WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Coaches Caravan bus rolled south on I-95 for day
two of the first leg on Wednesday morning en route for a lunch stop at the Inner
Harbor in Baltimore and an evening reception in Washington, D.C.
More than 225 fans at lunch and 375 enthusiastic attendees at dinner greeted an all-star cast of Penn State coaches,
which included Bill O'Brien, Patrick Chambers, Cael Sanderson and Coquese
Washington. Take a look through some highlights
on day two, which included an entertaining evening stop in the nation's capital.
Stop III - Baltimore (Sheraton Inner
Harbor) The Baltimore crowd was greeted with a treat on Wednesday morning as
coaches from four major Penn State programs took the opportunity to meet,
mingle and address a room filled with Penn State fans and alums. Joining O'Brien and Chambers on day two of
the Caravan were two coaches with Big Ten Coach of the Year accolades from the
2012-13 season in Sanderson and Washington.
Washington, who led the Lady Lions to a second-straight Big Ten title and
third-consecutive NCAA Tournament trip this season, spoke to the crowd first.
"It's fantastic to see so much support from Baltimore," Washington said.
Washington added that she will be thrilled for the Penn State fans in the
Baltimore to be able to see the Lady Lions in person when Maryland joins the
Big Ten prior to the 2014-15 season.
Washington highlighted her team's march to a second-straight conference
title and updated the crowd on what lies ahead for her young team in the fall.
"We have seven freshmen coming in this summer.
Baltimore, please pray for me," Washington joked.
To close her speech, Washington expressed her appreciation for what all of the
Penn State fans do for each and every program on campus.
"For us to do what we do, you guys are a part of our team," Washington said.
Fresh off leading the Penn State wrestling team to its third-straight NCAA
title, Sanderson received a standing ovation as he was introduced to the
crowd. O'Brien was among the first
people in the room to stand and applaud for Sanderson, who walked to the
microphone clad in a dark suit with a blue "O'Brien's Lions" T-shirt on under
his jacket.
"I think that was probable for the T-shirt," Sanderson joked as he opened his
jacket. "That's why O'Brien stood up
first (laughter)."
Coach Chambers explained to the crowd that he and his staff spend a lot of time
recruiting in the Baltimore area. Like
he did on day one, the leader of Nittany Lion basketball told the crowd to
expect an exciting, high-paced attack on the hardwood when the Lions take the
floor in the fall.
O'Brien spoke last during the luncheon.
He kicked off his speech with a sarcastic congratulatory message to the
fans of the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in the room, which drew a
great deal of laughter. Additionally, he
told the crowd how he and strength coach Craig Fitzgerald Googled Cael
Sanderson's name to marvel over his athletic and coaching accomplishments,
which again created a roar of laughter from the crowd of 225.
The Nittany Lions currently have 11 players on the football roster from
Maryland, many of which play a very prominent role on the team. With that being said, O'Brien talked about
the importance of recruiting in Maryland and how the program will continue to
emphasize the importance of finding talent in Maryland.
As was the case in Reading and Philadelphia, all four coaches used the Caravan
stop to say thank you for the support.
Without the core group of supporters, like the ones in the room at
Baltimore, the Penn State athletic programs would not be the same.
"You are the foundation. Without you
guys we are not possible," Chambers said.
VIDEO: Baltimore Press Conference with Coach
O'Brien
Stop IV: Washington (Hyatt Regency) The Coaches Caravan moved
south after the Baltimore stop to the nation's capital for the fourth program
on the first week. In front of a lively
crowd of 375, O'Brien, Chambers, Sanderson and Washington delivered a superb
series of speeches on Wednesday night.
"You all are a lively bunch. This is
going to be a fun evening," Washington said to open the program.
The four coaches deserve a great deal of credit for their presentations, but
the fans and alums in attendance made the Washington, D.C. event one of the
best in the two years of the Coaches Caravan.
From start to finish, the crowd was enthusiastic and energetic inside
the Regency Ballroom.
Sanderson, who spoke second, put on a display of stand-up comedy at the podium
during his five-plus minutes at the microphone.
Wearing his second piece of Bill O'Brien fan gear of the day, Sanderson
donned a "Billieve" shirt under his suit jacket.
From ribbing Coach Chambers about the work he has ahead of him to telling Coach
O'Brien that the reason everyone is a fan of his is because he goes for it on
fourth down every chance he gets, Sanderson had the crowd roaring with
laughter.
"How many times do they really go for it on fourth down?" Sanderson joked.
