University Park, Pa. — Penn State guards Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.) have accepted invitations to participate in the 2011 USA Basketball World University Game Trials.
The pair are part of the group of 35 of the nation's top collegiate players that have accepted invitations to attend the 2011 USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team Trials, which will take place May 22-25 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo. Invitations to the trials were issued by the USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team Committee, chaired by Sue Donohoe, NCAA vice president for Division I women's basketball.
Bentley became the 11th different Lady Lion to take home first team All-Big Ten honors after a solid sophomore campaign. She finished in the Top 15 in the Big Ten in scoring (12th/14.4), assists (2nd/5.0), field goal percentage (14th/.446), free throw percentage (11th/.798) and assist-to-turnover ratio (4th/1.7). The Indianapolis native was outstanding for the Lady Lions in their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2004-05, averaging 23.0 points and 4.0 assists in two games. Bentley is 10th on Penn State's career assists average chart (4.5) and 12th in scoring average (13.2). She needs one assist to become the 14th player in school history to tally 300 career helpers.
Lucas was selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Sixth Player of the Year. The eight-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week etched her name into the Penn State and Big Ten record books in her outstanding rookie campaign as she broke the Big Ten and Penn State single-season record for three-pointers (112). Additionally, Lucas broke Kelly Mazzante's Penn State freshman season scoring record with 552 tallies. The Narberth, Pa. native led the Big Ten in three-point field goals and was second in three-point field goal percentage (.426). She is also in the Top 15 in the NCAA in both categories. The rookie guard finished seventh in the Big Ten in scoring at a 15.8 per game clip.
"We truly are looking forward to an incredible group of talent at the World University Games Team Trials," said Donohoe. "Many of these players have been involved with USA Basketball in the past, and those that are new to the process have experience at some of the country's best programs. It will be a tough task for the committee to identify the 12-member team, and we look forward to seeing a lot of heart and hard work."
Accepting invitations to the 2011 USA World University Games Team Trials are: Lasondra Barrett (Louisiana State/Jackson, Miss.); Alex Bentley (Penn State/Indianapolis, Ind.); Kelsey Bone (Texas A&M/Stafford, Texas); Cierra Bravard (Florida State/Sandusky, Ohio); Sydney Carter (Texas A&M/DeSoto, Texas); Brittany Chambers (Kansas State/Jordan, Minn.); Carolyn Davis (Kansas/Houston, Texas); Elena Delle Donne (Delaware/Wilmington, Del.); Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame/South Bend, Ind.); Jasmine Dixon (UCLA/Long Beach, Calif.); Jacki Gemelos (USC/Stockton, Calif.); Briana Gilbreath (USC/Katy, Texas); Keisha Hampton (DePaul/Philadelphia, Pa.); Natasha Howard (Florida State/Toledo, Ohio); Courtney Hurt (VCU/Conyers, Ga.); Shenise Johnson (Miami/Henrietta, N.Y.); Glory Johnson (Tennessee/Knoxville, Tenn.); Lynetta Kizer (Maryland/Woodbridge, Va.); Maggie Lucas (Penn State/Narberth, Pa.); A'dia Mathies (Kentucky/Louisville, Ky.); Lindsey Moore (Nebraska/ Covington, Wash.); Natalie Novosel (Notre Dame/Lexington, Ky.); Chiney Ogwumike (Stanford/Cypress, Texas); Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Stanford/Cypress, Texas); Devereaux Peters (Notre Dame/Chicago, Ill.); Jaime Printy (Iowa/Marion, Iowa); Monique Reid (Louisville/Louisville, Ky.); Sugar Rodgers (Georgetown/Suffolk, Va.); Kayla Standish (Gonzaga/Ellensburg, Wash.); Shekinna Stricklen (Tennessee/Morrilton, Ark.); April Sykes (Rutgers/Starkville, Miss.); Tyra White (Texas A&M/Kansas City, Mo.); Davellyn Whyte (Arizona/Phoenix, Ariz.); Riquna Williams (Miami/Pahokee, Fla.); and Shawnice Wilson (Miami/Pittsburgh, Pa.).
