STATE COLLEGE —
Penn State’s 6-foot-4 center Nikki Greene had the ball wide open at the top of the key. It wasn’t her kind of shot, so Greene took a couple awkward dribbles before the ball rolled away after bouncing off her foot.
Coach Coquese Washington could only shake her head and smile, because almost everything else went right Sunday afternoon for the ninth-ranked Lady Lions’ frontcourt.
Guard Maggie Lucas and forward Mia Nickson each scored 12 points, and Penn State dominated the paint to build a big lead in a 75-34 rout of Lafayette.
Lucas added nine rebounds and four steals but hit just 5 of 16 from the field. Still, the Lady Lions (3-0) hardly needed their prolific shooting guard against the overmatched Leopards (1-3).
“Our focus today was putting a body on (opposing players) and getting boards,” Lucas said. “Shots don’t always fall, so you have to find a way to make an impact in our ways.”
Emily Homan had 11 points and six rebounds to lead Lafayette, which shot 19 percent. The Leopards, of the Patriot League, got outmuscled by the more physical Lady Lions.
The Big Ten favorites were in control from the start, leading 14-0 less than 5 minutes into the game.
Lafayette’s hopes were dashed early after its best player,
6-foot-7 center Danielle Fiacco picked up two fouls just more than a minute into the game.
“That certainly put us on our heels offensively,” Lafayette coach Diane Nolan said. “Our whole offensive flow runs through her.”
Fiacco’s foul trouble also opened up the middle even more for Nickson, Greene and the deep corps of Penn State frontcourt reserves that saw significant time. By the time Fiacco returned with 10 minutes left in the half, Lafayatte trailed 26-6 following a layup by Greene.
Fiacco had averaged 11 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks entering Sunday.
“It made it a lot easier for us to get into our offense,” said 6-foot-6 freshman center Candice Agee, who hit her first collegiate field goal and finished with seven points on 3-of-5 shooting in 18 minutes.
Penn State led 42-14 at the half, but Lafayette cut the deficit to as little as 23 following a layup by Homan with 12:57 left.
Otherwise, the final few minutes turned into a glorified pick-up game. The Lady Lions had a breather after grinding out a 63-58 win last week at No. 16 Texas A&M.
All 10 Lady Lions scored Sunday. Greene had a nice afternoon with six points, six rebounds and three blocks before hurting her head during a scrum under her own basket early in the second half.
Greene didn’t return and held an ice pack to her face while watching from the bench. Washington said Greene was fine and could have returned, but was held out as a precaution.
Even an off-day shooting from Lucas didn’t hurt Penn State, and backcourt mate Alex Bentley finished with just eight points.
But the game was won in the paint, where Penn State held a 42-16 advantage. The Lady Lions also outrebounded the Leopards 57-40 and had a 20-2 edge on second-chance points.
The baseline was open, too, where Lady Lions reserve Tori Waldner hit open shots. The 6-foot-5 forward finished with six points and four rebounds in 14 minutes.
Fiacco, who opened the season with consecutive double-doubles, was never a factor after failing to score and missing all 10 shots. She did have seven rebounds.
Washington said Fiacco’s foul trouble opened up more opportunities, “but in the second half when she in the game, we defended her pretty well ... We played our game, and her being on the floor or not being on the floor wasn’t a big impact for us.”
For Penn State, Sunday turned into part-fact finding mission to help determine effective frontcourt combinations off the bench if starters Nickson and Greene get into foul trouble in more pressing games down the road.
Lafayette returns home with three straight defeats in eight days to power-conference foes, starting with losses to Seton Hall and Villanova. But Nolan will take away positives from the tough stretch.
“For us now to regroup and to see the ball being play at this level,” she told reporters, “although you don’t see any positives, we do. Playing faster, getting bumped off cuts – now we know what that’s like.”
Local Sports
Related Photos
-
Lafayette’s Danielle Fiacco (25) reaches in to block a shot by Penn State’s Ariel Edwards during the first half of Sunday’s game in State College. Ralph Wilson
Discussion
Lady Lions cruise against Leopards
- Local Sports
-
-
College players dominate Point nominations
Pitt-Johnstown junior Jake Warner was perfect and extremely productive at the plate while earning the first two monthly nominations for the 2013 Point Stadium Award in February and March.
Mount Aloysius sophomore Derrick Capiak nearly reached perfection to take the April nomination. -
Pirates roll past Brewers
Wandy Rodriguez allowed one run over seven strong innings and Neil Walker hit a two-run single as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 on Wednesday night.
Rodriguez (4-2) gave up six hits, walking one and striking out five. -
Dupuis coming through for Penguins
Dan Bylsma has been hearing it seemingly from the moment he took over at Pittsburgh Penguins head coach four years ago.
Every time the Penguins hit a rough patch, the murmurs about finding a polished winger to play alongside superstar Sidney Crosby pop up. Bylsma understands the sentiment. It’s just that it’s a little misplaced. -
Penn State guard leaving for pro career
Penn State guard Jermaine Marshall, the team’s second-leading scorer, is foregoing his senior year of eligibility to pursue a professional career overseas.
The team announced the surprise move in a statement Wednesday. The 6-foot-4 Marshall, who is on schedule to graduate this summer, cited his family including a 1-year-old son, in making his decision. -
Penn State coach blasts Sports Illustrated article
Penn State coach Bill O’Brien is fervently disputing suggestions raised in a report that player medical care has been compromised after the team doctor was replaced.
Speaking often in an angry tone that might be otherwise reserved for an argument with an official, O’Brien told reporters in a conference call that the health and safety of his players were his top priorities. -
Penguins advance on overtime goal
Brooks Orpik’s goal would have been memorable even if wasn’t in overtime and didn’t put the Pittsburgh Penguins into the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
When you are a defensive-minded defenseman with only 12 goals in nine NHL seasons, they all tend to stand out. -
Liriano key to Pirates' victory
Francisco Liriano finally got to pitch for Pittsburgh and, just like that, the Pirates looked like a much better team.
He struck out nine and the Pirates teed off on New York’s pitching for an 11-2 win over the Mets on Saturday. -
Shade softball thriving on Karl’s watch
Frank Karl coached the majority of the girls who comprise Shade High School’s softball team from the time they played T-ball and coach pitch.
Karl was there when the group, as elementary-school students, once rallied from an 18-run deficit to win a game, and he hoped to be there when the group reached the varsity level. -
MIKE MASTOVICH: Junior put his stamp on tourney
This year, Junior won’t be on the Point Stadium field for the pregame hoopla associated with opening night of the 69th annual AAABA Tournament.
He won’t watch as dozens of Corvettes and hundreds of baseball players enter through the left-field gate with their respective teams from cities such as Baltimore, New Orleans, New Brunswick and Altoona. -
East Stroudsburg wins PSAC championship
Senior Brian Ernst threw eight innings without allowing an earned run on just two days rest and East Stroudsburg University used a five-run fifth inning to secure its first PSAC baseball championship since 1971 with a 7-1 win over defending champion West Chester on Saturday at Point Stadium.
The Warriors (33-16), who set a school record with their 33rd win, earned the PSAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament thanks in large part to an outstanding effort by Ernst, who was named the PSAC Tournament MVP. - More Local Sports Headlines
-
College players dominate Point nominations
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
