UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State Lady Lion senior guard Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.) was among the players that received votes for the five-player preseason Associated Press All-America team for the second-straight season.
The reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, Lucas was recently selected as the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year by the league's coaches and media at the annual media day in Chicago last week. The senior guard collected All-America honors from the Associated Press (second team), USBWA (first team), Full Court (second team) and WBCA (honorable mention) a year ago. Lucas is the third Lady Lion to win Big Ten Player of the Year accolades, joining Helen Darling (2000) and Kelly Mazzante (2003, 2004). She was also voted by the fans as the PremierPlayers.com Player of the Year.
Lucas has established herself as arguably one of the best players in Penn State and Big Ten history from long range. She enters her final season in the Blue & White with 292 career three-pointers, just 65 triples away from Mazzante's school and conference record (357). Lucas ranks seventh in program history with 1,838 points and is on pace to become the fifth player in school history with 2,000 points. Additionally, Lucas is tops in school history in career free throw percentage (.887) and second in career three-point field goal percentage (.433).
The Narberth, Pa. native accounted for 20.1 points per game a year ago, becoming the first Lady Lion since Mazzante in 2004 to average 20 or more points in a season. Lucas also ranked sixth in the conference in steals (2.3) and tallied 4.5 rebounds per outing. She was also third in the Big Ten in free throw percentage (.900).
Penn State opens its season against St. Francis (Pa.) on Fri., Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. The Lady Lions will raise their 2013 Big Ten Championship banner and give away commemorative championship ring banks to celebrate back-to-back Big Ten titles. The Lady Lions also face Fordham on Sun., Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. to close out opening weekend.
Lady Lion Basketball single-game and season tickets are available by calling 1-800-NITTANY. Single-game tickets are $15 and $12 for adults and seniors and $9 and $7 for youth (12 and younger). Season tickets are $99 for adults and $50 for youth (12 and under), this includes a Nittany Lion Kids Club Membership for 2013-14. New this year, the Lady Lions have introduced a Family Season Ticket package. For $200, fans will get two adult tickets and two youth tickets for the 2013-14 campaign. The PNC Flex Books are available again this year for $99. The Flex Book gives fans 12 vouchers, 10 that can be redeemed in any combination for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball tickets throughout the year and two extra vouchers for the Nittany Lions' Coaches Vs. Cancer game and the Lady Lions' Pink Zone game.
The 2014 Pink Zone at Penn State will take place on Sunday, Feb. 16 as the Lady Lions take on Wisconsin in the Bryce Jordan Center at 1 p.m. Last year, the Lady Lions donated a record $260,000 to breast cancer causes. This year's fundraising efforts will benefit the Mount Nittany Medical Center, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital and Lewistown Hospital. For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.pennsylvaniapinkzone.org.
The Lady Lions are on Twitter. Follow sports information contact Kris Petersen (@ladylionsid) and the Lady Lions and coaches (@pennstatewbb) to get the inside scoop. The Lady Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstateladylions.
2013-14 Associated Press Preseason All-America Team
Chiney Ogwumike, StanfordOdyssey Sims, BaylorAlyssa Thomas, MarylandKaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, ConnecticutBreanna Stewart, Connecticut
Others receiving votes (alphabetical): Natalie Achonwa, Notre Dame; Stefanie Dolson, Connecticut; Chelsea Gray, Duke; Bria Hartley, Connecticut; Maggie Lucas, Penn State; Kayla McBride, Notre Dame; Shoni Schimmel, Louisville; Meighan Simmons, Tennessee; Elizabeth Williams, Duke.