Lady Lions prepare for Senior Night matchup against Iowa

Penn State women’s basketball center Candice Agee has dedicated about the past half-decade of her life to the Lady Lions, and now, on the brink of Senior Night, she’s almost in disbelief about how time has passed.

“It’s really been crazy because it has gone by so fast, and then so slow at the same time,” she said on Tuesday afternoon, ankles freshly taped and ready for practice.

“When you’re in it (as a freshman), it’s like ‘Oh my gosh, I still have so much left to do,’ and then when you get to be a sophomore you think, ‘Wow, I’m already a sophomore ...’ It’s been like that every year. I’m about to graduate and it really does fly by.”

The team will celebrate both Agee and fifth-year senior transfer Brianna Banks before Wednesday’s 7 p.m. tip against Iowa at the Bryce Jordan Center.

“It means a lot that they’re going to do this for me and Bri,” Agee said. “It’s exciting and it’s emotional, and it’s the last time we are going to be at the BJC. It’s just a great place to be in, so to say goodbye to that is just bittersweet. You’re moving on to the next stage of your life, but at the same time you think ‘Ah, I’m not ready to go yet.’ ”

Agee, who will enter the game ninth on Penn State’s all-time blocks list, had to take a moment to think about her best memory at the Lady Lions’ home court.

“I think it had to have been my sophomore year, when we won the Big Ten and it was Senior Night and it was the Pink Zone game,” she said. “My mom, my dad and my brother were there (from California) ...We were in this circle and people were dancing ... And then the crowd didn’t leave, the crowd stayed there for maybe like 30, 40 minutes after the game was over just to see everything, and they stayed cheering the whole time.”

Agee’s father, Rodney, will be in attendance to support her on Wednesday and Banks’ mother, Stephanie Rice, will also be present.

“Senior Night is always an interesting night, because you never know how emotional of an impact it will or won’t be for the seniors,” said head coach Coquese Washington. “It’ll be interesting to see how Bri and Candice handle it. ... I know they’re both excited.

“When you talk about Bri and Candice, you talk about two players … Bri, I mean she’s so fun to watch. The explosiveness and the power, and almost the will that she plays with at times, just to make plays and to make things happen and her aggressivness defensively in creating steals and transition opportunities, I think she’s been really fun for our fans to watch this year. I know they’re going to miss her.”

Banks’ road to Penn State was not without its bumps, as she decided to transfer from powerhouse UConn two years ago, after she had helped the Huskies to two national championships. She had to sit out for a year, and now is the second-highest scorer on the team behind freshman Teniya Page.

Washington said that Agee has also really impacted the program, especially defensively.

“It’s the last time for our fans to see these guys at home, in the friendly confines of the BJC, so you know, hopefully the emotions won’t overtake them too much and they can go out with a bang,” she said.

The Lady Lions (10-17, 5-11) beat Iowa (17-11, 7-9) on the road last month, 82-69, and hope to win out to improve their seeding chances for the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.

The Hawkeyes are two games ahead of Penn State in the conference, with two games left to play.

This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 6:33 PM with the headline "Lady Lions prepare for Senior Night matchup against Iowa."