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sweep by Nebraska by scoring 24 points in Lincoln? That's hard to believe, considering her accomplishments. Lucas is only the third Penn State player to score more than 1,000 points by her sophomore year. She has joined Kelly Mazzante and Susan Robinson in that exclusive club. She is the Lady Lions' most proficient scorer for the second consecutive season. Ohio State coach Jim Foster thought he had Lucas covered in the pivotal game his team lost at the Bryce Jor- dan Center in late February. In rout- ing the Buckeyes, Penn State claimed its first Big Ten regular-season cham- pionship since 2004. Ohio State did hold Lucas to a mere 12 points, hounding her with its top defenders. But it was unable to keep her away from the ball, as she amassed a career- high 10 rebounds and recorded her first career double-double. "We strive to be a team that plays smart, and whatever's available, we're going to take it," Washington said. "A lot of nights, Maggie Lucas is available and she's able to get shots. But tonight, she wasn't, and that's OK. To her credit, she doesn't get bothered by it." To get the real story about Lucas's impact we turn to the sidelines, where Maryland transfer Dara Taylor awaits her chance to join Lucas on the court next season. Taylor, like Lucas, was a heralded re- cruit in high school and a McDonald's All-American. The two have known each other since their days as team- mates on the Philadelphia Belles AAU team. "Maggie has had a huge impact," Tay- lor said. "Obviously, she can shoot the ball. Everybody notices that. What peo- ple don't know is how hard she works in the off-season, at practice, after practice. She's constantly in the gym. It sets a model for everybody else on the team to work hard and kind of push to be the best they can be." Junior Alex Bentley has shared point guard duties with Lucas for two years and echoes Taylor's as- sessment. "We wouldn't be where we are right now without Maggie or without any of the players on our team," she said. "Maggie comes in and she gets the job done. She's a hard worker. She's the W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M TROPHY GAME Alex Bentley, left, and Zhaque Gray exult after Penn State's victory over the Buckeyes. Annemarie Mountz worker bee. She's a gym rat who's re- ally focused. She's zoned in on just be- ing successful." One of the top recruits to sign with the Lady Lions in recent years, Lucas fell in love with Penn State when she was 16. "Maggie and her family came up for numerous basketball and football games her sophomore year," assistant coach Maren Walseth said. "She came up for a day in August prior to her jun- ior year. That day, we walked through campus, spent a good deal of time with Coquese, and went to football practice where Coach Paterno spoke with her." After she put on a Penn State uni- form, Lucas had to prove her worth as a reserve coming off the bench. She made only one start during her fresh- man year. Even so, Lucas scored a team-high 552 points as a rookie and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and the league's Sixth Player of the Year. She made 112 3-pointers, setting Penn State and Big Ten single-season records. Lucas was distraught when the Lions lost at home to DePaul in the second round of the 2011 NCAA tournament. She decided to make 100,000 shots dur- ing the off-season and accomplished that unbelievable feat over the summer. With a new postseason under way, she is eager to take Penn State deep- er into the NCAA tournament this year. "I'm looking forward to the matchups, who we're going to play," she said. Washington is just happy to have her players make progress and achieve the goals they set for themselves. But she's pleased that Penn State fans have rec- ognized Lucas's determination. "They appreciate her skills and enthusi- asm," she said. "She plays with inten- sity and energy." As an afterthought, Washington added, "And her shot is so pretty. It's fun to watch." Post players help Lady Lions secure first Big Ten title since 2004 AN INSIDE JOB I M A T T H E R B | M A T T @ B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M f Nikki Greene and Mia Nickson keep this up, the Penn State women's basketball team is going to need a lot more confetti. Known for their guard-oriented attack, the 11th-ranked Lady Lions got a huge game from their frontcourt in an 84- 66 romp over No. 9 Ohio State Feb. 20 at the Bryce Jordan Center, clinching the Big Ten regular-season champi- onship. Greene, the Lady Lions' talented but foul-prone junior center, had a double-double by halftime and finished with a career-high 25 points and 15 rebounds. Nickson, a junior forward, added 18 points and 15 rebounds. The reason for their outburst? "I think it was just [a matter of] being in the right place at the right time," Nickson said in a jubilant BJC media room. Maybe so, but Maggie Lucas, who finished with 12 points on an uncharacteristically quiet night, couldn't help but smile as she listened to her teammate assess the perform- ance of the frontcourt. "I think it was about being beasts," she said. "I don't think it was just [a matter of] being in the right place at the right time." The victory touched off a wild postgame celebration. Lucas and fellow guard Alex Bentley stood atop the scorers' table, donned championship caps and pumped their fists in the air as streamers flew and confetti rained down. Moments later, the league championship trophy was bestowed, and players took turns climbing a ladder and snipping pieces of net. "There are no words," Nickson said. "It's amazing." SEE LADY LIONS NEXT PAGE M A R C H 2 3 , 2 0 1 2 21

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