Lady Lions Fall in Return to Postseason

In the postseason for the first time since 2005, the Penn State Lady Lions had their WNIT title hopes dashed in the opening round, falling 76-68 to Hofstra.

Trailing by one after a first half buzzer-beater by Lions’ freshman point guard Alex Bentley, the Pride opened the second half with a 13-2 run to open up the game. The Lions, who didn’t lead again, climbed back to within one basket on multiple occasions before Hofstra re-strengthened its lead.

Each time the Lions got close, Hofstra senior guard Sam Brigham was there to slam the door shut. Brigham nailed two big three pointers – one extending the Hofstra lead to four, the other extending the lead to five.

Penn State senior guard Tyra Grant – who led the Lions with 23 points – said the team wasn’t playing its brand of basketball, adding that it took them too long to get re-focused after a big shot for Hofstra.

“You try not to let it knock the wind out of you, but you’ve still got to keep fighting,” Grant said. “I feel like we still tried to keep fighting but we waited a little too long to start fighting again.”

The Lions struggled all night to prevent second-chance points for the Pride. Hofstra freshman forward Shante Evans finished with a game high 17 rebounds (eight offensive) while adding 14 points. The Pride out-rebounded the Lions 44-33.

Penn State head coach Coquese Washington said she thought the Pride was more committed to working hard around the basket and it ultimately cost her team the game.

“They outworked us in particular on the backboard,” Washington said. “It seemed like every scramble, every hustle play, they won it.

“When you give people three and four opportunities at a basket, the basket is two points on the board, but from an emotion standpoint that gives them so much more energy, so much more life. It’s worth more than two points. It’s worth probably eight points in terms of confidence.”

Washington said she was particularly upset with her team’s lack of persistent effort this late in the season.

“I’m embarrassed for this university, I’m embarrassed for this program, that we would come out and give this effort,” she said. “I think some of it is youth, some of it is immaturity, but it’s inexcusable. It’s inexcusable to just not get the effort at this point in the season that you need to give.”

Penn State’s strong play early in the game was not enough to prevent Washington’s frustration. Despite losing starting forward Julia Trogele to an apparent shoulder injury just three minutes in, the Lions opened the game with an 8-2 run and did not trail until 2:48 remained in the half.

Washington said Trogele, who returned to the bench in the second half wearing a sling on her right arm, suffered a deep bone bruise and would recover on her own.

While the Pride advance to face conference foe Virginia Commonwealth University in the second round of the tournament, the Lions are left to ponder what could have been.

For a team that was at one point ranked No. 23 in the country, Washington said the seniors deserved to have had a better ending on their home floor.

“You never want your seniors to walk off their home floor with a loss,” she said. “You always want them, their lasting memory playing in the BJC to be a positive one.”