12/02/06

Power Outage Stalls Web Update
Defensive Surge In Harrisburg
Pushes Lions To Opening Win
Harrisburg, Pa., Dec. 1, 2006: A power outage in State College prevented updates on this web page but there was no lack of electricity in Harrisburg for the Lady Little Lions who opened the season with a 38-24 win over Allentown Central Catholic. The Lions posted their first season-opening victory since 2002 and won on the road in a season opener for the first time since 2001. "Our defense did an outstanding job to hold a team like that to 24 points," coach Bethany Irwin told the Centre Daily Times. Allentown Central Catholic had won seven state championships and was the state runner-up in Division AAA last year. "For it being our first game I thought our defense was huge," Irwin said. The Lions opened with a 6-2 first period lead stretching it to 17-7 by halftime. A 13-point offensive burst in the third quarter put the Lions up 30-16. Emily Suhey led all scorers with 16 points and Chrissy Cooper added 10 points. State remains in Harrisburg at the Central Dauphin Tip-Off Tournament to play University City this afternoon.

What A Comeback!
Lions Edge University City 51-50
Harrisburg, Pa., Dec. 2, 2006: Outscoring their opponent 20-13 in the final quarter, State College gained a 51-50 victory over University City at Central Dauphin in the school's Tip-Off Tournament. The Lions made up a 10-point defecit in the final minute to raise their record to 2-0 in the young season. "The girls didn't quit," coach Bethany Irwin said. "We had to put them on the foul line and force turnovers." While the field goals scored were close (SC 23, UC 24) the free throws were not as University City managed to make only one of 13 attempts. It was a-come-from-behind effort all the way as the Lions trailed 8-11 after one quarter and 19-25 at halftime. Both teams scored 12 points in the third period when University City led 37-31. Emily Suhey led State with 20 points with 18 coming in the second half. Chrissy Cooper and Kelsey Guth each scored 12 points. University City's scoring leader was sophomore Markel Walker with 26 points. State plays its first home game Friday against Bishop Hoban.

Layton Hits Key Free Throws
As Lions Win Home Opener 51-42
State College, Pa., Dec. 8, 2006: State College capitalized at the free throw line to win its third straight game with a 51-42 victory over visiting and previously undfeated (2-1) Bishop Hoban. The charity stripe success came in the fourth period when the Lady Little Lions made all eight of their freebies. Sarah Layton, the hero of the 51-50 win over University City last Saturday, continued her clutch shooting from the stripe in the last 46 seconds of the game. She swished the first two to extend her team's lead to 49-40 then sank two more at 14 seconds for the final points of the contest. Layton scored a game-high 19 points. "Sarah had an outstanding game," coach Bethany Irwin said. Bishop Hoban trailed 12-11 after the first quarter. State went on a 9-1 run in the first four minutes of the second period and led 24-17 at halftime. State's advantage was 36-30 after three periods as the Argents hung around waiting for an opening. But State had an answer during the final eight minutes including a 3-pointer from Chrissy Cooper which was the only field goal for the Lady Little Lions in the final period. Cooper finished with 11 points, Emily Suhey had 10 points and Kelsey Guth had nine points. Monica Wignot was the only Argent in double figures with 15 points. State College is back on the road Saturday visiting Shaler. The Lion JV won its opening game for new head coach Brenna O'Conner 40-28. Meghan Hart was the high scorer with 13 points.

Cooper Steady As She Goes
Her Free Throws Key In 45-40 Win At Shaler
Pittsburgh, Pa., Dec. 9, 2006: The credit will be shared for State College's 45-40 win at Shaler but what it all came down to at the end were Chrissy Cooper's free throws. As the periods ended the Lions trailed 15-6 then 20-12 and 34-25 until late in the fourth quarter when Cooper's two free throws gave State its first lead with 44 seconds to go. Danielle Spearly stole the ball and State went into a freeze forcing Shaler to foul. The person fouled was Cooper who sank two more from the charity stripe. Shaler missed a shot and then fouled Emily Suhey who made one of two at the line. Shaler scored with 13 seconds left but had to foul and the foul-ee was Cooper, at this point 8-8 from the charity stripe in the quarter. She swished two more leading to the five-point victory. Coach Bethany Irwin, now 4-0 in the young season, threw out bouquets to several players including Spearly who hit what she described as "a huge three" in the fourth period and Suhey who took a charge despite having four fouls. "We stole another one," Irwin said. Shaler's Melissa McQuade took game scoring honors with 23 points. Cooper paced the Lions with 16 points followed by Suhey with 11 and Kelsey Guth with 10. State's JV edged Shaler 33-30 to record its second win. Chelsea Igo led the way with seven points. The Lady Little Lions visit Red Lion on Wednesday then host Erie McDowell Friday and Cheltenham Saturday.

