-2 Big Ten) prepare for their first game of the post-Claxton era when they play No. 10 Indiana (15-1, 4-0) 2 p.m. Sunday at Assembly Hall. Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said Claxton will not travel with the team to Indiana.
The Hoosiers feature a potent inside-outside combination of freshman guard Eric Gordon and senior forward D.J. White. Gordon leads the Big Ten in scoring with 22.3 ppg while White averages a double-double with 16.6 ppg and 10.8 boards per game.
Gordon is shooting almost 50 percent from the field, but he really makes a dent in the scorecard with ability in a different area.
"He's made 100 free throws already," DeChellis said. Gordon is third in the country in made free throws with 112.
Because the closeness of games, practice time had to bet cut during this week, but DeChellis wasn't worried about that, as the team will still have two days to prepare before Sunday and the team has spent time watching game tape. Indiana will be one of three games for the Lions in a week.
"We still have two days," DeChellis said.
Two more days.
Two more days until everyone gets to see how a Penn State team minus its leading scorer and rebounder will fare in a game against the highest-ranked team to date in front of a hostile crowd.
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
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Well we're back at the Bryce Jordan center for the Penn State-Wisconsin game. The Nittany Lions will try and regroup after Saturday's meltdown against Minnesota, and the Badgers provide a formidable opponent for Penn State to redeem itself against. Wisconsin is ranked 21st in the country despite having lost top scorers Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor from last year's team. This is Steve and I'll be bringing you the blog tonight.
Wisconsin has brought a pretty large contingent of fans which is impressive considering its a Tuesday night game. I recall seeing Wisconsin in a second round NCAA tournament game in my hometown of Washington D.C. and the Badgers brought a lot of fans then as well. The Wisconsin fans were even kind enough to give me their tickets after the Badgers had played and I was able to move down to the lower bowl from the nosebleeds.
Tip-off is about 20 minutes away. I'll have more updates then.
Starting Lineups:
Penn State
G Talor Battle
G Danny Morrissey
F Geary Claxton
F Jamelle Cornley
C Brandon Hassell
Wisconsin
G Michael Flowers
G Joe Krabbenhoft
F Trevon Hughes
F Marcus Landry
C Brian Butch
15:26 left in the first half
Wisconsin 8 PSU 0
The biggest question heading into this game was how the Lions would respond to Saturday's debacle and so far it hasn't been good. The Lions have settled for 3-point shots on four of their first possessions and haven't connected on any of them.
Penn State has been playing a 2-3 zone so far, and has surrendered 3-pointers to Trevon Flowers and Joe Krabbenhoft.
13:21 left in the first half
Wisconsin 10 PSU 2
Penn State finally got on the board with a Jamelle Cornley field goal, but Geary Claxton headed to the locker room after falling hard going for a rebound. He walked off on his power but he's out of the game right now which is the last thing the Lions need.
11:27 left in the first half
Wisconsin 18 PSU 4
This game is turning into a disaster for Penn State in a hurry. Andrew Jones made a nice fadeaway jumper for the Lions' second bucket, but it's pretty clear that without Claxton the Lions will struggle.
7:33 left in the first half
Wisconsin 27 PSU 13
3-pointers from Mike Walker and Stanley Pringle have helped Penn State keep things respectable, but the Lions have not been effective defending the perimeter, surrendering 3 3-pointers to Wisconsin.
6:13 left in the first half
Wisconsin 33 PSU 13
Believe it or not things have gotten worse for Penn State. A 3-point play from Krabbenhoft and a 3-pointer from Jason Bohannon have stretched the Badgers' lead.
3:26 left in the first half
Wisconsin 35 PSU 20
A 3-pointer from Morrissey and some solid play from Hassell have helped the Lions slowly chip away at the lead. Hassell leads Penn State with six points.
Halftime
Wisconsin 40 PSU 24
The Lions have kept it from becoming a total rout, but Penn State likely won't be able to hang around much longer without Claxton. Sports Information Director Brian Siegrist just told us that Claxton is still being evaluated, but won't return tonight. The injury is to his left knee.
