By Mike Esse, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - It was an unconventional win for the No. 11/10 Lady Lions as they relied heavily on their defensive pressure to counteract an off shooting day in their 60-50 win over South Dakota State.

After a slow first half, Penn State took control in the last 20 minutes of play and never let the Jackrabbits back in the game after making critical adjustments at halftime.

"I suggested that we do a better job defensively," said head coach Coquese Washington. "I thought we defended a little better and we did get going in transition a little bit (in the second half)."

In the second half alone Washington's squad tallied four blocks, six steals and forced 11 SDSU turnovers, which helped build their lead midway through the half. Guard Maggie Lucas had all four blocks in the half, which set a career high for the junior.

"Yeah, I don't know what she was doing today," said Washington. "She couldn't make a shot, but she had four blocks. She is focused on being a complete player."

Lucas tallied a season low nine points on 2-for-12 shooting from the field and connected on one three pointer, at the 7:12 mark of the second half, the only made shot from downtown for any Lady Lion.

Alex Bentley also had a down shooting day as she shot 5-for-13 from the field and hit three of four free throws for a 13 point performance. On a day where neither team's shots were falling, the senior captain reminded her teammates that off days do occur and Sunday was one of those types of games.

"Those nights are going to happen, that's what I told my teammates," said Bentley. "Nobody is going to have a perfect shooting night and it is very frustrating because a lot of us work on our shot, but it's just something that you have to learn from and move on from."

Bentley thought that the type of game that was played Sunday was a defensive test, specifically for the team's guards who had to stop the Jackrabbits from penetrating on the offensive end. The Lady Lions did exactly that as they stopped SDSU's leading scorer Megan Waytashek in the second half as she tallied 4 points while shooting just 16 percent.

Offensively for Penn State, senior center Nikki Greene provided a boost inside with 12 of her 17 points coming in the second half. Greene adjusted well in the second half by scoring six of the Lady Lions' first seven points.

"Going into halftime Coquese pretty much said that the post players had to be more involved in the offense," said Greene. "My whole focus in the second half was to just do whatever I needed to do to contribute to the team."

Getting Greene involved more offensively is something that Washington said is still a work in progress, but her performance in the second half against the Jackrabbits showed how effective she can be.

"We really like her on the floor when she's aggressive and assertive," said Washington. "She's a strong offensive player and she makes our team a lot better when she is playing the way she did in the second half."

Penn State will be off this week for finals before they play NJIT at home on Dec. 23 in their last non-conference game prior to their Big Ten opener against Northwestern on Jan. 3.

--NITTANY LIONS--

Pregame Reading:
- Penn State will look to head into finals week on a high note versus the Jackrabbits and move their winning streak to three games. The Lady Lions have won three of their four contests in December, with their only loss coming at No. 2 UConn, and are looking to rebound after their second lowest scoring output of the season on Wed., Dec. 12 at Virginia Tech in their 60-41 win.

- Just one week ago Maggie Lucas raddled off a career-high 39 points in a 97-74 win over Georgetown inside the Bryce Jordan Center. The junior set the BJC scoring record and tied the arena record with seven three pointers. Her point total was the most for a men's or women's player in the building and is the third most points ever scored by a Lady Lion player.

- Dara Taylor set a Penn State career-high with 15 points earlier this week at Virginia Tech. The junior was six-of-10 from the floor, connected on three-of-six from three-point range and grabbed three rebounds to help the Lady Lions win their second straight contest.

- Head coach Coquese Washington won her 100th game as the head coach of the Lady Lions on Thursday at Virginia Tech. She joins Rene Portland (606 wins) as the only other coach in program history to top the 100-win plateau.

By Mike Esse, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - It all started in Europe with a preseason trip overseas and included a plane ride to the west coast for a tournament in Northridge, Ca. and a flight to Miami, Fla.

On top of that, the No. 11 Lady Lions played No. 2 Connecticut and No. 13 Texas A&M, both on the road, in a three week span. Through all of that, head coach Coquese Washington and her team have benefited greatly from a tough road non-conference slate that was completed after a 60-41 win over Virginia Tech.