Red Lion Snaps State's Win Streak
Lions Lose 40-38 In Tight Game
Red Lion, Pa., Dec. 13, 2006: The State College Girls' Basketball team lost its first game of the season 40-38 at Red Lion. Coach Bethany Irwin said her Lions had the ball in the last eight seconds but failed to score ending a run of four straight victories to open the season. "We had a lull in the third quarter and they hit their first three shots," she said. Irwin described her team's defensive effort in the first half as flawless. State led 9-4 after one quarter and 20-11 at the half but was outscored 29-18 in the next two quarters. "We still believed we could do it," she said of her team's outlook. State College had rallied twice in recent games coming from behind to win at Shaler and with University City at Central Dauphin. Red Lion came into the contest with a 4-1 record losing its opener 52-45 to defending state champion Parkland. Sarah Layton led the Lion scorers with 15 points and Kelsey Guth scored nine points. Emily Suhey scored eight points and Chrissy Cooper added six. Both teams had limited opportunities to score from the free throw line as State made six of eight (Guth was five of six) and Red Lion made seven of 12. Red Lion's leading scorer was Samantha Klunk with 12 points with help from Kendra Ness who made three 3-pointers, two in the fourth quarter. State College is home for a pair of games this weekend beginning Friday when Erie McDowell visits. On Saturday the Lions will host Cheltenham. State's jv also suffered its first loss of the season falling to Red Lion's jv 34-21. Natalie Torretti was State's leading scorer with six points.

Layton Leads Lions To 5th Win
State Defeats Erie McDowell 52-41
State College, Pa., Dec. 15, 2006: Senior Sarah Layton scored a game-high 18 points and State College set a new high for team points in its 52-41 victory over visiting Erie McDowell. The Lions led 18-9 after the first quarter and were leading 36-22 by halftime. Both offenses slowed down after intermission with McDowell outscoring the Lions 9-7 in the third period. After a pair of McDowell missed free throws, Layton nailed her fourth 3-point field goal which she followed with a deuce to make the score 48-31. McDowell went on a mini-run scoring eight straight points narrowing State's lead to 48-39 but Layton swished two free throws at 1:09 and Chrissy Cooper made another pair to establish the final margin. Emily Suhey contributed 12 points and Danielle Spearly scored eight. McDowell's Chelsea Pruckner, Becky Innes and Abby Schaaf each scored nine points. State's JV won 41-35 led by Meghan Hart with 13 points. Both teams are back in action Saturday when 2006 state semifinalist Cheltenham comes to town. Tip for the varsity game is 5:30 p.m.

Cheltenham Defeats State 60-39
State College, Pa., Dec. 16, 2006: Cheltenham, a state semifinalist last year, defeated host State College 60-38. The Lions suffered only their second loss in seven games while Cheltenham improved to 4-3. State College led 16-15 after one quarter and held a 28-27 advantage with 2:21 left in the second period but Cheltenham ended the quarter with a six-point run establishing a 35-28 lead at halftime. State scored the first three points in the third quarter but Cheltenham went on a tear scoring 12 straight points before a State College free throw. The Lions trailed 52-34 after three quarters. Both teams combined for 12 points in the fourth quarter. Cheltenham's Ashley Gale took game scoring honors with 18 points. Her teammate Misha Hersey had 17 points and Nicole Pender scored 14 points. Danielle Spearly led State with 11 points and Sarah Layton had nine points. The Lions' next game is Thursday at Hazleton. State's JV edged Cheltenham 34-33. Meghan Hart and Natlie Torretti were high for the Lions, each scoring 11 points.

Lions Lose At Hazleton

Hazleton, Pa., Dec. 21, 2006: Doubling their output in the second half wasn't enough as State College lost at Hazleton 51-46. The Lady Little Lions lost to a Lady Cougar squad that has won eight of its last nine games. State College is now 5-3. Hazleton opened up a 15-10 lead in the first quarter then outscored State College 13-5 in the second period. Bouncing back in the next half to outscore the Cougars 31-22 wasn't enough. "We had a horrible first half," coach Bethany Irwin said. "We played poorly but we were still in it." Hazleton opened its win streak with a 55-53 victory over Cheltenham, a team that had beaten the Lions 60-38 last Saturday. Emily Suhey scored 13 points and Kelsey Guth and Sarah Layton each had 10 points. Tara Branigan provided nine points. The Lions are idle until Dec. 28 when they host Ridley in the first round of the Kiwanis Holiday Tournament. State's JV battled Hazleton into overtime before losing 34-32.

Cooper Sets Up Dream Ending
Seals Win At Free Throw Line
State College, Pa., Dec. 28, 2006: With two seconds left on the clock, State College sophomore Chrissy Cooper gave her team possession then was fouled and sank a free throw to preserve a 45-43 victory for the Lady Little Lions over visiting Ridley. The win snapped Ridley's eight-game win streak and sent State College (6-3) into the finals of its Kiwanis Holiday Invitational Tournament for the fourth straight year. The Lions will meet Strath Haven in the championship game Friday at 4 p.m. Ridley and Perry Traditional Academy will play in the consolation game at 1 p.m. This was a tight game from start to finish with the score tied five times and no more than six points separating the two teams. The Lions were down 14-12 at the end of the first quarter. The score was tied at 26 at intermission. The Lions used back-to-back three pointers from Sarah Layton and Danielle Spearly to break the tie halfway through the third period and were up 39-33 at the quarter's end. Ridley's Kellye Gallagher came up with a 3-point play and another bucket to make the score 39-38 with 4:18 left. Layton then pumped in a huge three but Ridley's Carolyn Goebel answered with a two giving State a 42-40 advantage at 3:21. That's when State junior Emily Suhey got her team's last field goal. Ridley's Brittany Battinieri made the first free throw but missed the second in a one-plus-one opportunity and Layton grabbed the rebound. Battinieri nailed her team's last bucket at 1:31. Neither team was able to score until Cooper denied Ridley's last drive to the basket and sank a free throw. "It was a great all-out team effort," State College coach Bethany Irwin said. "Our defense in the third quarter was huge." Layton took scoring honors with 14 points. Kelsey Guth had 10 points and Cooper and Suhey each had nine points. Gallagher was Ridley's scoring leader with 11 points. Strath Haven advanced to the finals with a 62-38 victory over Perry.

