Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Support the IDS in College Media Madness! Donate here March 24 - April 8.
Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

sports

Hoosiers invade Penn State

Hoosiers hope to control nation's leading scorer

To knock off Penn State tonight, the IU women's basketball team doesn't plan to let the nation's leading scorer rack up her usual 20 or 30 points while containing only her teammates. \nInstead, the Hoosiers plan to stop Kelly Mazzante, who averages 26.3 points per game, IU coach Kathi Bennett said.\nFew teams have restrained Mazzante so far. The 6-foot guard scored a Big Ten record 49 points against Minnesota in Minneapolis Dec. 28. She has tallied at least 30 points six times.\nIn her last game, Mazzante deposited 30 points in an 81-75 loss to Illinois on 12-of-32 shooting, including five three pointers. The rest of the team had 53 shots.\nThe Hoosiers (8-6, 2-1 Big Ten) will look for their first victory in 10 tries against Penn State (9-7, 1-2) at the Bryce Jordan Center at 7 p.m.\nBennett said senior guard Tara Jones will start against Mazzante, last year's Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Guards Jenny DeMuth and Khisha Asubuhi will also have a crack at stopping her.\n"We have to try to throw her out of rhythm, and that's going to be a tough assignment," Bennett said. "One of the keys is she's going to get a lot of shots up. And she shoots long shots.\n"We've really got to rebound. She shoots 32 times, and she shoots 40 percent; let's get all those rebounds."\nAlthough Mazzante has led an impressive individual charge, Penn State is 2-5 when she scores at least 30 points. With Mazzante shouldering 36 percent of her team's points, the Nittany Lions lack another player scoring in double digits. \nBehind Mazzante, power forward Rashana Barnes averages 8.5 points, and guard Jess Strom adds 8.4. The starting lineup consists of a senior in Barnes, three sophomores and a freshman in Strom.\nSo IU's defense focuses on Mazzante.\n"We're just going to look to not let her get the ball," IU forward Erin McGinnis said. "If she gets the ball, pressure her and be ready to help out if she sees any daylight."\nAs a whole, Penn State has struggled on offense. In Monday's loss, Illinois shot 58 percent, compared to the Nittany Lions' 33 percent. Penn State coach Rene Portland said her team's offensive troubles, including 43-percent shooting, concern her.\n"We almost got 30 shots more than Illinois, but our shooting percentages are numbers you cannot believe," said Portland, whose team is 2-3 at home but 7-4 on the road. "We're happy we're off the road to get back into the gym."\nBennett also said she is concerned about her team's 41-percent shooting. The Hoosiers shot 35 percent in a 74-54 loss to No. 12 Wisconsin.\nCenter Jill Chapman, who leads IU with 16.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, must dominate the inside and register 15 to 20 shots for the Hoosiers to win, Bennett said. Chapman was IU's most successful weapon against the Nittany Lions last year, picking up 23 and 10 points in two losses.\n"We are very aware of their inside game," Portland said. "Indiana has made some great strides in the last two years. They play great man-to-man defense. Our inside game has been giving us trouble right now. We're just going to one post to another to see if we can buy minutes, not games. \n"Obviously, the play of Chapman's going to be a big thing for us."\nIU lost both times against the top-15 Nittany Lions last year -- a 89-68 loss in State College, Pa., and a 79-70 loss at Assembly Hall.\n"For us to be successful at Penn State, we've got to get back and get our defense set," Bennett said. "We have to make them earn their points. If (Mazzante) is going to shoot, let's make her change sides of the floor and let's contest everything that they do. I think our defensive rebounding is going to be huge. We ourselves have to find a way to score."

Injury note\nAfter averaging 37.2 minutes per game this season, starting point guard Heather Cassady might get a little rest tonight. Cassady fell and bruised half of her back during Saturday's practice, Bennett said, but will play tonight. Reserve guard Jill Hartman and DeMuth could see time at the point.

Get stories like this in your inbox
Subscribe