"It is going to help us tremendously," said Washington. "We have had to get better quickly and focus on the fundamentals of our game. It has shown us the areas that we are not quite as tight in and we have to (improve) before conference play."

Granted any team has a multitude of areas they can always improve on, but Washington highlighted offensive execution and defensive consistency as the areas the road tests have shown room for improvement in.

The Lady Lions went 3-2 in their non-conference road games and 8-2 overall with two games remaining before their Big Ten opener against Northwestern Jan. 3. 

"Our schedule was tough," said assistant coach Fred Chimel. "It wasn't easy. We played a lot of NCAA (tournament) caliber teams and that's one thing we can take and expand with."

Games against a team like Connecticut, that is a favorite to make another Final Four appearance, or an opponent like Miami (Fla.), that is climbing its way through the Top 25, allows Penn State to learn from two tough road losses and apply them to the hostile environments they will play in as the season progresses. 

"It will be a good thing for us later in the season," said guard Maggie Lucas. "You could end up anywhere in the NCAA tournament and we will be prepared for that."

The variety of styles the Lady Lions have faced on the gives them a unique opportunity to have competed under a wide number of scenarios before the dog days of February and March begin. 

"All of the teams we have seen gave us something different," said guard Dara Taylor. "We have seen a lot of different defenses and offenses and I think it's really going to help us in conference play and in the tournament."

For Washington, she wants her team to get better as the season progresses, but would like her team to reach a consistency level that they can establish and set as a standard for the type of basketball they need to play to win game in and game out.

"In a nutshell, what it comes down to is getting better as a team," said Washington. "When we are playing good basketball we have to condition ourselves to make those stretches longer so that we are controlling and dominating the game for the majority of the game."

The Lady Lions will host South Dakota State on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center and NJIT on Dec. 23 before the Big Ten opener on Jan. 3 against Northwestern.

--NITTANY LIONS--

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - They've traveled over the hills and through the woods, but the Lady Lions have one more stop on the non-conference road schedule. Penn State will venture another 736 miles to Blacksburg, Va. to square off with the Hookies of Virginia Tech on Wednesday evening inside Cassell Coliseum.

The Lions enter the meeting with a 7-2 overall mark and are coming off of a 97-74 victory over Georgetown last Sunday at home. The Hokies are 4-3 on the season, and enter the matchup after dropping a 65-51 decision at Richmond last Wednesday. The all-time series between the two schools stands at 2-0 in favor of the Lady Lions. Penn State claimed a 66-28 win last season at the BJC and claimed a 61-48 decision in Blacksburg in 2004. 

A Physical Challenge
It was a question that Marc Summers of Double Dare uttered many times from 1986-1993, but was one way that head coach Coquese Washington summed up the way that Penn State had to handle their non-conference schedule. Summers would famously ask contestants if they wanted to take a physical challenge on the popular game show and the Lady Lions challenge this season has been one that tested their physical and mental strengths.

Penn State has played in venues all over the United States, traveling over 12,000 miles in just the first five weeks of this college basketball season. They have made stops in the Lone Star State, the Golden State, South Beach, Storrs, Conn. and will close out their non-conference road schedule in Blacksburg, Va. The Lady Lions haven't run into any goop or gak in their travels like the contestants on Double Dare, but the opponents have presented some sticky situations that Washington thinks has helped them develop their style of play.

"You're not always going to get a win," Washington said, "but (our schedule) has taught us a lot. I think our non-conference schedule has prepared for what we are going to face in Big Ten play."

I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide
Maggie Lucas wasn't born when ZZ Top's hit reached its peak at No. 20 on the Billboard charts, but last week she might as well have been rollin' down the court on some cool blue Nikes. The junior arrived on the national scene as a rookie, but she is making national headlines again after averaging 27 points per game last week.