Defense Keys State's 58-40 Win
Lions Capture 4th Straight Kiwanis Title
State College, Pa., Dec. 29, 2006: State College won its fourth straight Kiwanis Holiday Invitational title with a 58-40 victory in the championship game over Strath Haven. The Lady Little Lions had an exceptional night on defense, according to Strath Haven coach Josh Peterkin. "They just took us out of our rhythm," Peterkin said. "That's a difficult defense to run at a high school level." "We always try to focus on defense," junior Kelsey Guth said. "If we focus on defense our offense will fall and that's exactly what happened." State set a new season scoring high and junior Emily Suhey matched her season best scoring effort with 20 points. "I got some open looks and I was glad I could put them in," Suhey said. State led 17-7 after one period and 31-16 at halftime. With the exception of one field goal by Chrissy Cooper, Suhey and Guth accounted for all of the Lion points in the second quarter. Strath Haven's leading scorer was Morgan Johnson with 18 points. Natalie George chipped in 14 points for Strath Haven whose record is now 7-3. State improves to 7-3 with District 6 rival Altoona next on the agenda. Altoona visits Jan. 5. In a ceremony before the title game, State junior Tara Branigan was named an MVP. After competition ended, the all-tournament team included Lady Little Lions Sarah Layton and Cooper. Johnson and Sarah DeBerardinis were selected from Strath Haven. Ridley, who defeated Perry Traditional Academy 62-38 in the consolation game, each had one all-tourney selection. Kellye Gallagher was Ridley's rep and Tyler Watts was chosen from Perry.

Altoona Wins By 7
State's Suhey Scores 17
State College, Pa., Jan. 5, 2007: State College lost its first league game to defending champion Altoona 42-35. The 7-4 Lady Little Lions gave the 8-4 Altoona Lady Lions a battle forcing three ties but had its only lead in the first quarter. Junior Emily Suhey scored six of her game-high 17 points in the first period when State's lead was 8-5 and 11-8 but the period ended with Altoona ahead 14-11. The visiting Lions had a 23-19 edge at halftime thanks to a half-court shot at the buzzer by Katy Oblinger. Oblinger had also forced a turnover and made a layup at the end of the first period. Those two plays were pivotal, according to State College coach Bethany Irwin. "We gave them five points they shouldn't have gotten," she said. Neither team shot well in the third quarter combining for 10 points. State's six points came on a traditional 3-point play by Suhey and Sarah Layton's three. Altoona's Tina Cummings opened the quarter with a deuce and Oblinger converted a State turnover into another quarter-closing basket to give her team a 27-25 lead. Suhey's hoop at the beginning of the fourth quarter led to the third and final tie in the contest. Field goals by Altoona's Morgan Hershey and Jackie Reilly created a four-point spurt before Chrissy Cooper picked Oblinger's pocket then drove the court for a layup. State could only answer a pair of Altoona buckets with one free throw and Altoona decided to protect its 35-30 lead by stalling. The Lady Little Lions then had to send Altoona to the free throw line where Altoona made seven of nine in the final 1:11. "It was a great game to be a part of," Irwin said. State College goes on the road to face Central Mountain on Wednesday. State's JV defeated Altoona 30-22. Natalie Torretti had eight points and Jess Hughes had seven points for the Lions.

Second Chance Points Help
Lions Defeat Central Mountain
State College, Pa., Jan. 10, 2007: State College blew open a tight game at Central Mountain after halftime eventually winning its first league game 42-24. The Lions improved to 8-4 and the Lady Wildcats fell to 5-6. State recoverd from an 0-5 deficit in the opening minutes to lead 10-9 at the end of the first quarter and held a 16-14 advantage at halftime. "They were just lulling us to sleep," State College coach Bethany Irwin said of Central Mountain's spread offense. The game was tied twice in the third quarter, the last time with 3:15 to go when State sophomore Chrissy Cooper buried a three. Cooper got another bucket then junior Emily Suhey made the second of two free throws and junior Kelsey Guth converted a traditional 3-point play giving the Lions a 29-22 advantage. State got six points on second chance points as Guth and Suhey took charge under the basket in the final period. Central Mountain's Courtney Walsh prevented a shutout with a layup in the final minutes. "In the fourth quarter things just started to fall into place," Irwin said. Guth led all scorers with 14 points and Suhey scored 13 points. Mallory Moore was high with 11 points for Central Mountain. State College's JV won its game 31-22 behind Meghan Hart's 17 points. The Lions are at Greensburg Central Catholic Saturday.

Lions Win At Greensburg Central Catholic
Suhey Scores 12 of her 24 Points in 4th Quarter
Greensburg, Pa., Jan. 13, 2007: State College junior Emily Suhey pumped in 12 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter and scored the winning basket with eight seconds left in the contest to help the Lady Little Lions win at Greensburg Central Catholic 50-48. The win improves State's record to 9-4 while the Centurions are 9-5. State trailed 25-21 at halftime although coach Bethany Irwin said, "We were getting good looks but our shots just weren't falling." That trend reversed in the third quarter when State outscored GCC 13-7. "We went inside more," Irwin said of her strategic change, "and when they double-teamed Emily, Kelsey Guth was open." Guth finished with 14 points, eight coming in the second half. Chrissy Cooper scored eight points and Meghan Hart and Sarah Layton each scored two. GCC's leading scorers were seniors Kayla Marghella and Ashley Henderson, each with 11 points. "Getting our ninth win was huge," Irwin said. "We only had nine wins all of last year." State remains on the road for the third straight game and this one is a league game that takes the Lions to Hollidaysburg on Wednesday. Back-to- back home games next Friday and Saturday are with Reading and North Schuylkill, respectively. State's JV also won in Greensburg by 46-39. Natalie Torretti and Jess Hughes shared scoring honors with eight points.