Wisconsin's Brian Butch is dominating underneath. He already has 11 rebounds to go along with seven points.
It's pretty hard to imagine a more unfortunate turn of events for Penn State.
15:54 left in the game
Wisconsin 47 PSU 33
D.J. Jackson has stepped up in Claxton's absence, scoring Penn State's first seven points of the half.
However, a long 3-pointer from Trevon Hughes and a couple of nice inside baskets from Marcus Landry have prevented the Lions from making much headway.
12:42 left in the game
Wisconsin 55 PSU 41
Wisconsin lead has plateaued at 14; Penn State has not gotten any closer than this in a while.
Cornley has stepped up the past few minutes, scoring eight of the Lions' last ten points.
7:25 left in the game
Wisconsin 67 PSU 46
Fans are exiting en masse as it doesn't look like Penn State will be able to keep it respectable. Greg Stiemsma has been having his way in the post, scoring six points this half.
The Lions are getting blown out, but it's tough to expect much more without Claxton.
3:55 left in the game
Wisconsin 77 PSU 46
The Lions have gone totally flat since my last post. The arena is now about as full as it was about 30 minutes before tip-off.
It isn't fair, but a lot of students will probably be turned off from Penn State basketball by tonight's game.
Final Score
Wisconsin 80 PSU 55
Just a rough night all around for the Lions. It's hard to say what it all means without knowing the full extent of Claxton's injury, but it's fair to say the momentum from the 2-0 Big Ten start is gone.
It's the start of Big Ten play at the BJC, as the Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-3, 1-1) visit the Penn State Nittany Lions (10-4, 2-0).
The Lions are looking to extend its winning streak to eight games, which would be the longest run in a dozen years. Penn State is looking to challenge 1996's start of four straight conference wins.
The Starters:
Penn State:
G Danny Morrissey
G Talor Battle
F Geary Claxton
F Jamelle Cornley
C Andrew Jones
Minnesota:
G Lawrence McKenzie
G Lawrence Westbrook
F Damian Johnson
F Dan Coleman
C Spencer Tollackson
MIN-6, PSU-3; 15:59 left in first half
The Gophers have made it an effort to force the ball inside early with Tollackson, who has 4 points and two boards already. The Lions scored on their first possession of the game with an open 3 by Morrissey, but they have missed their last six shots. The Minnesota press has been effective thus far, as PSU has three turnovers.
PSU-13, MIN-12; 11:42 left in first half
Mike Walker and D.J. Jackson enter the game for the first time. Pringle got into the game a little bit later. Claxton is the lone offensive threat for the Lions right now, scoring six straight points at one stretch. He has 8 points and six boards. The Gophers are threatening to be in foul trouble early on, having six team fouls in the first eight minutes. This could mean Penn State's free throw shooting may be a factor.
PSU-20, MIN-19; 7:24 left in the first half
Penn State has hit a wall on offense, and the Gopher defense can be given some credit for that. But both teams are turning the ball over frequently, with a lot of travel calls early. As has been the case all season, the Lions are dominating the glass, doubling up Minnesota so far, 16-8. That has helped offset poor shooting from 3 (1-8).
MIN-26, PSU-25; 3:38 left in first half
Battle has a hot streak offensively, but PSU's dominance on the glass is being offset by turnover problems. It is becoming a game of mini-run for both teams. Both teams are having foul troubles, so free throws have become important for both sides.
PSU-38, MIN-35; halftime
The cold shooting from beyond the arc seems to be over, at least for now. Back-to-back 3s pushed the Lions' to a 6-point lead, the largest of the game for either side. A late 3 by Blake Hoffarber cut PSU's lead in half and it was the last score of the half.