Chambers picked up right where Sanderson left off, telling the D.C. crowd about
how he had been mistaken for Sanderson on several occasions in Baltimore and
prior to the evening event Washington.
He joked that he even signed a few autographs with Sanderson's
signature.
"He's a beast! I'm just a skinny point guard (laughter)," Chambers said.
Outside of the comical speeches from all four, the theme of Wednesday night
centered on the folks in the room, the core Penn State fans, as O'Brien has
called the group throughout the Caravan.
It is people like the enthusiastic crowd in Washington, D.C. that make
Penn State sporting events and its programs so special.
Like Sanderson said during his speech about what his message is to recruits -
"When you come to Penn State, you will be a part of something special," he
said. The same holds true for the fans. When you support Penn State sports teams,
whether it be fans or alums or both, you will become a part of something very
special, much bigger than wins and losses on the field of play.
"This is one of the best crowds we've had since we've done this for two years,"
O'Brien said.
The Caravan moves to Lancaster and Camp Hill on Thursday to cap off week one.
VIDEO: Washington Press Conference with
Coaches O'Brien, Washington and Sanderson
Miles Covered on Day One - 203 miles Miles Covered on Day Two - 147 miles
Caravan Total - 350 miles
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Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony
BATON
ROUGE, La. - Sports can be a cruel thing sometimes and on Tuesday night inside
the Pete Maravich Assembly Center fate dealt the No. 8 Penn State Lady Lion a
cruel defeat.
It was almost a full calendar year ago - 359 days to be exact - when most of
these same Lady Lion players celebrated in front of LSU as they advanced to the
Sweet Sixteen. On this night, however, the Tigers got their revenge and marched
on to Spokane, Wash. for a date with Cal in the round of 16.
It wasn't really anything that Penn State did wrong, either. They just ran into
a motivated group, on their home floor, in front of a passionate fan base.
"I felt like we really played hard," said junior Ariel Edwards. "The effort was there, but
there were some things we needed to be sharper on. It's disappointing, but we
can use this as a learning tool for next year and pass along those lessons to
the new girls coming in for next season."
That
effort really showed on the floor, too. This was probably the best game that
the Lady Lions played as a unit all season. They shared the ball well, forced
LSU to play at their pace, at times, and were played well on the offensive end,
even with Maggie Lucas limited to just two made field goals.
That effort wasn't enough to keep the tears away after the game in the locker
room and or take the lump out of head coach Coquese Washington's throat when
she was asked about her senior class.
"Our seniors have given so much to this program," said Washington, "They have
given so much to their teammates. They are the reason that we we're in this position
and we were able to re-establish Penn State as one of the elite programs. It was
on the backs of Nikki Greene, Mia Nickson, Gizelle Studevent, Marisa Wolfe and
Alex Bentley that we were able to [rebuild this program]."
One can only imagine what was going through those five seniors minds as the
final seconds ticked off the clocks, but Edwards, who had one of her best
games of the season, summed up her thoughts on the seniors in a fitting way.
"Our senior class was filled with people who are natural born leaders," said
Edwards. "All of them have pushed me to become better, all of them have pushed
the younger players to become better and they played their hearts out
tonight...we are going to miss them."
Inspirational, heart and soul and dedicated were just some of the words that
teammates used to describe the five seniors who came to Penn State when the
program was in the midst of four straight losing seasons.
This group played a major role in this rebirth from the minute they stepped on
campus and did it because they loved what Penn State stands for and cared for
one and other.
"We worked really hard to get here," said senior Mia Nickson. "The last four years have been great,
starting from where we were until now, of course we wanted it to end better and
it's going to be hard to swallow, this being our last game and everything, but
we wish the team great success, and we're looking forward to what they're going
to do next year."
Next year is in front of the six returners, but we have to look at where the
script began to appreciate what the five seniors have done.
They arrived after an 11-18 campaign and promptly righted the ship with a 17-14
season. That placed them sixth in the Big Ten and earned a berth into the WNIT,
but as a great storyteller would say; it's not always about how you begin the
story, it's the ending that people will remember.
After bowing out in the opening round of the WNIT to Hofstra as rookies, this
group took the Big Ten by storm and pushed the Lady Lions back into the
national spotlight.
A second place finish in the Big Ten and an appearance in the second round of the
NCAA Tournament as sophomores was just a preheating.
The Lady Lions really started cooking with gas, to steal an expression from Bob
Hope, in 2011-12 when they captured the programs first Big Ten title in eight
years and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen with a win on the same floor their
season ended on tonight.
