Dec 9, 2003

Box Score

By DAN LEWERENZ
Associated Press Writer

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - As the Big Ten's top returning scorer, Kelly Mazzante isn't used to being left wide open. So when she found herself that way against Baylor in the second half, Mazzante took advantage.

Mazzante scored 31 points - including three 3s in a critical second-half surge - to lead seventh-ranked Penn State to a 74-63 victory Tuesday night over Baylor.

"She's going to be a three-time Kodak All-American and is probably one of the best players, if not the best player, to play in this program. She's just good," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson said. "She could miss her first 10, and I'd bet she'll make her next five. That's what All-Americans do."

Penn State (6-1) led just 47-44 before Mazzante hit her third 3-pointer of the game to start the run and make it 50-44. After Sophia Young scored for Baylor (6-1), Mazzante added a pull-up jumper in the lane and a pair of 3-pointers to give the Lady Lions a 58-46 lead with 10:48 left.

"I had a lot of open looks, and I think everyone had an opportunity," Mazzante said. "We were shooting the ball from outside a lot, and we started to get some shots in the middle of the paint. I think at times we had good ball movement, and people got good looks.

"I was open a lot. It was kind of weird to be that open."

It was the kind of run - putting a close game away - that Penn State coach Rene Portland said her team needed to prove that they could meet their goals this season of advancing past the NCAA regional semifinals. The last two years, Penn State has been beaten in the semifinals by Connecticut and Tennessee.

"Right now, that's the challenge in front of this team - do they want to walk the walk? Do they want to be a top-five team?"

The Lady Bears got as close as 63-56 on a layup by Young, but Penn State lengthened its lead and extended its home winning streak to 23 games.

"I think in the second half, we came out and picked up our defense, put pressure on the ball," Portland said. "We didn't match up with them at all. We knew their post game would be strong, but we knew going in that it would be their post players against our guards, and our guards won."

Tanisha Wright added 18 points for Penn State, and Jess Strom had nine points and 10 assists.

Young led the Lady Bears with 17 points.

The game was close until Penn State's second-half run, with neither team leading by more than six points.

Baylor controlled the tempo early, taking a 4-0 lead and remaining in front for most of the first half. After falling behind late in the half, Baylor tied it at 35 on Emily Niemann's 3-pointer, and the Lady Bears went ahead on Young's inside jumper and led 39-37 at the break.

"We really refocussed at halftime, because our first half wasn't very good," Mazzante said. "We got out, got a little run going, and everyone stepped up."