First Half Stats
Shooting: PSU- 48 percent, MIN-48 percent
3's: PSU-5-13, MIN-1-7
Rebounding: PSU-19, MIN-13
Turnovers: PSU-10, MIN-8
Leading Scorers: Claxton (PSU)-11, Dan Coleman and Tollackson (MIN)-8 each
PSU-51, MIN-40; 15:30 left
The Lions' 3-point barrage is on. Morrissey is now 5-for-8 on 3-pointers, with two coming in the second half, as Penn State has opened up an 11-point lead, the largest of the game. Also, three Gophers have three fouls: Westbrook, Tollackson and McKenzie. Penn State is also 6-for-7 shooting in the second half thus far.
PSU-58, MIN-50; 11:40 left
The Lions would have to go cold at some stretch in the game, and Minnesota took full advantage, scoring eight straight points to cut PSU's lead to eight. Turnovers are starting to plague Penn State again, but the Gophers do have six team fouls already, comapted to only two for the Lions.
PSU-67, MIN-64; 7:35 left
The Lions continue to strugge with the Gopher press, and Minnesota continues to chip away on what was once a big 16-point PSU advantage. Hoffarber is now 5-for-6 from 3 for the Gophers, as Minnesota tries to pull the made 3-pointers to a closer margin. The Gophers are currently on a 22-9 run.
PSU-70, MIN-70; 3:50 left
The comeback was complete for a moment, as Minnesota erased the 16-point deficit and took the lead before Battle made a huge three to get the crowd back into it. The game is getting very chippy, as both teams are now in the bonus. But the Lions haven't taken full advantage of free throws, hitting just 16-for-30.
PSU-73, MIN-73; 1:18 left
Each possession was a battle. The Lions seemed to try to take it straight underneath the basket in hopes of getting foul shots. They did well to get the calls, but really struggled at the charity stripe, where PSU is 17-for-34.
MIN-76, PSU-73; final
After a missed 3 by Minnesota, the Lions got the ball with 43.9 seconds left. After more missed free throws, this time by Battle, PSU was saved by Claxton with an offensive rebound to give the Lions the last chance, but Al Nolan stole a Claxton pass and the Gophers were on the favorable end of an intentional foul. The Gophers hit three of their four free throws to pull of the comeback win.
Penn State will play its first home game of the Big Ten season against Minnesota at 2 p.m. tomorrow in the Bryce Jordan Center.
The Gophers are a lot like the Nittany Lions in that they have a good record, but have not really proven themselves yet. The Gophers boast a solid 11-3 record, but they are 1-1 in the Big Ten with the only win coming over Northwestern. Their only non-conference win over a major conference opponent was against Iowa State.
With a win tomorrow, Penn State (10-4, 2-0, Big Ten) would win its eighth straight game, which would be the longest winning streak since the Lions won seven straight in the 2000-2001 season. It would also give the Lions a 3-0 start in conference play, which would be its best since starting 1995-1996, when Penn State won its first four conference games.
The game will be televised by Big Ten Network, and most of America will not be able to watch. If you're in this predicament, check out the blog tomorrow as we will be updating live from the game again after taking the Winter holidays off.
Howdy yall, it's your eye in the sky Andrew Wible coming at ya from the Bryce Jordan Center for the Lady Lions matchup against Northwestern.
Here are the starting lineups
Lady Lions (11-4, 2-1 Big Ten)
G - Brianne O'Rourke
G - Tyra Grant
G - Mashea Williams
G - Kam Gissendanner
F - Rashida Mark
Northwestern (4-11, 0-3)
G - Nadia Bibbs (5-foot-7)
G - Meshia Reed (5-foot-8)
G - Jenny Eckhart (5-foot-9)
F - Ellen Jaeschke (6-foot-2)
C - Amy Jaeschke (6-foot-5)
Couple quick notes before the tip: Penn State freshman G/F Julia Trogele is in uniform for the first time since late November after battling a bout of mono ... Northwestern is in its road purple uniforms, not to sound sexist, but they look a little more appropriate than they do on the men's team ... The Lady Lions are currently riding a three-game conference winning streak, which has them in a five-way tie for second in the conference.
15:44 remaining first half: PSU 7 NW 4
O'Rourke opened the game by draining a 3-pointer. Gissendanner followed with a layup underneath and a jumper from 15 feet to give the Lady Lions the lead. The four points made Gissendanner the 30th Lady Lion to score 1,000 career points in blue and white.