The second straight Big Ten crown was earned this season, cementing this group's
legacy, but they meant so much more just accolades and victories.
"The spirit of these five senior will resonate in this program," said
Washington. "[Our seniors] are women of character and women courage. They came
to Penn State to reestablish a tradition...I couldn't be prouder of them."
In the end, it was a great basketball game, minus the final results, between two
teams that took each other's best shots. They traded scoring runs, defensive
stops and big shot after big shot, but LSU was able to score when it mattered
most.
That is something that will have to stick with the six returners on next year's
team as they head into the offseason.
"I hope that everyone remembers this and how hard it was to get here." said
Edwards. "That is the one thing that we need to take with us from this game."
BATON, ROUGE, La. - Head into the media room following Penn State's
71-66 setback to LSU in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament at the Maravich
Assembly Center. Penn State finishes off
a terrific season with a 26-6 overall record and a Big Ten regular season
title.
Follow
GoPSUsports.com's Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony
UNIVERSITY
PARK, Pa. - Throughout the 2013 NCAA Tournament you can follow along with all
of the happenings and latest news with the Lady Lions on their quest for a trip
to the Final Four New Orleans.
The GoPSUsports.com blog team will keep you up-to-date with continued coverage
of the team from Selection Monday through the end of their stay in the NCAA
Women's Basketball Championships. Check the schedule below to find features,
in-depth analysis, photo, video and in-game blogs that will be updated daily
for your enjoyment.
More content will be added as the Lady Lions continue their match towards the
Final Four in New Orleans and their quest for a National Championship.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Welcome back to in-game
coverage of 2012-13 Lady Lions women's basketball season. Insight
and reaction will be provided by GoPSUsports.com throughout the NCAA Women's
Basketball Tournament, so check back often as the postseason progresses.
Penn State
(26-6) was unable to shake shorthanded LSU (22-11) in their second round
contest at the Pete Maravich Center on the Louisiana State campus. Take a quick
look at how the back-and-forth affair unfolded between the two teams and eventually
ended with the Lady Lions on the wrong end of the 71-66 affair.
PHOTO
BLOG - Images from LSU game day at the NCAA Tournament
Today's Game Preview in 140 Characters: Another trip 2 Sweet 16 runs through LSU. #PennState
must establish tempo early, contest versatile Plaisance, keep LSU D off balance
& rebound First Five on the Floor (Starting lineups)
Lady Lions - G- Bentley, G- Lucas, G- Taylor, F- Nickson, C- Greene Lady Tigers- G- Ballard, G- Lutley, G-
Webb, F- Plaisance, C- McKinney
1st Half: 15:14 - No. 8/8 Penn State 9, LSU
7
LSU came out riding the momentum from a very vocal crowd to grab an early 5-0
lead, but Penn State weathered the storm
and lead by two thanks to three baskets in the early going for Alex Bentley.
The Tiger are going to be without guard Jeanne Kenney tonight, who collided with
a teammate late in the Green Bay victory and had to be carried off the court,
so the LSU bench has only two players on it. Penn State has been playing a fast,
up-and-down pace and will need to continue to push the ball against a very good
matchup zone.
1st Half: 11:28 - No. 8/8 Penn State 12,
LSU 15
LSU has figured out the pace of this game, but Penn State has been moving a little
too fast and seem a little frustrated with the style of play right now. The Lady
Tigers are really coming at the Lady Lions, forcing four early turnovers and a
host of rushed shots. LSU, who shot just 27 percent from three point territory this
season, hit nine three points vs. Green Bay and have knocked down two already
tonight. Bentley had the three early baskets, but nothing since then, and Maggie
Lucas has yet to get a shot off. Both of those things need to change if PSU is
going to stay in this game.
1st Half: 7:27 - No. 8/8 Penn State 21, LSU
26
Penn State is getting beat at its own game right now. LSU is pushing the Lady
Lions around with PSU has possession and they are creating turnovers and tuning
them into easy baskets. As I asked in my previous paragraph, Bentley hit her
second three pointer of the night and Lucas is on the board with a pair of free
throws, but it is still a long road for the Lady Lions in this one and LSU has
Uncle Mo on their side right now, shooting 58 percent from the floor with 12
points in the paint. Nikki Greene will be at the line shooting two coming out
of the break.
