Offensive foul gives Lady Lions conference win

By Walt Moody

- wmoody@centredaily.com

UNIVERSITY PARK — Although one of Penn State’s best defensive players, Mashea Williams entered Wednesday’s Big Ten women’s basketball home opener lacking in one area — she hadn’t drawn a charging foul in 13 games.

Williams finally got one Wednesday and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Lady Lions.

Williams drew a charge from Illinois guard Rebecca Harris at the buzzer, wiping out what would have been the game-winning basket, as Penn State edged the Fighting Illini 49-48.

Tyra Grant’s two free throws with 9.9 seconds remaining provided the winning margin as the Lady Lions (10-4 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) handed Illinois (10-4, 2-1) its first conference loss.

Penn State held the Fighting Illini to 17 percent shooting (5-for-29) and 18 points in the second half in rallying from a six-point halftime deficit. The Lady Lions shot just 30 percent for the game (15-for-50).

Neither team scored from the field after Grant’s drive tied the score at 45-45 with 3:44 left.

Three free throws pushed Illinois’ lead to 48-45, but Penn State closed to within one point on Williams’ two free throws with 56.5 seconds left.

The Lady Lions got the ball back after a Danyel Crutcher miss and Penn State coach Coquese Washington called timeout with 19.6 left to set up a play for Grant. The sophomore curled around Evelyn Lewis’ pick, drove baseline and was fouled by Crutcher.

For the first time in her Penn State career, Grant had a chance to win a game at the foul line. She admitted she was nervous.

“I was just talking to myself,” Grant said. “I said, ‘Tyra, just focus. Don’t listen to anybody around you. Just try to really focus and concentrate and do everything you know how to do and just put them in.’”

She did just that giving Penn State the 49-48 lead.

After an Illinois timeout, Harris brought the ball upcourt against Penn State’s Brianne O’Rourke. With time winding down, Harris’ crossover move caused O’Rourke to trip and fall. Harris headed to the basket, but Williams slipped in front of her and hit the deck as Harris’ shot went in at the buzzer.

Referee Mike McConnell immediately waved off the basket. Television replays seemed to confirm the call of McConnell, the brother of former Penn State great Suzie McConnell Serio.

“I stood there and looked at the ref because he owed me one, but he called it,” said Williams, who had switched to another player before sliding in to take the charge. “I had never been so happy to take a charge.”

Her play made her teammates and coach pretty happy, too.

“I didn’t even see ‘Mush’ come over to be quite honest,” Grant said. “All I heard was the whistle and I thought they were going to say something crazy. I saw ‘Mush’ on the ground and they called the charge and I jumped up and almost touched the JumboTron.”

Washington admitted she initially thought her team had lost the game.

“I didn’t even hear the whistle,” said Washington, whose team improved to 8-0 at home. “I just kind of put my head down and then I saw our team like jumping. I was like, ‘What happened?’ And then I looked up and the ref was going charge. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe we got a charge — first of all — but a game-winning charge. Pop the champagne. That’s unbelievable.’”

Illinois coach Jolette Law didn’t feel much like celebrating. When asked about the final play, Law paused 15 seconds before saying she had no comment.

The Fighting Illini, who entered the game shooting the 45 percent as a team, shot 48 percent in the first half, but we ice cold in the next 20 minutes.

“I don’t think they did anything to frustrate us,” Law said. “I think we were very impatient and didn’t run our stuff through.”

Jenna Smith, who entered the game as the Big Ten’s leading scorer with an 18.1 average, was held to just 10 points on 4-for-11 shooting thanks mainly to the defense of freshman Lewis.

“She did a great job,” Washington said. “She did just a phenomenal job one-on-one defending Jenna Smith.” Williams, who had a team-high eight rebounds, and Grant led the Lady Lions with 13 points each. O’Rourke added 10 points.

Bjork paced Illinois with 12 points, while Crutcher netted 10.

Penn State next travels to Michigan State (9-6, 1-2) in a nationally televised game on CBS (Comcast Ch. 10).