Blue White Illustrated

Penn State looks ahead after falling in WNIT T he shots weren't falling for Penn State early in its matchup with Virginia Tech in the third round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament. And with the offense struggling, the defense suffered, too. The combination proved devastating for the Lady Lions in a 64- 55 loss March 23 at the Bryce Jordan Center. Virginia Tech hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter and used a 20-0 run to help build a 23-point lead with just under two minutes left in the first half. The early scoring barrage was too much for Penn State to overcome in the second half, even with Teniya Page supplying 23 points for her 15th 20-point game of the season, along with six rebounds and three assists. "I think the biggest thing for us as a team, including myself, was that we didn't really lock in defensively like we should have," Page said. "Even though we weren't making shots, we still had to play defense. If we don't score and they don't score, it's [all even]. I wouldn't say my emotions played into it, but I definitely know for a fact I probably should have been a little bit more locked in on de- fense." The loss brought a disappointing end to an up-and-down season for the Lady Lions. They improved their win total by nine games over the previous year, finish- ing 21-11 overall and 9-7 in the Big Ten. They also saw Page firmly establish her- self as one of the league's elite players, as Chambers said defense and rebounding would be the focus as players aim to grow this off-season. "I don't know if we're built to outscore teams. I think we're built to be tough and nasty and to defend and rebound. When we did that, we won," he said. "We have the makings of a really good team. We just couldn't keep it together on a consistent basis, and you know what? As a coach, that falls on you. I have to do a better job of getting these guys to play on a consis- tent level." Next season, he'll do so with a shift- ing group of peripheral players. Fresh- man Joe Hampton transferred last year before ever playing a game at Penn State, and three other players – Payton Banks, Terrence Samuel and Isaiah Washington – recently opted to gradu- ate, forgoing their remaining eligibility at Penn State. Those departures cre- ated vacancies that have not been filled. Banks, Samuel and Washington combined to average nearly 21 percent of the team's minutes played last sea- son, and Banks averaged 10.4 points per game. Along with its core group of experi- enced players, a group that includes Carr, Stevens, Watkins and veterans Josh Reaves and Shep Garner, Penn State will have newly eligible big man Satchel Pierce and reserve freshman Nazeer Bostick. Also set to arrive this summer is Class of 2017 commitment Trent Buttrick. "With the three guys graduating, we're proud that they graduated, we're proud that they got an education, but I think it's going to be a good thing," Chambers said. "If we can bring in somebody fresh and with some new creativity and innovation and keep this core group together, I'm really opti- mistic." Chambers has made the program's culture a priority, so whatever form the new group takes, it will be given plenty of opportunities to meld in the summer. There will be community service activ- ities such as the Relay for Life, Coaches vs. Cancer and a trip to the Penn State Children's Hospital in Hershey, Pa., along with a foreign tour that is set for August. Chambers was admittedly worn down and tired in the immediate aftermath of the team's recently concluded season, but he was also feeling optimistic about the future. In the weeks since, he's heard encouraging words from fans and has been gratified by an uptick in sea- son-ticket sales. "I think they see, 'Wow, this is a team we haven't seen at Penn State in a long time and we're going to jump on board.' This is going to be an awesome year. I think they know," he said. "This group that I have together right now, the chemistry that we have, the locker room that we have, they're coming in to work [because] they can't wait. I'm se- rious. They can't wait to get to the gym, they can't wait to get better because now they know. 'All right, we've been through it once, now we know what we've got to do.' That's exciting." ■ W O M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L fore my commitment, come a8er me. I did talk to them a little bit and I did con- sider visits, but at the end of the day, I just kind of reminded myself on why I committed to Penn State in the 6rst place. The academics and the football program are both on an incredible level that not many can match." Now, with less than two months re- maining until he enrolls, Brown is ready to show the coaching sta7 just how hard he's been working. While it's still un- clear what role he'll have as a freshman, he knows that his path to playing time has already begun. "I just want to show the coaches my athleticism and what I've been working on all spring and summer," he said. "I would love to play right away, but I know that this is a di7erent level now. I have to prove myself all over again. That's why I've been working so hard this o7-sea- son, probably harder than I've ever worked before. I can't wait to get up there and start learning from the best." ■ BROWN FROM PAGE 24

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