1st Half: 3:47 - No. 8/8 Penn State 35, LSU
33
Trailing by eight points with 10:28 to go in the half, Penn State looked like
they were completely out of sync, but Bentley and Dara Taylor have turned up
the pressure defensively and forced a couple of turnovers that has led to some easy baskets. The
Lady Lions have started to find a little bit of flow on the offensive side. There
has been a lot of contact and a few bodies have hit the floor. Penn State has
three players with two fouls (Bentley, Edwards and Waldner), while LSU has only
Bianca Lutley with two.
End of 1st Half - No. 8/8 Penn State 42,
LSU 35
Alex Bentley and Nikki Greene have carried the offensive load for the Lady
Lions in the first half, scoring over
half of the team's points in the opening 20 minutes. Bentley has 14 points on
6-of-9 shooting with two assists and three rebounds, while Greene was 3-for-4
from the field and hit all four of her free throws to account for 10 points.
It didn't seem like LSU had a lot of gas in the tank as the half wore on, but
Penn State wasn't pressing the issue on the defensive end due to some pseudo foul
trouble. Bentley, Ariel Edwards, Mia Nickson and Tori Waldner all had two fouls
in the opening half.
LSU shot 50 percent and Penn State connected on 51 percent of their shots
during the first 20 minutes and each team ended the half with seven assists.
Penn State holds a slight edge on the boards (15-14), turned the ball over two
fewer times (7-9) and had two more steals (6-4).
The Lady Lions closed the half with a 21-9 run to stretch their lead to seven
points heading into the break. When leading at the half, Penn State is 20-2 on
the season. The Lions let a four point lead slip away at Wisconsin during the regular
season and led by two points vs. Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals
at the half.
2nd Half: 17:05 - No. 8/8 Penn State 42,
LSU 43
Penn State has three turnovers already in the second half and LSU has made them
pay with an 8-0 run to open the second half and recaptured the lead for the
first time since the 4:37 mark of the first half. After making the adjustment
to the physicality of LSU in the first half, the Tigers have raddled the Lady
Lions cage again here to open the second half. PSU will need to get back to the
fast pace of play and try to ware down the shorthanded LSU squad.
2nd Half: 11:51 - No. 8/8 Penn State 52,
LSU 55
LSU's senior duo of Adrienne Webb and Biana Lutley have put the roster of just
seven on their shoulders and are carrying the Tigers towards the upset. Webb
has 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting, while Lutley is 5-of-8 from the field and
has 12 points. Maggie Lucas has one field goal already in the second half,
after hitting just one in the opening 20 minutes, but it has been Ariel Edwards
providing the offensive spark early in the second with six of the team's 10
points. LSU is shooting 81 percent from the field so far this half, compared to
just 33 percent for PSU.
2nd Half: 7:56 - No. 8/8 Penn State 58, LSU
55
There hasn't really been one player you can point to that has carried the Lady
Lions against LSU, it has just been a team effort and they will need that to
continue down the stretch if they want to win this game. Nikki Greene already
has a double-double with 14 points and 14 huge rebounds, including seven on the
offensive end. Dara Taylor is doing a nice job on the offensive side of the
ball and is keeping the game at a steady Lady Lions pace. Webb continues to hound
Maggie Lucas, who is just 2-for-7 from the field in the game, and Lucas hasn't had
an open look really this half.
2nd Half: 3:29 - No. 8/8 Penn State 62, LSU
60
Folks if you are just reading what I am writing, you need to find a TV with
ESPN2, ASAP. This game is going to be a Maalox Masher coming down the stretch. LSU
and Penn State have been trading punches - figuratively - the entire game and
it doesn't seem that either team is going to give an inch to the other. The
Tigers are shooting a tad better than PSU from the floor, 45 percent to 34
percent in the second half, and Penn State has yet to connect on a three
pointer this half.
The LSU faithful is trying to cheer their team to the finish line, but will
Lucas, Bentley and the rest of the Lady Lions be able to grab their second win
in front of a hostile crowd? Tune in and watch, but keep reading, as well.
FINAL - No. 8/8 Penn State 66, LSU 71
It was all that I thought it would be inside the PMAC. I knew that LSU would
play inspired in front of their home crowd, but with a short bench I was not
sure if they would be able to keep up with the Lady Lions for a full 40
minutes. Well, they proved me wrong.
After Penn State built a five point lead, 60-55, with 7:54 to play, LSU
proceeded to close the game on a 16-6 run behind the efforts of Lutley and
Webb. The pair of LSU guards combined for 47 of the team's 71 points, and were
the only two LSU players in double figures.