The junior guard added 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 3.5 steals in a pair of games, while setting the Bryce Jordan Center scoring record with 39 points versus the Hoyas. Her 39 points vs. the Hoyas are tied for the third-most points in a game by a Lady Lion player overall (Angie Potthoff vs. Indiana, 1/10/97), as she connected on 11-for-21 shots from the field and converted on 7-of-13 three-point attempts en route to her third career game with 30 or more points.

She added 15 points at UConn to begin the week and for her efforts Lucas was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week and earned the Ann Myers Drysdale National Player of the Week from the United State Basketball Writers Association.

The Non-Con Experience
It's not every season that a head coach will beef up their non-conference schedule to feature road tests against an annual national championship contender, a perennial top-15 squad and a include a pair of games at ACC contenders. However, Coquese Washington is not most head coaches.

The sixth year sideline boss commented to members of the media on Tuesday that she feels the tough non-conference road schedule has shown her team a thing or two about themselves. The Lady Lions have been in a position to win nearly all of their non-conference games and the hostel atmospheres and quality opponents can only help them down the stretch in Big Ten Play.

Now, only one final non-conference road opponent awaits in Virginia Tech. The Hokies have already defeated a Big Ten opponent this season, beating Wisconsin at home as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, but fell to Michigan State in East Lansing early in the season.

Follow GoPSUsports.com's Greg Campbell on Twitter @SID_Greg

-- NITTANY LIONS --

By Mike Esse, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Maggie Lucas has already put together some impressive career numbers in just over two years in a Lady Lion uniform. Her performance Sunday against Georgetown (7-3) may hold the top spot on that list as she shattered the Bryce Jordan Center scoring record with a career-high 39-point performance leading Penn State (7-2) to a 97-74 win over the Hoyas.

Penn State was able to open the game up at the 15:49 mark when a Lucas three pointer put them ahead of Georgetown 11-9. On Georgetown's next possession Lucas stripped Sydney Wilson, which lead to an easy transition layup. Just 21 seconds later, Talia East knocked the ball away from Sugar Rodgers of Georgetown and hit Lucas in transition to cap off a personal 7-0 run for the junior.

The Lady Lions' constant defensive pressure led to a fast start offensively not only for Lucas, but for the team as a whole.

"I just tried to get out in the passing lanes," said Lucas. "I think all our guards did and we denied the ball a lot. Ariel (Edwards) and Dara (Taylor) did a great job on Sugar Rodgers, which will always lead to offense for us."

Lucas started the game by scoring 17 of Penn State's first 24 points, knocking down four three pointers just eight minutes into the first half. Not only did Lucas have good looks at the basket early, but they were open looks, something that came as a surprise to the junior guard.

"We said the corners were going to be open," said Lucas. "We said we would move the ball fast and there would be a lot of openings, but it was shocking to get that many (open shots)."

With 12:18 remaining in the first half, Lucas was beginning to catch fire and point guard Alex Bentley knew what she had to do when she had the ball.

"Just keep getting her that rock," said Bentley. "I am always looking for her, especially when she's hot. That girl can shoot."

Lucas finished the half with 26 points, shooting 50 percent from the field, including 5-for-10 from beyond the arc. Georgetown as a team tallied 25 points of their own shooting 3-for-11 from three point land.

Georgetown head coach Keith Brown knew that Penn State featured two prolific scoring guards, Bentley and Lucas, and knew it would be tough to contain both of them. Brown was able to see what Lucas did her in AAU days when he was an AAU coach, but the performance she put out today showed her consistent growth since arriving at Penn State.

"She's always been a good shooter," said Brown. "The staff here at Penn State has shown her how to get open without the ball. When she's open, she's in the shot and I think that's what makes her so special."

Lucas ended up with 39 points, five rebounds and a career-high six steals in 33 minutes of play against the Hoyas. Her seven three pointers made tied the Bryce Jordan Center record that she already shared with Penn Staters Adrienne Squire and Kelly Mazzante.