Branigan Hits Winning Basket
As Lions Edge Hollidaysburg 43-42
Hollidaysburg, Pa., Jan. 17, 2007: State College junior Tara Branigan's field goal with three seconds left made the difference for the Lady Little Lions (10-4) in a 43-42 win at Hollidaysburg (10-5). State raised its league record to 2-1 and defeated the Lady Tigers for the first time since the District 6 semifinals in 2005. "We were down three (21-18) at halftime and at one point were down by 10 points after that," coach Bethany Irwin said. "We kept fighting back." Branigan was a key player scoring all five of her points in the fourth quarter. She nailed a 3-pointer before netting the winning bucket. State also capitalized at the free throw line making 16 of 18 attempts. Junior Kelsey Guth was nine of 10 from the stripe finishing with 13 points. Junior Emily Suhey was high for the Lions with 14 points. Hollidaysburg junior Amanda Ottaway led all scorers with 15 points and her teammate Erica Matko scored 13 points. The Lion JV lost its game 31-49 with Meghan Hart providing 10 points. State College comes home this weekend for a pair of games beginning Friday night with Reading at 7:30 p.m. and continuing on Saturday (5:30 p.m. tip) with North Schuylkill.
County Statistics
According to statistics in today's edition of the Centre Daily Times, State College is the top free throw shooting team in the county. Four Lady Little Lions (Emily Suhey, Kelsey Guth, Chrissy Cooper and Sarah Layton) are ranked among the top 10 scorers in the county.

Flawless Defense, Rebounding
Lead To 51-33 Win Over Reading
State College, Pa., Jan. 19, 2007: State College coach Bethany Irwin thought her team's defense in the first half was "flawless." Lady Little Lion Kelsey Guth said that rebounding sets up her team's success. A combination of the two and more led State College to a 51-33 victory over visiting Reading. State's record improves to 11-4 while Reading drops to 9-8. The Lions held Reading to seven points in the first quarter and two points in the second to take a 25-9 lead at halftime. That impressed Irwin. "This was a team that scored 73 points in their last game," she said of the Red Knights. Four 3-point field goals scored by Sarah Layton (2), Chrissy Cooper and Tara Branigan) boosted State's numbers in the first half. The offensive surge continued in the third quarter when State oustscored Reading 20-14. The Red Knights recovered to post an 8-2 run over the Lions in the first five minutes of the final period but it was too little, too late. Guth took scoring honors with 14 points accompanied by Emily Suhey and Layton who each had 11 points. Kanisha Edwards led Reading with eight points. State's JV won the curtain raiser 40-32 led by Meghan Hart with 12 points. The Lions are right back on their home court tomorrow for a 5:30 p.m. contest with North Schuylkill.

State Ends North Schuylkill Streak
With 52-36 Victory Over Lady Spartans
State College, Pa., Jan. 20, 2007: State College snapped North Schuylkill's seven-game win streak in a 52-36 victory over the visiting Lady Spartans. North Schuylkill lost for just the second time in its last 12 games. Surviving an early threat when the score was tied three times, State bumped up from a 24-16 advantage at the half to lead 40-28 at the end of the third quarter. Fouls, however, were almost a problem. Junior Kelsey Guth sat out much of the first half and picked up her third foul 28 seconds into the third period. Chrissy Cooper, Tara Branigan and Emily Suhey all were tagged for their third fouls in the third stanza. The fourth quarter opened with Suhey's fourth foul but State's passing game got hot. Cooper fed Guth and Branigan fed Layton for highlight film plays but the Lady Spartans were still in it with 3:13 to go and State leading by eight (44-36). The green light was on for shooters leading Cooper to make a three, Guth to add a deuce and a free throw and Layton to add two more from the charity stripe giving State what would be the final winning margin (52-36). Balanced scoring for the Lady Little Lions was key. Cooper accounted for 12 points, Layton 10, Guth 10, Danielle Spearly 8, and Suhey and Branigan six. North Schuylkill's leading scorer Caitlin Gadinsky scored eight of her Lady Spartan high 10 points in the third period. State moves its record to 12-4 after completing a week with three wins in four days. North Schuylkill's record drops to 12-4. The State College JV won 37-24 behind Meghan Hart's 10 points. Next up for the Lions is a visit to Altoona on Wednesday.

