Lucas scores 22, helps Penn State women rally and hold off Wichita State 62-56
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Maggie Lucas scored 22 points, rallying Penn State from an early scare in a 62-56 win over Wichita State on Sunday in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Lucas led the Lady Lions (23-7) back from an 11-point hole and becoming an unwanted piece of tournament history: A No. 3 seed has never lost a game to a 14.
The Shockers (26-7) tried to make it happen, but could never sustain the early spurt that would have allowed them to pull off one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lucas, the two-time Big Ten player of the year, led Penn State's 17-0 run to open the second half that spurred them into the second round for the fourth straight year.
Wichita State had one last small comeback. Michaela Dapprich's 3-pointer with 1:53 left whittled a 12-point hole all the way to 56-54. Penn State's Talia East went inside for a tough basket, and Lucas added a pair of late free throws to seal the win.
Lucas has led the Lady Lions to four straight NCAA tournament appearances, three regular-season Big Ten titles, and she holds the team and conference record for 3-pointers made.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She changed the game with a pair of 3s in the first half, then built a double-digit lead with another in the second.
Lucas buried a 3-pointer for a 12-point lead, then flashed three fingers to the crowd, which was going wild with every basket.
The Shockers scored a field goal with 19 second left in the first half, then missed 10 straight to open the second, finally scoring on Dapprich's 3-pointer with about 12:18 left. She hit another 3 on the next possession that made it an eight-point game.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Determined to win and make history, the Shockers wouldn't go away. Alie Decker's 3 made it 50-45 and briefly quieted the crowd and the Shockers kept it a five-point game with just under minutes left.
Dapprich, who hit 5 of 10 3s, scored 19 points. Alex Harden had 16 for the Shockers.
Ariel Edwards scored 17 points for the Lady Lions, and East had 13 points and 13 rebounds.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wichita State, playing hours before the top-seed men's team played in St. Louis, took control on 10-0 run early in the first half and went bouncing and yelling into a timeout looking every bit a team ready to pull off a true shocker. The Shockers stretched the lead to 11 before the Lady Lions found their groove.
Lucas hit back-to-back 3-pointers that sliced the lead to four, then she cupped her ears to hear those raucous cheers and chest-bumped her teammates on the way off the court. Lucas, as she has so often for the Lady Lions, delivered another clutch bucket a possession later. Edwards drove the lane and her shot slowly rolled around the rim before the ball plopped through. She was fouled, missed the free throw, but Lucas hit a jumper off the offensive rebound and Penn State pulled to 24-23.
The Shockers made 7 of 8 free throws in the first half and Penn State was only 1 of 5, enough of a difference to send Wichita State into halftime with a 30-25 lead.