The 39 point performance was the third time Lucas eclipsed the 30-point plateau in her career, becoming the first Lady Lion to score more than 35 since Mazzante did in March of 2003. However, Lucas deflected all of the praise for her record-breaking day.

"It feels good, but it is about the team," said Lucas. "It is a team thing."

Her team played a big part as to why there were so many open looks in the first half, especially after they were able to adjust to the zone Georgetown presented at the beginning of the half. Once the adjustment was made, Lucas began to get open and her teammates put the ball in their leading scorer's hands.

"When we moved the ball and made the zone shift, Maggie was on the backside a lot of the time and she got wide open," said Penn State head coach Coquese Washington. "She's just such a good shooter that if she gets that wide open she's going to make a lot of them."

Penn State will head to Virginia Tech on Wednesday before returning home to the Bryce Jordan Center on Dec. 16 against South Dakota State.

--NITTANTY LIONS--

Pregame Reading:
- Penn State will look to extend their home, non-conference winning streak to 11 games when they play Georgetown for fifth time in school history. The Lady Lions are 3-1 all-time versus the Hoyas and claimed a 56-47 victory in the last meeting between the two teams - which was exactly six years again on this date in 2007.

- Junior guard/forward Ariel Edwards has supplied a spark off the bench for the Lady Lions since being replaced by Dara Taylor in the starting lineup. Edwards is averaging 14.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals in the last two games. She is also shooting 70.5% (12-of-17) in those contests.

- With 24 points against Fairleigh Dickinson Dec. 2, junior guard Maggie Lucas moved into 16th place on Penn State's career scoring chart (1,359), passing Lady Lion assistant coach Maren Walseth (1,328; 1998-01). She needs 69 points to tie Jen Bednarek (1,428; 1977-80) for 14th spot.

By Mike Esse, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Since the Lady Lions were eliminated from the 2012 NCAA tournament at the hands of powerhouse Connecticut, Coquese Washington's squad knew they would have a chance at revenge in non-conference play in December. After a 6-1 start, the No. 10 Lady Lions (6-1) will travel to historic Gampel Pavilion on Thursday to play the No. 2 ranked Huskies (7-0) in a top ten match up.

Thursday brings a chance for Penn State to have another shot at Geno Auriemma's team that beat No. 9 ranked Maryland 63-48 on Tuesday. In the mind of senior Nikki Greene, a win for the Lady Lions would prove that they can play with the best.

"We are capable of beating anyone in the nation and beating Connecticut would definitely bring a lot of attention to Penn State," said Greene. "The nation would know that we are not just a team that is ranked, we are a team that can play with the best."

How exactly do the Lady Lions go about beating a team that is a preseason pick to reach the final four and returns key components from last years team? First look back on the Sweet 16 game and see what can be fixed and improved upon.

"The biggest thing we learned is that we have to play with a calmness," said Washington. "We were really fired up to play and didn't play with a calmness that you have to have so you can execute."

With Mia Nickson returning from injury after missing one game with a strained muscle and the addition of Dara Taylor into the starting lineup, nothing will hold back the speedy team except themselves.

Although Washington has two of the faster guards in the conference, speed is still a category that she wants her team to pick up and, along with defensive intensity, will determine what side of the box score her team falls on at Connecticut on Thursday and vs. Georgetown at home on Sunday.

"I don't think we are playing fast enough," said Washington. "I would like us to get up and down the floor more and play at a faster pace."

How do you play faster with two already fast guards?

"We have to run," Washington laughed. "I am not joking. We have to run every time and have to be more mindful of it."

Execution offensively and defensively against a deep and lengthy Connecticut team are important for the Lady Lions if they want to notch another resume building non-conference road win against a ranked opponent. 

"It will be a good experience for the team as a whole," said guard Maggie Lucas. "We are going to be in a lot of tough environments, so it is nice to have these games early on."

With tough road contests in conference play looming, including Ohio State and Michigan State, getting a win in Storrs could provide the rhythm Penn State needs as non-conference play winds down.