11:55 remaining first half: PSU 17 NW 10
Gissendanner continues to light it up as she drained a three from the wing and is awaiting a pair of free throws after the timeout. She leads all scorers with seven points and is regaining her form as one of the Lady Lions premire scorers. Evelyn Lewis has entered the game for the Lady Lions presumably to try to stop 6-foot-2 Ellen Jaeschke who has six of Northwestern's 10 points.
7:37 remaining first half: PSU 25 NW 16
Grant has caught Gissendanner's hot touch and has also racked-up nine points already this half, including a pair of breakaway layups fed by long O'Rourke passes. This game could get ugly, but Penn State has made some careless turnovers, which could keep the Wildcats in the contest longer than they really should.
2:58 remaining first half: PSU 30 NW 22
Well, the careless mistakes have reared their ugly head for the Lady Lions. Poor shot selection, missed foul shots and a charge have allowed Northwestern to remaining fairly close. Ellen Jaeschke continues to be the most painful thorn in Penn State's side with 10 points, all coming on easy inside buckets.
Halftime: PSU 32 NW 24
Penn State is clearly the more talented team, but eight Lady Lion turnovers have kept this game in doubt at the break. Penn State is ahead because it has shot much better from the field (44.8% to 32.4%) and from beyond the arc (44.4% to 0%), which has made the difference thus far. It'll be interesting to see if the team comes out of the break with any added fire because Washington cannot be totally pleased with her team's performance during the latter stages of the first half.
First Half Quickie Stats:
PSU NW
Field Goal Shooting 13-of-29 (44.8%) 11-of-34 (32.4%)
3-point Shooting 4-of-9 (44.4%) 0-of-7 (0.0%)
Free Throws 2-of-6 (33.3%) 2-of-2 (100%)
Rebounds 23 18
Turnovers 8 5
First Half Individual Stats
Penn State
Tyra Grant -- 12 pts, 2-for-2 from 3
Kam Gissendanner -- 9 pts
Brianne O'Rourke -- 3 pts, 5 assists, 5 rebs
Northwestern
Ellen Jaeschke -- 12 pts
Nadia Bibbs -- 2 pts, 5 assists
17:55 remaining second half: PSU 40 NW 26
Washington must have said something right, the Lady Lions have come out on an 8-2 run to extend their lead to double-digits. The run started with a Mark putback off of a Grant missed three, followed by layups from Williams, Gissendanne and O'Rourke. Penn State could run the Wildcats off the court and it looks as though that might be what the Lady Lions are trying to do.
16:35 remaining second half some lucky Lady Lion fan just got a unique souvenir. When Grant fell to the floor her hairtie came off and she threw it into the crowd. Reminds me of the time I picked up Orlando Pace's mouthpiece after an Ohio State-Penn State game in Beaver Stadium. Unfortunately, my mom made me throw it away. That could be worth some big bucks today, but most likely itd just be pretty disgusting and disease-riddled.
11:38 remaining second half: PSU 50 NW 38
It's been rather ho-hum since the opening barrage with both teams exchanging baskets, turnovers and foul shots. Grant and Gissendanner continue the lead the Lady Lions with 18 and 13 points respectively. It's still anyone's game down the stretch, but the Lady Lions are clearly the better team and will be kicking themselves for awhile if they let Northwestern keep the game close.
8:19 remaining second half: PSU 57 NW 41
A pair of missed Northwestern shots and long O'Rourke outlet passes led to a 5-0 Penn State run and has ballooned the Lady Lions' lead to 16 with less than 10 minutes to play. This should be a comfortable cushion as long as Penn State can hit its free throws and not turn the ball over.
Final: PSU 72 NW 53
It took awhile, but the Lady Lions finally flexed their muscle and proved to be the superior team on the court. They held onto the ball and limited their turnovers during the second half and kept shooting well which was enough to pull away from the Wildcats.