Iowa State University's Bill Fennelly has been tabbed head coach of the 2011 USA World University Games Team, while former Lady Lions Suzie McConnell-Serio of Duquesne University and Terri Williams-Flournoy of Georgetown University will serve as assistant coaches. The trio will look to defend the USA's 2009 gold medal at the 2011 World University Games women's basketball competition August 14-21 in Shenzhen, China.
Additionally, Kenya Larkin-Landers (Trinity Valley Community College, Texas) and Mark Youngs (Davenport University, Mich.) have been selected court coaches and will assist during trials.
Following the selection of the team and/or finalists on May 25, the athletes will return home. Training will resume at the USOTC July 31-Aug. 8, prior to the team's departure for Shenzhen, China, and the 2011 World University Games.
The World University Games are a multi-sport competition organized every other year by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The U.S. women's basketball team will be comprised of U.S. citizens who are currently enrolled in college and have remaining eligibility.
In all, included on this year's trials roster are eight athletes who have international experience as a member of a USA Basketball team in a FIBA or FIBA Americas competition; an additional three who participated in the 2007 Youth Development Festival; and six players who previously attended a USA Basketball team trials.
Approximately a year ago, Nneka Ogwumike was a member of the 2010 USA Women's Select Team that trained April 15-18 and played an exhibition game against USA Women's National Team members on April 18 at the XL Center in Hartford Connecticut.
In the summer of 2010, Chiney Ogwumike helped the USA to a gold medal and 5-0 record at the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, which was played at the USOTC.
In 2009, Barrett, Bone, Diggins, Shenise Johnson and Nneka Ogwumike traveled to Thailand to help the USA capture the gold medal in the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship.
The USA earned its 2009 U19 World Championship berth with a gold medal finish at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, which was played in Argentina. Included on the 2008 USA U18 National Team were Bone, Diggins, Kizer, Nneka Ogwumike and Stricklen.
In the last Youth Development Festival organized by USA Basketball in 2007, Bone, Diggins, Gilbreath and Kizer led the USA White Team to a 3-0 record and gold-medal finish; Nneka Ogwumike and Stricklen finished 2-1 and in possession of the silver medal with the USA Red Team; and Dixon and Glory Johnson earned bronze with a 1-2 record.
Finally, Carter, Delle Donne, Hampton, Moore, Sykes and Wilson have all participated in at least one USA Basketball national team trials.
Listed on the 2011 USA World University Games Team Trials roster are four athletes who recently completed their first year at a college or university, 12 players who will be college juniors next fall, 18 who are rising college seniors and one player - Deveraeux Peters - who will graduate from Notre Dame in 2011 with one year of eligibility remaining.
USA Basketball women's teams have participated in 15 prior World University Games and collected a record seven gold medals, six silvers and one bronze medal. Since 1973, the first year the USA women competed in the WUGs, the United States has compiled an 89-15 overall record. In 2009, led by 2010 FIBA World Champion Tina Charles, the USA posted a 7-0 slate en route to the gold medal.
Notable among the list impressive list of WUG alumni are Olympians Seimone Augustus, Carol Blazejowski, Ruthie Bolton, Sylvia Fowles, Pat Head (Summitt), Lisa Leslie, Katrina McClain, McConnell (Serio), Ann Meyers (Drysdale), DeLisha Milton-Jones, Cappie Pondexter, Ruth Riley, Katie Smith, Katy Steding, Tina Thompson, Kara Wolters and Lynette Woodward.
In addition to Donohoe, the committee includes NCAA appointees Joanne Boyle (University of Virginia), Coquese Washington (Penn State University) and Connie Yori (University of Nebraska), as well as athlete representative Beth Cunningham (Virginia Commonwealth University, 1999 USA Pan American Games Team member).
Release contains information from USA Basketball's release