Washington hopes that wins against the Huskies and the Hoyas can develop a sense of rhythm for her team and continue to build chemistry as the fall semester winds down for her student-athletes. This rhythm and experience will play dividends for her team when tournament play rolls around in March.

"It is absolutely going to make us a very good road team by the time we get into post-season play because we will have been to some of the best venues to play in the country against some of the best teams in the country and that should bode well for us come tournament time," said Washington.

As for the revenge part of it, Taylor had to sit on the bench due to transfer rules while she saw the Huskies advance to the Elite Eight a year ago and she wants to do nothing but remove that image from her mind.

"A couple of us have a sour taste in our mouth from last year," said Taylor. "I didn't get to play last year, but I want to go out there and get a shot at them."

--NITTANY LIONS--

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - There are no easy road games in college basketball and the Lady Lions' trip to Storrs, Conn. is no exception. Penn State will be taking to the court against the program that knocked them out of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, the No. 2/2 Connecticut Huskies, and will be looking to claim their second road win over a ranked opponent this season.

Penn State (6-1) will take on UConn (7-0) for the second time in nine months when the two teams take the floor inside Gampel Pavilion. That meeting went the way of the Huskies, 77-59, with Mia Nickson (19 pts) and Maggie Lucas (15 pts) leading the way for the Blue and White.

Another Streak to Snap
Penn State entered their first road test of the season at No. 16/13 Texas A&M with a tall task in front of them. The Aggies had won 58 straight home games when the Lady Lions rolled into town and claimed a 63-58 victory inside Reed Arena.

The Blue and White will look to snap another long home-court winning streak on Thursday night when they look to avenge last season's NCAA Tournament lost to UConn inside Gampel Pavilion.

The Huskies - who play home games in two separate facilities - have won 61 straight games inside Gampel Pavilion and are 1-0 in the facility this year. Penn State is 3-1 away from home this season and will be looking to snap UConn's seven game winning streak in the series. Overall, PSU trails 7-3 in the series that began with a Penn State win in 1981.

Oh The Games We Play
There are some games that you just can't quite get a grasp on and this matchup is one of them. I am going to let you make up your own mind, will this be a high scoring affair or will defense prevail?

The Lady Lions enter the game averaging 77.3 points per game, which leads the Big Ten and ranks No. 18 nationally, while UConn is pouring in 87.9 points per game, which leads the BIG EAST and the NCAA. Flip that coin and you are looking at two stingy scoring defenses, with UConn allowing 44.0 ppg and Penn State is surrendering just 58.7 ppg.

Top Ten Showdown
The Lady Lions will square off with a top-10 opponent for the eighth time under head coach Coquese Washington and are 2-5 in the previous seven meetings. This will mark the first meeting since 2004 in which the Lady Lions will play a top-10 team while ranking among the top-10, themselves.

Ironically enough, the 2004 showdown came against UConn in an NCAA Tournament game in Hartford, Conn. The Huskies claimed a 66-49 victory in that contest. The last meeting with a top-10 opponent for PSU also came versus UConn in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

The Lady Lions last victory over a top-10 foe came on Feb. 20, 2012 when they clinched the outright Big Ten title with an 84-66 victory over Ohio State at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State last defeated a top-10 opponent on the road during the 2003-04 season when they toppled No. 8 Purdue, 47-42, in West Lafayette, Ind.

Taylor Made
Head coach Coquese Washington said in her press conference on Wednesday that junior guard Dara Taylor would make her second straight start on Thursday night at UConn. And why not, the speedy point guard helped orchestrate the Lady Lion offense to the tune of 101 points in her first starting role versus Fairleigh Dickinson.

The role is not new to the fourth year college player. Taylor started 28 games in two seasons at Maryland before transferring to Penn State in 2011-12. Of those starts, 27 of them came during her rookie campaign.

Follow GoPSUsports.com's Greg Campbell on Twitter @SID_Greg

-- NITTANY LIONS --

By Mike Esse, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After falling on the road at Miami (Fla.) on Nov. 29, the Lady Lions needed to find a way to get back on track against Fairleigh Dickinson and with forward Mia Nickson needing the day off to rest a tweaked muscle, head coach Coquese Washington decided to experiment with her starting lineup.