Geary Claxton was named the Big Ten Player of the Week today, the second time he has earned that honor this season and the fourth time of his career,
Claxton posted double-doubles in all three games last week, helping Penn State win its first two conference games on the road.
The Nittany Lions return to action against Minnesota this Saturday at 2 p.m at the Bryce Jordan Center, and it will also be our return as we will be blogging live again from the game.
MT. WOLF, Pa. -- Howdy yall, it's your trusty Lady Lions reporter Andrew Wible and I'll be bringing you all of the action from Penn State's game at Michigan State today.
Now you might be wondering, wait, isn't Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. and not Mt. Wolf, Pa.? Well you're right, but thanks to the magic of television, the game is streaming into my living room in live, action-packed living color.
As mentioned in previous posts, the key for Michigan State is 6-foot-9 sophomore center Allyssa DeHaan. Don't adjust your computer screens, you read that right, she's 6-foot-9, but I think I've hit on that enough.
Potentially god omen for the Lady Lions, Brianne O'Rourke is sporting the cornrows for this game, the last time she wore them, Penn State upset then-No. 11 Duke in November.
Starting Lineups:
Penn State
G -- Brianne O'Rourke
G -- Mashea Williams
G -- Kam Gissendanner
G -- Tyra Grant
F -- Rashida Mark
Michigan State
F -- Alisa Wulff (6-foot)
G -- Brittney Thomas (5-foot-10)
F -- Cetera Washington (6-foot)
F -- Kalisha Keane (6-foot-1)
C -- Allyssa DeHaan (6-foot-9)
15:29 remaining first half: PSU 10 MSU 6
The Lady Lions appear more composed early on, which is suprising considering they're on the road. They have hit more shots, and a Williams three-point play and O'Rourke 3-pointer have given Penn State the lead. DeHaan received a cheap, early offensive foul against Mark and immediately was sent to the bench. Penn State's next possession without DeHaan on the floor went to freshman forward Janessa Wolff in the post for a relatively easy layup. DeHaan must stay on the floor for Michigan State to stay in the game.
10:05 remaining first half: PSU 22 MSU 17
It's been a back and forth affair with each team mounting mini runs. Penn State has been on from long-range early on with Williams, O'Rourke and Grant all hitting 3s. DeHaan has woken up for the Spartans. She has three blocks and six points already and it's becoming evident that Michigan State needs to settle into its halfcourt offense and work the ball through DeHaan. Almost every time the Spartans have rushed a shot, Penn State has been able to run in transition with positive results, including a pretty three-on-one break that started with O'Rourke passing to Gissendanner who passed to Williams for the finish. Fast-break opportunities will allow the Lady Lions to beat Michigan State, and more importantly DeHaan, down the court.
6:41 remaining first half: MSU 29 PSU 28
Michigan State has found its stroke from the outside and has been able to shoot itself back in the game. Also, having the tallest player on the court cleaning the glass doesn't hurt either. DeHaan leads all scorers with eight points and the Lady Lions haven't been able to body her up and force her away from the basket. DeHaan is tall, but is not very strong, she can be pushed around and if Penn State can find a way to keep her from the basket, it can even the rebounding battle.
Halftime: PSU 37 MSU 36
There was some good basketball and some horrific basketball throughout this first half. The Lady Lions fouled twice during the final 20 seconds and allowed the Spartans to close the lead to one. It's still either team's game, and a lot will depend on how Penn State will be able to defend and potentially limit DeHaan in the second half. She leads Michigan State with 10 points, has blocked four attempts, and altered several others. DeHaan has forced the Lady Lions to take akeward shots near the basket to avoid potential blocks.
The second half started with some sloppy ball handling by both teams. The Lady Lions committed a pair of turnovers on their first two possessions, but Michigan State wasn't able to extend its lead past one. Then the turnover bug hit the Spartans and Penn State was able to convert with back-to-back-to-back transition layups, two by Williams and one by O'Rourke and extend its lead to five.
