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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Getting back on track Lady Lions look to regroup vs. Ohio State after disappointing home loss to Purdue The Penn State women's basketball team is about to begin one of the toughest stretches of its season. Beginning with Ohio State's visit to the Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday, it will be playing four opponents in an 11-day span, all of which sport winning records and three of which are either ranked or are receiving votes in this week's Associated Press poll. Adding to the challenge is the fact that Penn State must bounce back from one of the most disappointing games of its season. Facing Purdue at the Bryce Jordan Center this past Sunday, the Lady Lions fell behind early and never caught up, losing to the Boilermakers, 84-74. How will coach Coquese Washington's team respond to that defeat? Though clearly frustrated in the aftermath of the Purdue loss, Washington was not disheartened. "I hope we respond well," she said. "It's early in the Big Ten season. We just have to regroup and get ready for Ohio State. J A N U A R Y They are playing good basketball right now, so we certainly have to defend better than we did [against Purdue]. " The Lady Lions (11-4 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) had won five in a row heading into their Big Ten home opener but weren't able to slow down Purdue's transition game in falling behind by nine points going into the break. They rallied in the second half, cutting a 15-point deficit down to two with seven minutes to play. But unlike their previous game at Illinois, in which they rallied back from a 12-point deficit for an 82-76 victory, they weren't able to complete the comeback vs. the Boilers. "I didn't think we started the game strong," Washington said. "They had 46 points in the first half; that's just way too many points. I didn't think we started the game strong and I didn't think we finished the game strong." The Buckeyes have the potential to cause further problems for Penn State. 1 5 , 2 0 1 3 8 They are 12-7 (2-1 Big Ten) in their first season under coach Kevin McGuff, formerly of Xavier. Sophomore guard Ameryst Alston is shooting 46 percent from the field and averaging 16.9 points a game. Her stellar shooting has helped Ohio State win five of its past six games, including a 70-51 romp over then-No. 22 Indiana this past Saturday. After facing Ohio State, Penn State will visit Michigan State on Sunday then will welcome Indiana (Jan. 22) and Minnesota (Jan. 26) to the BJC. Washington will be looking for a more complete effort when the Lady Lions return to action against the Buckeyes. (The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and will air on the Big Ten Network.) "We do need to put a 40-minute game together, and we haven't really done that yet this year, she said. "That's an area of " growth this year moving forward. We have to be able to put 40 minutes together. " – MATT HERB B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M

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