Last Shot Falls For Altoona
State College Loses 52-49
Altoona, Pa., Jan. 24, 2007: Altoona senior Katy Oblinger hit a 3-point field goal with three seconds left in the game to give her team a 52-49 victory at home over State College. The win moves Altoona (12-5) into first place in the league with a 3-1 record and drops State College to 12-5 overall and 2-2 in league games. "It was a hard fought game," State College coach Bethany Irwin said. "Everybody rose to the occasion and it came down to the last possession." State trailed 11-12 at the end of the first quarter but held a 26-24 lead at halftime. Altoona regained the lead in the third quarter taking a 41-38 advantage into the final period. State College's Chrissy Cooper stole the ball and made a layup to tie the game at 49-49 with 40 seconds to go. Altoona ran down the clock setting up Oblinger's winning shot. State's Emily Suhey took game scoring honors with 20 points. Cooper netted 14 points and Sarah Layton scored 11 points. Oblinger finished with 15 points for Altoona with Morgan Hershey adding 13 points and Jackie Reilly 10 points. State's JV prevailed 31-29 led by Natalie Torretti's 13 points. The Lion varsity travels to Harrisburg to face the fifth-ranked Cougars at 5 p.m. Saturday.

State Shocks No. 5 Harrisburg
Lions Win 48-45 In Nailbiter
Harrisburg, Pa., Jan. 27, 2007: Underdog State College (13-5) spoiled host Harrisburg's Winter Hoop Madness Invy by upsetting the fifth-ranked Cougars 48-45. Harrisburg (16-3) had won seven straight games and was held to its lowest point total since a Dec. 22 loss to Trinity when the Cougars fell 46-38. "Our strategy was to slow the game down and keep the score in the 40s," State College coach Bethany Irwin said. The Lady Little Lions trailed 15-10 after one quarter but led 25-24 at halftime. A low-scoring third period which ended with Harrisburg ahead 32-28 led to the nail biting fourth quarter. State College fought back to tie it at 32 and 34 before Harrisburg went on a six- point run. A 3-pointer by Chrissy Cooper made it 40-37 but Harrisburg's Sabre Proctor made both of her free throws as State's Kelsey Guth fouled out. That's when Emily Suhey showed her shooting touch from the charity stripe as Harrisburg put the Lions in the bonus. She made seven of eight free throws in the fourth quarter leading a State comeback. Amber Green's bucket gave Harrisburg its last lead (42-40) at 2:08 before Suhey 's last two free throws knotted the score at 42. Lady Little Lion Danielle Spearly, who entered the game when Guth fouled out, made a 3-pointer at the 1:20 mark pushing State ahead 45-42. Turnovers for both teams consumed the next 46 seconds before Cooper was fouled. She hit both free throws and State's lead grew to 47-42. With just eight and a half seconds left Harrisburg's Stacei Dennis made a long range three narrowing the gap to 47-45. Harrisburg was forced to foul Sarah Layton who made the second of two and State left the new John Harris Campus Gymnasium with one of its biggest wins in recent memory. Irwin was ecstatic after the victory mentioning the composure shown by her team and the strength of State's defense. Suhey finished with a game-high 21 points. Cooper added nine, Layton seven and Spearly five. Harrisburg had three in double figures in Proctor with 12 points, Dennis with 11 and Fashia McFadden with 14. The Lions remain on the road visiting Williamsport on Monday then return home Wednesday for a league game with Central Mountain.

Guth, Suhey Combine for 38
As Lions Win 67-40 at Williamsport
Williamsport, Pa., Jan. 29, 2007: State College juniors Kelsey Guth and Emily Suhey combined for 38 points helping the now 14-5 Lady Little Lions win at Williamsport 67-40. The Millionaires fall to 8-10. Suhey was the offensive spark in the early going scoring nine points in the first quarter when State led 17-10. The lead stretched to 30-16 at halftime with Suhey and Guth accounting for 10 of the Lions' 13 second quarter points. Williamsport started to click in the third period but Guth matched the effort pouring in nine of State's 15 points as State took a 45-30 advantage into the final period. With support from the bench, State outscored the Millionaires 22-10 in the last quarter. Guth led the way with a career-high 20 points followed by Suhey with 18 points. Chrissy Cooper put in nine points, Danielle Spearly added seven points and Rebecca Koons scored five points. State got three points apiece from Sarah Layton and Tara Branigan and Meghan Hart had two points. Williamsport's high scorer was Danika Adams with 11 points. State's JV triumphed 41-36 led by Natalie Torretti with 11. State returns home to host a league game with Central Mountain on Wednesday.

Suhey Leads Lions in 41-28
Win Over Central Mountain

State College, Pa., Jan. 31, 2007: A 19-point performance by State College junior Emily Suhey gave the Lady Little Lions the boost they needed to defeat scrappy Central Mountain 41-28. State coach Bethany Irwin reached all three of her goals by winning a league game that was played at home on a night when four seniors were honored. Suhey scored State's first five points putting the Lions ahead 7-4 in the first period. After stretching the advantage to 19-11 at halftime, Suhey and Kelsey Guth became a dynamic duo accounting for all but two of State's points in the third quarter when State's lead was 34-18. State was outscored 10-7 in the final period but had enough to raise its record to 15-5 overall and 3-2 in league games. Central Mountain is now 9-8 and 1-4 in the league. State's Guth finished with nine points followed by Chrissy Cooper with six and Sarah Layton with five. Central Mountain's Abby Lawless led the Lady Wildcats with 14 points. State travels to Blue Mountain Friday and has a game at Westmont Hilltop Monday. The last home game of the season is Wednesday, Feb. 7 with league rival Hollidaysburg. The Lion JV won 35-13 with Natalie Torretti and Sarah Gierhart sharing scoring honors with eight points.