11:21 remaining second half: PSU 49 MSU 47
Neither team is taking advantage of opportunities to build a decent lead. Michigan State has missed multiple layups and has turned the ball over 18 times, but Penn State hasn't been able to capitalize on the Spartan freebies. Michigan State has also gone away from DeHaan, with the Spartans shooting more outside and mid-range jumpshots. They've been hitting a good amount of them, but if they'd get the ball to DeHaan more, the Spartans might be able to pull away, but Penn State has also been doing to a fairly good job defensively against DeHaan. It's still anyone's game and we'll see what happens.
7:44 remaining second half: PSU 56 MSU 51
Mashea Williams is quietly becoming the Lady Lions' most steady players, and perhaps one of the top players in the conference. After taking the game-winning charge against Illinois on Wednesday, she already has 18 points, five rebounds and five assists today. She has turned it on during the second half with 11 points, including five in a row by tipping in a Grant airball and driving to earn a three-point play. However, the Spartans have not gone away and continue to hang with Penn State and stay in the game. But if Michigan State wants to win, DeHaan can't settle for jumpshots from the fouline and the offense must run through her in the low post.
5:25 remaining second half: PSU 63 MSU 51
The Lady Lions have started to pull away and Michigan State coach Suzy Merchant could sense it and called a timeout to try to calm her team and motivate it to mount a comeback. The dagger before the timeout was an O'Rourke 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down to put Penn State up by double-digits. This lead should help Washington and crew relax a little bit, but again, with the Lady Lions, nothing can be taken for granted on the road.
CBS just showed Washington's lil' two-year-old son Quenton at the game. The commentators said he was playing with bubbles at practice on Friday and that he's already a "gym rat." Maybe he'll lead the Penn State men to the Final Four one day . . .
Final: PSU 69 MSU 57
The Lady Lions simply dominated the final 10 minutes of the game and were able to finally earn a rather stress-free win. The Spartans began forcing shots down the stretch and it was over as Penn State iced the game at the foul line. Brianne O'Rourke led all scorers with a game-high 23 points, four assists and six rebounds. Mashea Williams carried the Lady Lions through the middle of the second half and finished with 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds. The balanced scoring allowed Penn State to simply overwhelm the Spartans with scoring options as the Lady Lions snapped an almost two-year conference road losing streak (their last Big Ten road win was on Jan. 22, 2006 at Northwestern).
This could be a huge win for the Lady Lions' psyche and also boosts them into the logjam at the top of the Big Ten. They have made a statement that they can in fact win on the road and set themselves up for an ultra-competitive Big Ten season.
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MT. WOLF, Pa. -- They must grow 'em big in Michigan. The Lady Lions (10-4, 1-1 Big Ten) head to East Lansing, Mich. to take on the Michigan State Spartans at noon on Saturday. Michigan State (9-6, 1-2) currently sits in a tie for ninth in the conference.
But given Penn State's road struggles, nothing can be taken for granted outside Happy Valley. Especially given the Spartans' BIG inside presence.
Michigan State boasts the nation's tallest player, 6-foot-9 center Allyssa DeHaan. In the words of Michigan State radio host Mikey V, letmerepeatdatforya, 6-foot-friggin-9!!!!
She'd be the third tallest player on the Penn State men's team.
And it's not like Spartan head coach Suzy Merchant just trots DeHaan on the floor to intimidate opponents. She already holds the school record for career blocks ... as a sophomore. She also set the Big Ten single-season block record with 145 as a freshman.
This season, DeHaan has become more of an offensive threat, averaging 16.2 points and 8.1 rebounds. But don't think she's lost any of her power on defense, she already has 70 blocks this season, averaging 4.6 per contest.
There's no doubt she will literally be the Lady Lions' biggest challenge this season.
How is Coquese Washington supposed to prepare her team for a 6-foot-9 center when she's half of a foot taller than the tallest Lady Lion?
I covered the men's team last season and forward Andrew Jones was given the duty of -posing as 7-foot Ohio State big man Greg Oden, but Jones was only giving up three inches, how do you simulate half a foot? Get out the brooms and chairs, the lane is going to be crowded.