It seemed like each time that LSU needed a hoop they got it, followed by an
eruption from the 3,055 fans in the stands, and the Lady Lions just couldn't
find a rhythm in the second half on either end.
Maggie Lucas ended the game with just nine points on 2-of-10 shooting and was
locked up by Webb for most of the night. Greene made her last game in the blue and
white count with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Bentley netted 14 points in her
last game at PSU. Ariel Edwards had 10 of her 13 points in the second half.
What To Look For:
- Penn State has enjoyed the No. 3 seed in the NCAA
Tournament since first grabbing the seed in the 1985 bracket. In their fifth
trip to the national tournament as the third seed, Penn State has advanced to
the Regional Semifinals in three of those appearances. Prior to 2013, the Lady
Lions earned the seed in 1985, '86, '92 and '93
tournament, with their only early bow-out coming in 1993 with a loss to Georgetown in University Park,
Pa.
- The Lady Lions will be looking to do something that doesn't often happen in
college basketball; beat the same team in the NCAA Tournament twice. Making it
even rarer, they will be trying to accomplish that task in consecutive years in
the same round. Last season, Penn State grabbed a 90-80 victory in Baton Rouge
to punch their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen and a date with Connecticut. This
season Penn State or LSU will advance to meet Cal in the Spokane, Wash. on
March 30.
BATON ROUGE, La. - Follow the Lady Lions journey through the NCAA Tournament on the GoPSUsports.com Blog. We will have various modes of coverage during the tournament, so check back at the NCAA Tournament Headquarters to stay updated on what is going on with the Lady Lions.
BATON
ROUGE, La. - The second round of the NCAA Tournament has arrived and the Lady
Lions had their pregame shoot around inside the Pete Maravich Center this
morning. Get some indepth insight from the sidelines in preparation for tonight's
contest with host LSU.
GOPSUsports.com caught up with assistant
coach Fred Chmiel during practice and we've added a three-point play's worth of
notes that are included below.
Playing Physical When Penn State takes the floor they want to make you work; work to get
the ball into the front court, work to get your offense started, work to get
open shots and even work to get back on defense.
On Tuesday, the Lady Lions will meet up with a LSU team that does the same
thing.
"They are really physical," said Maggie Lucas. "Their guards rebound really well
and that will be a big focus for us, blocking out from the guard spots. They
try to get out in passing lanes defensively and they are really aggressive. We
just have to pick up the pressure and handle them on the boards."
Lucas and her teammates are used to this type of play after a 16-game Big Ten schedule
and a non-conference slate that featured a lot of physical teams.
The Nittany Lions will need to establish their presence early against an LSU
team that has good size on the inside and outside. Many times teams can be beat
before stepping onto the floor against teams that play a certain style, but the
Lady Lions know they need to enter with thoughts of making a statement early.
"We have to go into the game with the right mindset," said Dara Taylor. "We
know that we play a strong style and that LSU likes to press up on people and
be physical, too. Our post and guard play is very physical and we just have to
take a good mindset into the game and be mentally tough."
Assisting Their Teammates Alex Bentley and Dara Taylor are always hailed for their efforts on the
defensive side of the ball, and while that is important the duo also provides a
major piece of the Lady Lion offense.
Bentley and Taylor have each topped the 100-assist plateau this season, with
109 and 102 helpers, respectively. They are the first pair to do so in the same
season for Penn State since the 2002-03 slate when Tanisha Wright (139 assists)
and Jess Strom (222 assists) did so.
The players around them know how nice it is to have two players that are so
adept to finding open teammates in a good position to score the basketball.
"It's exciting to play with two great point guards," said Nikki Greene. "Dara creates
the assist before you even know you are open some times and Alex's ability to
penetrate the lane and dish the ball right on point to the posts is
outstanding."
Greene also talked about how important their ability to get into the lane and draw
defenders, which opens up the both the post and the three-point shot. That type
of effort from two players really puts pressure on the defense to decide who
they will defend when the duo takes the ball to the hoop.
"You don't find many team's with two phenomenal guards." Greene added. "They
make the game easier for the posts and really put pressure on the defense to
decide if they are going to press up on them or sag back and try to defend the
drive and dish."
ESPN W Junior Maggie Lucas has chronicled the Lady Lions voyage all season long
for ESPNW and her coverage has gone from the written word to pictorials to the spoken
work during the NCAA Tournament.
One of the most prolific scorers in the country, Lucas always puts pressure on the
opposition when on the floor, but during Monday's media session inside the Pete
Maravich Center, she applied the pressure to her teammates with hard hitting
questions.
