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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FORGING AHEAD Regular-season champ PSU switches focus to quest for first tournament crown since 1996 WHEN March 7-10 WHERE For only the second time since the Big Ten started its annual women's hoops tournament in 1995, the event will take place somewhere other than Indianapolis. This year's tourney will be at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill. (In 2001, the tournament was held in Grand Rapids, Mich.) AT STAKE The tournament winner receives the Big Ten's automatic invitation to the NCAA tournament. LAST SEASON Penn State was the regular-season champion and No. 1 seed but lost to Purdue, 68-66, in the semifinals. Purdue defeated Nebraska in the championship game, 74-70, in two overtimes. ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD 24-16 BEST FINISH Penn State won the tournament in 1995 and '96. The Lady Lions have reached the title game five additional times, most recently in 2011. WORST FINISH In 18 tournaments, Penn State has suffered only four one-anddones: 1997, 2001, '08 and '09. FAVORITES Penn State, which opens Friday against the winner of Thursday's Ohio State-Minnesota matchup, is the favorite, having successfully defended its regularseason championship. The Lady Lions swept nine of their regular-season opponents and split with Minnesota and Wisconsin, who enter the postseason handicapped by low seeds (Minnesota is No. 8 and Wisconsin is No. 11). Nebraska is a two seed and is out of Penn State's way in a different section of the bracket. No. 1 seeds are historically vulnerable against No. 4 seeds, and that's Michigan State. Eight-time Big Ten tournament champ Purdue is a No. 3 seed, but, like Nebraska, the Boilermakers are on the opposite side of the bracket and would not challenge Penn State until the championship game. DARK HORSE Minnesota stunned Penn State at the end of the regular season, 89-81. The Gophers are led by Rachel Banham (21 points per game) at the point and Micaella Richie (13.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg). A shooting percentage that you'd expect from the Miami Heat (67 percent) boosted Minny over Penn State in one of only two losses the Lady Lions suffered in DRIVE THE LANE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT PREVIEW M A R C H Junior Maggie Lucas helped PSU clinch the Big Ten regular-season title with a 34point game against Nebraska. Lucas and senior teammate Alex Bentley are MVP candidates for the Big Ten tournament. BWI file photo conference play. Minnesota also defeated the Buckeyes twice during the regular season and will look to do so again in hope of earning another matchup with the Lady Lions. MVP CANDIDATES Players from Purdue and Ohio State have claimed MVP honors in the Big Ten for seven consecutive years. Penn State's high-powered perimeter players Alex Bentley (14 points per game and the league's steals leader) and Maggie Lucas (20.5 points per game and one of the best at 3-point field goal percentage) may change that trend. Lucas helped Penn State clinch the outright regular-season title with a 34-point outburst at Nebraska. Ohio State's Tayler Hill (20.9 points per game) is the league's second-leading scorer and shared preseason Player of the Year recognition with Bentley. It may take another season for voters to recognize Minnesota's Banham, but the sophomore guard is the league's scoring leader. Penn State's last MVP was point guard Helen Darling in 2000, the year the Lady Lions advanced to the NCAA Final Four. PENN STATE'S OUTLOOK With four seniors de6 , 2 0 1 3 8 termined to take the next step in the program's conference history, the Lady Lions are poised to win it all after 16 years without a tournament trophy. Penn State gets a lift from its defense and its point-producing backcourt of Bentley and Lucas. The addition of Maryland transfer Dara Taylor has helped Penn State disrupt opponents' ball-handling. Mia Nickson, a 6-foot-2 power forward, can score and rebound and loves contact. Nickson is the best shooter in the frontcourt. At 6-4, Nikki Greene can rebound as well as anyone, but she leads her team with 223 fouls and averages the fewest minutes of Penn State's five starters. None of Greene's backups – Talia East, Tori Waldner and freshman Candice Agee – have posted big numbers coming off the bench. Ariel Edwards has size (6-2) and scoring ability and is counted on for her offensive and defensive skills as Penn State's sixth man. Penn State likes to run, and when the transition game catches fire, the Lady Lions are the team to watch in the Big Ten and the NCAAs. – MARY JO HAVERBECK B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M

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