Howdy yall, this is your ever-vigilant Lady Lion reporter Andrew Wible and I'lll be bringing you all of tonight's action as Penn State returns to the Bryce Jordan Center for its Big Ten home opener against Illinois.
Coming off of its loss to Iowa last week, Penn State (9-4, 01 Big Ten) looks to bounce back against conference-leading Illinois (10-3, 2-0). This is a big game for both teams as a tough road victory could prove the Illini are a contender for the conference crown, while the Lady Lions must hold serve at home to stay in championship contention.
Starting Lineups
Penn State
G -- Tyra Grant
G -- Brianne O'Rourke
G -- Mashea Williams
G -- Kam Gissendanner
F -- Rashida Mark
Illinois
5-foot-11 G -- Lori Bjork
6-foot G -- Chelsea Gordon
6-foot F -- Lacey Simpson
6-foot-3 F -- Jenna Smith
6-foot-2 F -- Danyel Crutcher
Illini of note:
-- Smith leads the Big Ten with 18.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per contest
-- Gordon was high school teammates with current Lady Lion Mashea Williams at Mercyhurst Prep in Erie, Pa.
On a personal note, I think Illinois' road orange uniforms may be some of the snazziest unis in basketball. Maybe it's becaue they're the color of the ball, I don't know, but they look pretty gosh-darn cool. Take a look http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper736/stills/6x8386k6.jpg
(image courtesy of the Daily Illini)
11:23 remaining first half: PSU 15 Ill. 13
O'Rourke leads all scorers with eight points, including 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. Both teams appear evenly matched, although the Illini aren't trying to exploit their height advantage after an opening six-point run. Since the opening salvo when the Illini converted three straight easy layups in the paint, five of Illinois' 13 shot attempts have come from the land of 3.
7:14 remaining first half: PSU 18 Ill. 15
Both teams appear comfortable at the current pace, and have been playing, for the most part, solid ball. For the first time, at least at home, maybe all year, the Lady Lions have put two "true" post players on the court at the same time. Freshmen Evelyn Lewis and Janessa Wolff have done a decent job of limiting the Illini's looks in the paint and have allowed the Penn State's guards to score.
3:45 remaining first half: PSU 20 Ill. 20
Pretty back and forth contest, with the Illini using a Bjork three and pullup jumper from guard Rebecca Harris straight to pull even with the Lady Lions. During one sequence with less than four minutes remaining, Penn State's Tyra Grant committed a turnover, got a steal on defense and then turned it over again on offense. Lady Lion head coach Coquese Washington has sat Grant before for losing focus and becoming selfish and Washington spoke privately with Grant during the timeout. We'll see how her words affect Grant.
Halftime Ill. 30 PSU 24
The Illini finished the half on a 15-4 run to take a six-point lead into the locker room. Penn State appeared flat after the under four minute timeout and Illinois took advantage with several easy layups and short-range jumpers. The two teams are even in almost every statistical category, except for field goal percentage, where Illinois holds a 48.1% to 30.8% advantage. So basically, the Illini are making more shots, which could be expected considering they're getting easy looks while the Lady Lions have had to force shots in traffic or settle for outside jump shots. Penn State must find a way to limit Illinois' touches in the paint during the second half, while I'm sure the Illini would be happy to continue doing what they've been doing.
15:52 remaining second hlaf: Ill. 34 PSU 30
The two teams have traded baskets. The Lady Lions have gotten some better looks, every attempt has been in the paint, while defensively, Penn State's post defense has not allowed the Illini cheap baskets.
On a side note, seeing as how it's winter break, I didn't expect much of a crowd here at the BJC, but it's decently sized, especially considering it's a Wednesday evening.
11:29 remaining second half: Ill. 39 PSU 37
The Lady Lions have clawed back and have the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead for the first time since midway through the first half. A pair of jumpers from Mashea Williams and Meredith Monroe (whose banked jumper wouldn't count on the street courts where I play cause I never heard her call 'glass') cut the Illinois lead to two, and an Illini turnover has finally gotten the crowd back in the game. If Penn State can take a lead here, it could be a very interesting game during the final 10 minutes.