Lions Win By 30 Over Blue Mountain
Schuylkill Haven, Pa., Feb. 6, 2007 -- State College junior Kelsey Guth matched her season high in scoring with 20 points helping the Lady Little Lions win at Blue Mountain 62-32. Classmate Emily Suhey provided support with 19 points as State raised its record to 16-5 in a makeup game postponed from last week due to the weather. Suhey's point total moved her into third place on the all-time scoring list kept by coach Bethany Irwin. Blue Mountain lost for only the third time this season dropping to 20-3. The Lions shook off three days without being able to practice with four double digit scoring quarters. They blasted by Blue Mountain after leading 10-8 in the first quarter outscoring the Eagles 17-7 to lead 27-15 at halftime. The lead jumped to 42-23 at the end of the third quarter. "Kelsey Guth just dominated inside," Irwin said. Sophomore Chrissy Cooper joined Guth and Suhey in double figures by scoring 15 points. State's jv won its game 29-21 sparked by Meghan Hart's nine points. The Lady Little Lions are back home tomorrow for a key game with Hollidaysburg. Both teams are members of the Mountain Athletic Conference and State needs a win to improve its league record to 4-2 and finish second behind defending league champion Altoona. Hollidaysburg is 2-3 in league games.

Hollidaysburg Rallies To Tie State in League Standings
State College, Pa., Feb. 7, 2007 -- State College could not complete the sweep of visiting Hollidaysburg and lost to the Lady Tigers 42-39. That leaves both teams with 3-3 records in the Mountain Athletic Conference. State is now 16-6 overall and Hollidaysburg is 13-6. The two teams are expected to meet again in the District 6 playoffs. State rode the hot hand of Sarah Layton in the first half and led 22-17 at intermission. But the star of the half was Hollidaysburg's Sara Trimarco who had 15 of her team's 17 points. The Lady Little Lions led 30-27 at the end of the third period. State's offense stalled to three free throws in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter when Hollidaysburg made a 7-3 run to grab a 35-33 lead. Trimarco hit her fourth three of the game during the run. Buckets by State's Kelsey Guth and Emily Suhey brought the lead back to the Lions at 37-36 with 2:34 left. Hollidaysburg's Linzie Stahl and Amanda Ottaway both made baskets to give the Lady Eagles a 40-37 advantage with 1:08 remaining. The Lions fouled Trimarco at 36.2 and the sharpshooter of the night missed the free throw. State's Chrissy Cooper hit a driving layup with 21 seconds remaining cutting the Hollidaysburg lead to 40-39 with 21 seconds to go. One more bucket from Lady Eagle Amanda Ottaway provided the 3-point winning margin. Trimarco scored a career-high 21 points and Ottaway finished with 11. State's Sarah Layton was the only Lady Little Lion in double figures with 11 points. State's JV also lost 39-33 as Natalie Torretti led the Lion scoring with 17 points. State College is idle until Thursday, Feb. 15 when the Lions are at Westmont Hilltop. The season finale is Feb. 16 at Punxsutawney.

Lions Let Lead At Westmont Hilltop Slip Away
Johnstown, Pa., February 15, 2007 -- State College lost at Westmont Hilltop 51-48 letting an early lead slip away. The Lady Little Lions are now 16-7 with one more regular season game tomorrow at Punxsytawney. Holding an 18-7 advantage in the first quarter, State outscored the Lady Hilltoppers 14-10 in the second quarter enjoying a 32-17 halftime lead. Westmont Hilltop narrowed the gap to 43-37 after the third quarter then outscored the Lions 14-5 in the final period. "We handed it to them," State coach Bethany Irwin said. "We had only one foul shot and that was in the first two minutes of the game." Chrissy Cooper was the leading scorer for State with 15 points. Emily Suhey, who made the Lions' only free throw, scored 12 points before fouling out. Sarah Layton scored 11 points and Kelsey Guth had 10 points. The Lions were able to hold Westmont Hilltop's Kelly Britcher to four points in the first half but she recovered and scored 17 in the final two quarters to take game scoring honors with 21 points. State's JV won its game 40-24 with Natalie Torretti scoring 10 points and Samantha Kracaw contributing nine points.

State Defeats Punxsy 57-49 In Regular Season Finale
Suhey Reaches Season High With 26 Points
Punsxutawney, Pa., February 16, 2007 -- State College won its final regular season game at Punsxutawney 57-49 behind a season-high 26 points from junior Emily Suhey. The Lions jumped from a 15-13 first quarter deficit to a 32-24 halftime lead thanks to Suhey's 10-point quarter and five points from front court classmate Kelsey Guth. The Lady Little Lions cap off a season of highlights with a win over a Punsxutawney team that had lost just three previous games, one of them coming at the hands of Altoona (42-39). "I was really proud of our girls," coach Bethany Irwin said. "They showed a lot of character. We came back from two really hard losses." State College had lost its two previous games to Westmont Hilltop 51-48 and to District 6 rival Hollidaysburg 42-39. Punxsutawney visits Hollidaysburg Tuesday. The 17-7 Lions rode their second quarter scoring burst to defeat the now 17-4 Lady Chucks. Both teams scored 25 points in the second half. Suhey posted her sixth game with 20 or more points surpassing her previous season high of 24 points at Greensburg Central Catholic. Chrissy Cooper provided 16 points and Guth scored 11 points. Punsxy senior Samantha Reitz led her team with 14 points, 12 coming on 3-pointers. Lauren Martino scored 13 points. State's JV ended its season with a 48-24 win led by Natalie Torretti with 16 points and Meghan Hart with 13 points. State now awaits the bracket announcement for the District 6 Playoffs. The announcement is expected to come either this Monday or Tuesday with the games beginning next Saturday.