Washington started guards Maggie Lucas, Alex Bentley and Dara Taylor for the first time this season in an effort to bring more speed to her starting lineup.

In Taylor's first career start at Penn State and her first time assuming the role of full time point guard, the three guards combined for 45 of the team's 101 points in their 101-44 win in dominating fashion against the Knights.

By combining Taylor's speed with that of Bentley, the Lady Lion offense is able to push the tempo while having their weapons on the outside and in the paint, something that would be very valuable to have when conference play begins in January.

"I want us to play faster," said Washington. "Dara is certainly the fastest and speediest player on our team. The combination with her and Alex will allow us to play faster and enable us to get some easy baskets."

With the speed of Taylor and Bentley and the duo's ability to open things up in transition, the difference was felt with both players on the floor for the majority of the first half, helping Penn State take a 39 point lead into half time.

"That lineup definitely provides a lot of speed," said Lucas. "We can take huge advantage of that, and I think we do a good job of that."

The blowout win also featured career highs from junior forward Talia East and freshman center Candice Agee. Both players posted career highs, including Agee's eight points and nine rebounds. East tallied 11 points, added three blocks and was one of five Lady Lions to get into double figures.

For the two bigs, having the three guards and three leaders on the floor allowed them to play more aggressive and more aware of where they should be on the court.

"Our guards are always telling us they're looking for us and they want to get us the ball," said Agee. "So it's just being more aggressive and hungry for the ball and getting the touches."

However, the most encouraging statistic for Washington was the decrease in turnovers compared to the high turnovers her team committed against Miami. The biggest determinant in the team's turnover numbers has been their decision-making and by having all three guards on the floor it gives the Lady Lions the ability to play smarter and together.

"I think we are getting better at turnovers," said Washington. "I think playing smarter and playing within ourselves, we did a good job at that today and our turnover numbers were lower because of that."

It was Taylor's 15 point night that sparked the Lady Lions offensively. The biggest thing her head coach took away from her first career start was her limited turnovers - just two in the game - and her ability to spread the floor.

"I was pleased with her turnover numbers," said Washington. "She is making good decisions with the ball and she is a natural passer with great court vision. If you run the floor open, she will get you the ball."

It was a bounce back performance from a turnover standpoint for the Lady Lions, something Taylor thought was important as one of the tougher tests of their early season looms on Thursday against Connecticut.

"I think it was really important (to limit turnovers)," said Taylor. "We had to focus and execute on offense. A big part of that is taking to care of the ball and getting more shot opportunities."

--NITTANY LIONS--

Pregame Reading:
- Penn State will look to extend their home, non-conference winning streak to 10 games when they play Fairleigh Dickinson for just the second time in school history. The Lady Lions claimed a 106-66 victory on Dec. 5, 1980 at the Pitt Invitational and own a 10-1 record versus the current alignment of the Northeast Conference.

- Nikki Greene is closing in on becoming the first player in school history to block more than 190 shots and grab at least 800 rebounds in a career at Penn State. The senior has swatted 187 shots, which is No. 4 on the PSU career list, and her 774 rebounds are No. 9 in Lady Lion history. Mary Donovan is the only PSU player to swat 190 shots and grab 700-plus rebounds, ending her career with 192 blocks and 773 boards. Kim Calhoun is the all-time leader in blocks at PSU with 268, but she didn't post the rebounding numbers that Greene has.

- Junior Maggie Lucas has posted 20-plus points in four of the six games this season for the Blue and White and continues to climb the career scoring and three-point shoot charts. Lucas is just 19 three-point field goals shy of the No. 2 spot on the PSU charts, currently held by Lisa Sheppard (230), and has attempted almost 100 fewer three point shots. The sharpshooter ranks No. 17 on the scoring charts with 1,320 points and is 300 points away from cracking the schools top-ten list.