UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Lady Lions are ranked 14th in the ESPN/USA Today preseason coaches poll that was released Tuesday. It is the highest ranking in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll for the Lady Lion since they were seventh in the final 2004 poll. Additionally, it is Penn State’s first appearance in the preseason coaches’ poll since starting the 2003-04 campaign eighth.
The Lady Lions are 12th in the Associated Press preseason poll after being selected as the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten Conference in a vote of the league’s coaches and media. Penn State returns 10 letterwinners, including four starters from a team that compiled a 25-10 overall record and an 11-5 conference record a year ago.
Leading the list of returnees is Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.). She claimed All-Big Ten first team honors a year ago after averaging 14.4 points and 5.0 assists per game. Additionally, Bentley was among the Big Ten leaders in field goal percentage (14th/.446), free throw percentage (11th/.798) and assist-to-turnover ratio (4th/1.7). She also registered seven 20-point games, including a pair of 20-point performances in the NCAA Tournament. The Indianapolis native is on the preseason watch lists for the Wade Trophy and Wooden Awards for National Player of the Year.
Penn State also returns 2011 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and 2011 Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.). She etched her name into the Penn State and Big Ten record books in her outstanding rookie campaign as she broke the Big Ten and Penn State single-season record for three-pointers (112). Additionally, Lucas broke Kelly Mazzante’s Penn State freshman season scoring record with 552 tallies.
Also back in the fold for the Lady Lions are starters Nikki Greene (Diboll, Texas), Mia Nickson (Ashburn, Va.) and Zhaque Gray (Chicago, Ill.). Greene became one of the top shot-blocking forces in the conference en route to Big Ten All-Defensive Team honors. She tallied a career-best 75 rejections, which is sixth on the Penn State single-season list, and is the seventh player in school history with 100 blocks. The All-Big Ten honorable mention choice also accounted for 7.8 rebounds per game to rank sixth in the Big Ten.
Nickson tallied 10.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in 27 starts for the Lions. She was ninth in the Big Ten in rebounding and 14th in free throw percentage (.795). Gray made a marked improvement between her sophomore and junior years as she improved on her three-point shooting by 11 percent (.303 to .414) and her field goal shooting by 8.5 percent (.338 to .423). With a 9.5 scoring average, the Chicago native also nearly doubled her scoring output to finish fourth on the team.
The Lady Lions, who will face Bloomsburg in an exhibition on Sat., Nov. 5, open their season with the Lady Lion Classic on Fri., Nov. 11 and Sun., Nov. 13 at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State faces Washington State in the tourney opener at 6 p.m. Friday, while Middle Tennessee State takes on UNC-Wilmington at 8 p.m. Lady Lion Basketball season tickets are available by calling 814-867-2557. Season tickets are $117 for adults, $52 for youth and $91 for seniors. Single game tickets go on sale Tuesday, Oct. 11. PNC Flex Books are available again this year for $99. The Flex Book gives fans 12 vouchers, including one for the Coaches vs. Cancer game and one for the Pink Zone game, that can be redeemed for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball tickets in any combination.
The 2012 WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State will take place on Sunday, Feb. 26 as the Lady Lions take on Minnesota in the Bryce Jordan Center. Last year, the Lady Lions donated nearly $200,000 for breast cancer causes. This year’s fundraising efforts will benefit the Mount Nittany Medical Center, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital and Lewistown Hospital. For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.gopsusports.com/pinkzone. The WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pinkzoneatpennstate.