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Lady Lions Announce Non-Conference Slate
Defending National Champion Connecticut visits the BJC, along with former NCAA Champions Notre Dame and Texas A&M
UNIVERSITY
PARK, Pa. – The two-time defending Big Ten Champion Penn State Lady
Lion basketball team announced their 2013-14 non-conference schedule
today. The 12-game non-conference slate is highlighted by home games
against defending National Champion Connecticut, as well as previous
NCAA Champions Notre Dame and Texas A&M.
The 10
announced opponents have combined for 86 NCAA Tournament appearances,
20 Final Four berths and 10 National Championships. Penn State also
holds a .750 winning percentage (33-11) against teams on the schedule.
“Our
non-conference schedule was created with our fans in mind,” Washington
said. “The schedule is going to be a real treat for them, they will get
to see some of the best teams in the game right here in the BJC. It's
just a wonderful opportunity if you are fan of Lady Lion basketball.”
“Although
we are a young team, it's important that we challenge ourselves early
in the season,” Washington continued. “We are going to throw our
freshmen to the fire right away. They are a very talented group and
they will learn a lot of good lessons early on that will pay dividends
as we move into conference play.”
The Lady Lions, who are
currently riding a 20-game home court winning streak, will open the
schedule with a four-game home stand beginning against St. Francis
(Pa.) on Friday, Nov. 8 and Fordham on Sunday, Nov. 10. Penn State will
raise its 2013 Big Ten Championship banner to the rafters against the
Red Flash.
Penn State continues in the friendly confines
of the Bryce Jordan Center when the Lady Lions host eight-time National
Champion Connecticut on Sunday, Nov. 17. This will mark the first time
that the Huskies will play Penn State in Happy Valley since Jan. 8,
1983. UConn did play in the Bryce Jordan Center for the 2006 NCAA
Tournament first and second rounds, but did not face the Lady Lions.
The
Lady Lions close out their home stand against Bucknell on Wednesday,
Nov. 20, before traveling to Grand Bahama Island to play in the
Junkanoo Jam on Friday, Nov. 29 and Saturday, Nov. 30. The pairings for
the Junkanoo Jam have not been announced at this time. Penn State also
played in the Junkanoo Jam in 2003, winning the title after victories
over George Washington and Kansas State.
The Big Ten/ACC
Challenge will wait the Lady Lions when they return from the Bahamas.
As previously announced, Penn State will face Washington’s alma mater
Notre Dame on Wednesday, Dec. 4. The last time the Irish visited the
Bryce Jordan Center on Nov. 16, 2006, Washington was the associate head
coach under Muffet McGraw and the Lady Lions topped Notre Dame, 75-49.
“When
Notre Dame joined the ACC, I knew the basketball gods would have us
play each other,” Washington said. “They are a tough, tough team and
Coach McGraw is just a phenomenal coach.”
Penn State hits
the road for a pair of games at Georgetown (Sun., Dec. 8) and at South
Dakota State on (Wed., Dec. 11), before coming back to the BJC to top
off the non-conference schedule with a three-game home string. The home
stand begins when 2011 NCAA Champion Texas A&M visits on Sunday,
Dec. 15. This is the Aggie’s first-ever trip to Penn State. The Lady
Lions opened the home-and-home series with a 63-58 win in College
Station on Nov. 14, 2012.
The non-conference slate
concludes as Alcorn State comes to the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday,
Dec. 22, followed by a visit from Hartford on Sunday, Dec. 29.
The
Big Ten Conference schedule will be announced at a later date. Time and
television arrangements will also be announced at a later date.
Lady Lion Basketball season tickets can be reserved by calling 1-800-NITTANY.
The
Lady Lions won their second-straight Big Ten regular season title with
a 26-6 overall record and 14-2 mark in conference play last season.
Guided by the two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year in Washington, Penn
State will return the 2013 Big Ten Player of the Year Maggie Lucas
(Narberth, Pa.) and Big Ten All-Defensive team choice Dara Taylor
(Wilmington, Del.). The Lady Lions will also add an eight-player
recruiting class that ranks in the Top 10 in the country.
Lucas
is coming off of an outstanding junior campaign that saw her take home
top conference honors, as well as All-America accolades from the WBCA,
Associated Press, USBWA and Full Court. The Narberth, Pa. native
averaged 20.1 points per game to finish third in the Big Ten and 16th
nationally. Lucas also finished in the Top 10 in the country in
three-point field goal percentage (4th- .462) and free throw percentage
(9th - 90.0) and was 11th in three-point field goals made (3.06).
Taylor
made an immediate impact for the Lady Lions, finishing second on the
team and fifth in the Big Ten in steals with a 2.4 per game average.
She also finished in the Top 10 in the league in assists (10th – 3.4)
and assist-to-turnover ratio (9th – 1.2). She also contributed 7.0
points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
The Lady Lions will add
eight new faces on the roster next season in guards Lindsey Spann
(Laurel, Md.) and KeKe Sevillian (Goodrich, Mich.), swing players Jenny
DeGraaf (Springboro, Ohio), Kaliyah Mitchell (Stone Mountain, Ga.),
Peyton Whitted (Suwanee, Ga.), forward Alex Harris (Lorain, Ohio) and
center Infiniti Alston (Baltimore, Md.), who signed National Letters of
Intent in November, as well as Sierra Moore (York, Pa.), who will sit
out the 2013-14 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
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