Banquet Celebrates 2006-07 Season of Unity
Layton Wins Whittaker Award
State College, Pa. -- A season of unity fueled by team chemistry was highlighted at the State College Girls' Basketball Banquet this weekend. Senior tri-captain Sarah Layton also was honored as the winner of the prestigious Thomas Whittaker Award. The award recognizes the senior player who best represents courage, hard work, love of the game, outstanding play and sportsmanship. "This group is very unselfish," coach Bethany Irwin said of her team. "They like each other." Irwin also mentioned the team's influence on younger children. "I try to tell the girls that they have such an impact on my two kids. My two look up to these girls with so much admiration and respect," she said. Irwin also had an affectionate dig at two of the parents. "If Ken Layton can wear a taped lion on his head, and Rob Cooper can wear a god awful wig to games, that is either being very dedicated or very weird." State College finished the regular season with a 17-7 record at the varsity level. Five of the losses were to teams recognized in the Feb. 18 Class AAAA state poll. State's losses to No. 4 ranked Altoona were by a combined 10 points. Altoona is expected to be the top seeded team when the District 6 pairings are announced this week.

Lions Defeat Hollidaysburg 40-26
Advance to District 6 Final
Tyrone, Pa., February 24, 2007 -- State College won its rubber match with Hollidaysburg holding the Lady Tigers to a season low in points with a 40-26 victory in the District 6 semifinal game at Tyrone High School. The two teams had split in the regular season, each winning in the other's gym. State College coach Bethany Irwin said practice time made a big difference in her team's performance. "The bottom line is we had a whole week to practice," she said. "We have not had that since December." State's hectic schedule with 16 games on the road was like a "Survivor" experience complicated by several postponements due to weather. But the sun shone brightly and the sky was blue for the now 18-7 Lady Little Lions in Tyrone. After Hollidaysburg built a modest 4-0 lead early, State scored 10 straight points to lead 10-4 at the end of the first quarter. The lead was 15-8 by halftime with Emily Suhey scoring nine of her team-high 13 points. Lions Kelsey Guth and Chrissy Cooper accounted for all nine of State's points in the third period which ended with the Lions ahead 24-14. Hollidaysburg made its run midway through the final quarter on baskets by Amanda Ottaway and Sara Trimarco and free throws by Taylor Griffin narrowing State's lead to 28-23. For Trimarco, who had torched State College with a career-high 21 points in her team's 42-39 victory on Feb. 7, the fourth quarter field goal provided her only points. She eventually fouled out. State pulled away from the Lady Tigers by making eight straight free throws over a span of one minute and 11 seconds. Suhey, Sarah Layton, Guth and Tara Branigan all were perfect at the free throw line as State extended its lead to 36-24. Ottaway connected on just one of five free throws during that span and eventually fouled out with 1:27 remaining. She was the only Tiger to score more than three points finishing with a game-high 14. Guth and Cooper added four more free throws with Amanda Foreman scoring the only field goal during the last three and a half minutes of the contest. "Defensively we played an outstanding game," Irwin said. No other team had held Hollidaysburg under 34 points this season. The Lady Tigers, 16-8, had 34 points in a loss at then No. 1 ranked New Castle on Jan. 6. State had three double-figure scorers in Suhey, Cooper with 12 and Guth with 10. The Lions advance to the District 6 Championship game against Altoona who defeated Central Mountain 43-38 in the other District 6 semifinal. Details on that game will be posted on Monday.

Altoona Wins District Title Game
State College Advances To Play-In Round
Loretto, Pa. -- February 28, 2007 State College (18-8) will play another game Saturday despite its 54-40 loss to Altoona (20-6) in the District 6 Championship game at St. Francis University in Loretto. The District champion and runner-up both advance to play-in round games Saturday, March 3. The Lady Little Lions will meet the District 10 champion in their play-in game while Altoona will take on the D-10 runner-up. Altoona cruised to its fourth straight district title building a 16-4 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Lions only points in the opening stanza came from Emily Suhey and Chrissy Cooper. The lead narrowed to 26-11 by intermission. State had not trailed by this many points at halftime since falling behind by 14 points at Hazleton. The lions showed signs of life in the third quarter outscoring Altoona 14-8. Kelsey Guth and Suhey combined for eight and six points respectively helping State twice get as close as nine points at 32-23 and 34-25. Altoona's Katy Oblinger pumped in 11 points in the final period to seal the victory. All of State's points came from three Lady Little Lions. Suhey had 19 points, Cooper had 11 points and Guth had 10 points. Oblinger led Altoona with four 3-point field goals to finish with 17 points.