7:57 remaining second half: PSU 41 Ill. 39
A pair of made foul shots by both Tyra Grant and Brianne O'Rourke have given the Lady Lions their first lead since 4:21 remaining in the first half. Penn State has the ball with a chance to extend its lead.
Also, the Nittany Lion just finished doing theYMCA, quite a sight to behold. Maybe even more fun to watch, the fans in their 70s or 80s dancing to the village people, classic. I might have to invite them to my next party.
3:23 remaining second half: PSU 45 Ill. 45
The two teams have exchanged mini runs, with a Grant running jumper tieing the game at 45. For a long stretch, Illinois kept forcing shots and couldn't find the net for almost seven minutes, but the Illini offense has awaken, revived by a Bjork three. This looks to remain tight down the stretch, it should be a barnburner.
Final PSU 49 Ill. 48
You can't really draw them up quie like this one ended. After Tyra Grant put Penn State head 49-48 with 9.9 seconds remaining, Illinois had one last chance to win the game. Illini guard Rebecca Harris drove the length of the court, slashed into the paint and laid home what appeared to be a game-winning layup, but she was called for charging after colliding with Mashea Williams to end the game.
Post game quotes:
Illinois head coach Jolette Law on the final play: "I have no comment"
Mashea Williams on the final play: "That was my first charge of the year, note that."
Tyra Grant on the final play: "I heard the whistle, I thought they were gonna call something crazy then I saw mush on the ground, they called a charge, and I jumped up and almost touched the JumboTron."
Coquese Washington on the final play: "Matter of fact, I didn't even hear the whistle, I just kinda put my head down and I saw our team like jumping and I was like what happened? Then I looked up and the ref was going 'charge' and I was like 'oh my God, I can't believe we got a charge, first of all, but a game-winning charge. Pop the champagne that was unbelievable."
Comments
Penn State picked up its first road win since Feb. 18, 2006 and won its Big Ten opener tonight with a 79-68 win over Northwestern.
Although Northwestern plays the Princeton offense like Princeton and Denver, tonight's game featured a lot more offense than Penn State's contests against those teams.
It was an encouraging offensive performance for the Nittany Lions, who had four players score in double figures. Jamelle Cornley led the way with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Geary Claxton added 18 points and 11 rebounds. Stanley Pringle also had the best game of his career, as he scored 17 points, including a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point range.
Ed DeChellis played Claxton and Cornley for 40 minutes each, and he played a smaller lineup that featured that pair, Pringle, Battle and D.J. Jackson for most of the game. Andrew Jones and Jeff Brooks played only six minutes each and Brandon Hassell did not play. It will be interesting to see if DeChellis sticks with that strategy this Sunday against Illinois, as the Illini, led by the 6-foot-10 Shaun Pruitt, have much more of an inside presence than Northwestern.
At the very least, the Lions should have a lot of confidence heading into Sunday's game.
Happy New Year everybody. The holidays are over, and so is Penn State's non-conference schedule. The Nittany Lions have emerged with an 8-4 record and begin Big Ten play tonight against Northwestern. Tip-off is at 9 p.m. at Welsh-Ryan arena in Evanston, Ill. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
Both teams are riding winning streaks, as the Lions have won their last five games and the Wildcats have won their last four. Northwestern will also be boosted by the return of last year's leading scorer, Kevin Coble, who will be in uniform for the first time this season after taking time off to be with his mother, who is undergoing cancer treatment.
This game is an extremely important one for Penn State, evidenced by the fact that the team scheduled non-conference games with Princeton and Denver in preparation for Northwestern. Both teams run the Princeton offense also employed by the Wildcats (5-4).
Northwestern is the only Big Ten team that Penn State has a winning record against. The Lions are 20-12 all-time against the Wildcats.
A win tonight would give the Lions their first road win since winning at Purdue on Feb. 18, 2006.