View the entries from Lucas' blog on the links below:
March
26 - Behind the Scenes (Video) March
24 - Taking a break on Bourbon Street (Video) March
22 - We can't wait to get to Baton Rouge March 20
- NCAA Selection Show
Click here
to view the full season blog from Maggie Lucas
BATON ROUGE, La. - Watch footage from Penn State's NCAA Tournament
practice during the off day in Baton Rouge.
Also, hear from several Lady Lions as they look ahead to Penn State's
matchup with LSU (Tuesday, 9:45 p.m. on ESPN2) in the Maravich Center.
Follow
GoPSUsports.com's Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony
BATON ROUGE, La. - Head coach Coquese Washington addresses the media on
the NCAA Second Round off day leading up to Penn State's matchup against host
LSU.
Follow
GoPSUsports.com's Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony
By Mike Esse, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff
Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Deja vu is continuing for
the Penn State Lady Lions in Baton Rouge. After an 85-55 victory over Cal Poly
in the first round, next up for Penn State is LSU, the host team for the first
two rounds of the tournament in the Spokane region. Just like one year ago,
Penn State and LSU clash on the Lady Tigers' home floor with a trip to the Sweet
Sixteen on the line. The Lady Lions hope to continue the deja vu, as a win
would seal their second straight trip to the Sweet 16 by way of beating LSU.
Looking at Penn State: Penn State
used the longest layoff of the season to its advantage on Sunday night as they
started off the tournament in a hot manner with an 85-55 over Cal Poly. In the
scoring column it was the usual suspects that were atop the box score as Maggie
Lucas, Alex Bentley, Mia Nickson and Nikki Greene were all in double figures.
Lucas led the team with 19 points by way of 8-for-16 shooting from the field.
One of the biggest positives Penn State will take away from the first round
victory is the production from its posts. Nickson had 13 rebounds and Talia
East added 12 to combine for 25 of Penn State's 52 rebounds. Penn State also
held the Mustangs to under 28 percent shooting from the field and less than 17
percent from the three-point line, both well under CP's season averages.
Looking at LSU: The Lady Tigers
topped No. 11 seed Green Bay, 75-71, in their first round game. The win snapped
Green Bay's 24-game winning streak and improved LSU's record to 14-3 all time
in NCAA tournament games at the Maravich Center. Leading scorer Theresa
Plaisance was one of four Lady Tigers in double figures as she had 16 points on
the night. Danielle Ballard, Adrienne Webb and Bianca Lutley chipped in with
16, 15 and 13 points, respectively. LSU had a strong night shooting overall as
they shot 49.1 percent from the field and 64.3 percent from three point land,
including shooting 71.4 percent from three in the second half. The Lady Tigers
shot a season best 9-of-14 from downtown. Lutley, Ballard and Shanece McKinney
tallied six steals, contributing to forcing 15 Green Bay turnovers which turned
into 22 LSU points. The win extended LSU's NCAA tournament first round winning
streak to 15 games. An already short bench might be a little shorter as late in
the game, Kenny and Webb collided and Kenney was carried off the floor and did
not return. She is being re-evaluated on Monday according to the LSU athletics
website.
Last Meeting: This time one year ago
Penn State topped LSU, 90-80, in Baton Rouge to punch their ticket to the Sweet
Sixteen. Penn State had five players in double figures in the game, including a
30 point effort from Lucas. Ariel Edwards, Mia Nickson, Alex Bentley and Zhaque
Gray added 15, 14, 10 and 10 points, respectively. For LSU, they were led by
two players that graduated, as well as Lutley, Webb and Plaisance all scoring
in double figures. Penn State held LSU to shooting 37 percent from the field
and 23.5 percent from downtown. The Lady Lions also forced 18 Tiger turnovers
in the win.
In the End: Penn State matches up
very well with LSU as far as statistics are concerned and can counter the high
scoring Plaisance with three or four high scorers of its own. The biggest
matchup to watch, however, is the Penn State perimeter defense versus the
outside shooting of LSU. The Tigers shot the lights out from three in the first
round. A similar performance to last year for Penn State when it held LSU to
shooting just 23.5 percent from three will put the Lady Lions in a good
position to win. Conversely, if LSU has a similar shooting performance to their
first round game with Green Bay, the Lady Lions will need a big night from
Lucas, Bentley and Greene, something that has been consistent for Penn State as
of late.
Below is the statistical breakdown of the Penn State/LSU matchup.