State Defeats Erie Central
Advances To PIAA 1st Round Friday
Edinboro, Pa., March 3, 2007 -- The State College Lady Little Lions (19-8) won their Play-In Game over District 10 Champion Erie Central 47-37 and advanced to play in the PIAA's 1st round Friday. The opponent will be the fourth seed out of District 7. Sophomore Chrissy Cooper led State's scorers with 14 points. Cooper kept the now 22-5 Falcons at bay with her free throw shooting after State's lead was established by Emily Suhey and Kelsey Guth. The two juniors triggered a 9-2 run in the fourth quarter. With Erie Central holding a 24-23 advantage at the end of the third quarter, Suhey opened the fourth quarter by lofting a 3-pointer that slipped through the net. It was only the second 3-pointer of the season for Suhey. She followed that with a deuce that stretched State's lead to 28-24. Guth then converted a perfect pass from Sarah Layton for a layup and followed that with another bucket in the lane. That produced a vigorous protest aimed at the officiating by Central Coach Nick DeSantis who was assessed a technical foul. That sent Lady Little Lion junior Tara Branigan to the foul line. She swished both attempts and extended State's lead to 34-26. Suhey got another basket at 3:32 and Cooper nailed a trey to make it 39-26 with 3:03 to go. Central's gamble to stop the clock and count on State misses at the charity stripe didn't work because Cooper finished the Lion scoring by making six straight free throws and Guth helped by adding two more. Central's Caity Crawford connected on three of her five threes in the final 2:46 to take game scoring honors with 20 points Suhey finished with 12 and is four points away from scoring her 1,000th career point. Guth added 10, Layton seven and Branigan four. With her team leading 16-15 at halftime, State College coach Bethany Irwin sent a simple message to her players. "Just put the ball in the hoop," she said. "The only thing we talked about was our offense," she said of the halftime discussion. "The shots are going to fall for us." That proved to be the case as State found its mojo. The Lions return to the "Big Dance" for the 10th time in the program's history.

Season Ends In PIAA 1st Round
Emily Suhey Scores Her 1000th Point

Emily Suhey is the first junior and only the third player in coach Bethany Irwin's career to score 1,000 points. She joins Katie Glusko (1,630) and Rachel Onkotz (1,010) on the elite list finishing the season with 1,008 points.

Hollidaysburg, Pa., March 9, 2007 -- State College ended its season with a 57-49 loss in a PIAA 1st round game with Bethel Park. The Lady Hawks, now 24-4, advance to meet the WPIAL champion New Castle, a winner over Norwin. The Lady Little Lions end their campaign with a 19-9 record. "They played their hearts out and that's all I can ask," State College coach Bethany Irwin said. Bethel Park opened with three straight 3-point field goals from senior Katie Kendall. Kendall would take game scoring honors and post a season-high 26 points. For awhile it looked like Bethel Park was going to score all of its points from treys. After Kendall made her first three, senior Samantha Loadman hit two and Kendall swished her fourth combining for all of the Lady Hawks' first 21 points. At this point Bethel Park held a 21-17 advantage. State fought back from a 12-7 first quarter deficit with threes from seniors Sarah Layton and Danielle Spearly and another from sophomore Chrissy Cooper. Meanwhile State junior Emily Suhey had scored off an offensive rebound in the first period and notched her 1,000th career point in the second after collecting a board and banking home the follow. Suhey mentioned in the postgame that it was nice to get it (the milestone) out of the way early. "It's a great feeling," she said holding a souvenir basketball and balloons. She also received a jug containing 1,000 Skittles. By halftime Bethel Park held a 25-19 lead. The Lions roared out of the blocks after intermission outscoring BP 14-9 in the third period. It was a shared effort with five points from Cooper, four from Kelsey Guth, two from Layton and another three from Spearly. A bucket by Guth had tied the score at 30 with 2:45 left in the third and the period ended with the Lions trailing 33-34. Guth picked up a missed shot for a layup to give State College its first lead 35-34 to open the fourth quarter. Lady Hawk Bridget Bielich scored the first of her six points to reclaim a one-point advantage but Suhey connected on an assist from Cooper to give State its final lead at 37-36 with 6:08 left to play. A traditional 3-point play by Loadman and a 3-pointer from senior Kathy Poploski made it 42-37. State rallied to within one point (36-37) behind a bucket by Suhey and a pair of free throws by Guth with 4:34 left but Bielich's third bucket at 2:32 led to a parade of free throws as State tried to stop the clock. Kendall did most of the damage by making nine of 10 down the stretch. Suhey and Guth both scored 12 points for the Lions while Cooper had 10. Spearly had eight points and Layton seven in their final games.
Notes: The game had its share of puzzling statistical moments. Neither team shot a free throw until Guth made a pair in the third quarter. The Lady Hawks had all of their free throws in the fourth quarter. Bethel Park did not have a 2-point field goal until 1:37 remained in the second quarter. In addition to her move over 1,000, Suhey collected 10 rebounds to record her 11th double-double. In other PIAA 1st round action, District 6 champ Aloonta lost to Hempfield 51-41. State College regular season opponents Harrisburg, Cheltenham and University City all won their PIAA first round games. State owns road wins over Harrisburg and University City. Harrisburg and Cheltenham meet in the second round and University City faces Hempfield. Shaler, a team State defeated 45-40 on the road, upset Oakland Catholic 44-36 in the first round. It was OC's earliest PIAA 1st round exit since 1992. Oakland Catholic was a PIAA semifinalist last year.
No Question, State College
Schedule Among State's Toughest
State College, Pa., March 6, 2007 -- State College is ranked No. 3 in the state for its competitive schedule, according to a ranking system developed by MaxPreps and published on March 5. The rankings include 764 girls basketball programs covering all classes in the state. Here's the top 10 (*State College opponent):
1. Oakland Catholic 25.6
2. Easton 24.1
3. STATE COLLEGE 23.8
4. *Allentown Central Catholic 23.4
5. *Shaler 23.4
6. Emmaus 23.4
7. Whitehall 23.2
8. Bethlehem Freedom 23.1
9. Northampton 22.6
10. Pine Richland 22.6