Organization: Penn State University
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 15:49:08 EST
From: Wb-1 <RAP115@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.college,psu.sports
Subject: Lady Lions soar to 9-0 and No. 6 overall!!!

When I last wrote, the Lady Lions were 4-0 and heading into a difficult stretch
in the season.  They were playing two ranked teams in the top 20 and opening up
their first ever big 10 schedule.  5 games later, Lady Lions fans are still
smiling :-).  This young squad as so much character and so much motivation that
it could probably run right through a sealed cemeted barrier by now!!!
Bits and pieces of that breakthrough :
----Dec. 22  The Lady Lions traveled to Temple after a long 13 day rest and a
strenuous finals week, but no signs of rust were shown.  The Lady Lions pounded
their formal Atlantic 10 foes, the Lady Owls, by a score of 108-48.  Several
players were in double digits and Katina Mack led the way again with a game
high 18 points.  Amazingly, this was the first of three times that coach Rene
Portland would see that scoreboard light triple digits under 'Penn State.'
----Dec. 30  After the Christmas holidays and another rest, a battle was in
store, as the Lady Lions travled to DePaul.  The Lady Demons had to be angry
at the Lady Lions for beating them twice in the '91-'92 campaign.  First, the
Lady Lions defeated Depaul in the regular season then they dropped them again
at Rec Hall in the NCAA Tournament.  The games were both played at Penn State
in similar fashion.  Both times the Lady Lions broke away from a tight halftime
score to win by a comfortbale margin.  Surely Depaul was out for business this
time, and wanted to pay the Lady Lions back on their home court.
    And they did.  Late in the 2nd half, the score tied at 75-75 and this was
going to be a good one.  Penn State senior captain Jenny Kretchmar was really
alive for this game.  She scored a team high 19 points.  Penn State shot close
to 60% from the field and  went on a 9-1  run to scare away the No. 19 Lady
Demons 85-78.  Despite the loss, Depaul moved up to No. 17 the following week
in the USA Today poll, showing that they played a good game.
----The Lady Lions ended the month and year at a perfect 6-0---
----Jan. 2, 1993.  The game was played at Rec Hall against No. 13 Nebraska.
Nebraska was upset the previous game and you figured they would be ready to go
for this one.  Despite still in the midst of a Christmas break, over 4,550
were in attendance.  Remarakable for not having one single student on campus
and probably a sign of what's ahead in women's basketball - it keeps pushing to
new heights!  Granted, a game between to high ranked teams will bring out a lot
of fans, but this is really remarkable without having a student on campus. But
only one team came to play and that was the Lady Lions.  They cruised and
shocked many people as they pounded No. 13 Nebraska 102-66.  Jackie Donovan led
the way with 16 points.  Penn State led 51-21 at the half.  The Lady Lions were
rewarded a three slot jump in the polls the following week, which means they
have no jumped from No. 22 to No. 6 in just five weeks.
----Jan. 7.  The first Big 10 game ever in rec hall for women's basketball and
the Lady Lions knocked off Illinois, 101-81.  Katina Mack poured in 17 points,
Tina Henry had 16 and Jackie Donovan had 14.  The Lady Lions were off to a 1-0
start in Big 10 play.  The game wasn't even that close.  Granted Illionis isn't
 one of the premier teams in the Big 10, but they're not bad.  They're
predicted to finish around 7th or so in the conference.
----Jan. 10  A game in the confines of Rec Hall yesterday between Northwestern,
who I predicted to finish 2nd in the Big 10 this year, and Penn State. I was
traveling to school, so I listened to most of the game on the radio.  I was
able to catch the last 7:00 in Rec Hall, and I saw a crowd of about 3,000 -
3,500, possibly a little more.
    The Lady Lions didn't start off well as Northwestern grabbed an early lead.
Penn State battled back and never trailed again once they led 9-8. Neither team
was shooting well when Penn State was up 11-8.  The Lady Lions were shooting
just 5 of 13 and Northwestern was 3 of 11.  The Lady Wildcats narrowed it to
13-12 before Penn State really took off and all of a sudden led 22-12.  At this
point, the teams went on a three point clinic.  Several times, each team would
trade 3-pointers.  At one point, Northwestern made 3 straight 3 pointers and
Penn State countered with two of their own.  Northwestern clawed back to 35-30
before Jackie Donovan made it 38-30 on a three of her own just before halftime.
    In the 2nd when the Lady Lions normally pull away, it was anything but.
There were some scary moments as the Lady Wildcats immediately pulled to 38-35
in the opening minutes of the 2nd half and they actually made it 50-48.
The Lady Lions then went on a 9-0 run to lead 59-48.  But Northwestern tried to
claw back.  They got to within five.  When I got to Rec Hall, the lead was 7
and Penn State breezed from there.  Penn State looked pretty good from there on
in.  Unlike past years, when the clock hit 3:00 and Penn State up by 9, I saw
freshman Tina Nicholson taking her time, chewing up the clock.  Penn State
never 'sat on the lead,' in years past and sometimes, it cost them the game.
So, it was good to see this.  Jackie Donovan hit a key 3-pointer and the Lady
Lions were up by double digits and in command for good.  The final score was
75-63.  The Lady Lions moved to 9-0, 2-0 in the Big 10...
     Northwestern impressed me.  From what I heard and saw, this team fought
hard and never gave up.  But both teams were having their troubles from the
field yesterday.  Both teams missed plenty of shots, sometimes even being wide
open.  No team is going to be on its game 100% of the time - you will have to
rely on your defense at times, sometimes even more than your offense.  One
thing that wasn't lacking was three pointers.  Northwestern made 24 points from
3-point land.  Penn State made 21 points from beyond the arc.  Penn State shot
just 38%.  The Lady Wildcats shot just 43%.
     Tina Nicholson called the game an 'off day,' not bad for scoring a game
high 23 points.  Tina Henry, who has rebounded remarkably from a dismal start,
now has a soft touch shot and doesn't seem to miss.  Her and teammate Jackie
Donovan scored 12 a piece.  I forgot to look at the scoreboard for Northwestern
scoring and I didn't have a chance to obtain a program so I apologize for not
having leading scorers on their side.
     Penn State improved to 2-0 in the Big 10.  Northwestern dipped to 1-1.
     The two teams don't meet again until March 13.
     Next up for the Penn State Lady Lions : Indiana on Friday and the biggest
test of the year to date - Purdue on Sunday.  Both games will be played in the
Midwest.  The Lady Lions are trying to fight off flashbacks of a 58-55 defeat
at Purdue last year - a game in which the Lady Lions dropped from No. 3 to
No. 9 after the loss.  First up though is Indiana.  The Lady Lions must focus
in on that game or else could be burned if they are caught looking ahead to
Sunday's showdown.
     Game 10 - Lady Lions at Indiana on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
-- Rob Polinsky
** Contact for the Penn State Lady Lions **
Rap115@psuvm.psu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.college