Penn College News

Lady Wildcats Fall, 66-35, in Return to Bryce Jordan

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Vol. 6, No. 30

Schedule/Results/Records (Through Sunday, March 11)

Women's Basketball Final overall record: 10-15 Final PSUAC regular-season record: 8-5

Friday, March 9 PSUAC semifinal vs. Penn State Delaware at Bryce Jordan Center, L, 66-35

Archery

Saturday, March 31-Sunday, April 1 at James Madison University Invitational (Harrisonburg, Va.)

Men's VolleyballOverall record: 10-2

Saturday, March 10 at Messiah Tournament, 1-0-2 in pool play, lost to Shippensburg in Silver Bracket Saturday, March 17 at Lehigh Tournament, 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 20 host Susquehanna University at Bardo Gym, 7 p.m. Thursday, March 29 host Messiah College at Bardo Gym, 7 p.m.

'Cat Tales Women's Basketball"I think this team went further than most people expected they would go at the beginning of the season. For us to reach the Bryce Jordan arena was a real tribute to their work ethic and their desire to become a better basketball team," said Penn College coach Ron Kodish, after his club was eliminated in the semifinals of the Penn State University Athletic Conference playoffs.

The Lady Wildcats fell behind Penn State Delaware 42-16 at the half and couldn't recover.

"We were outmanned," Kodish said of Friday's 66-35 season-ending loss. "Delaware was the most balanced team in our conference by far. They wore us down. We just tired out."

Brittany Blessard (Renovo) led Penn College with 16 points. Amanda Ault (Milan), the team's top point producer during the season, got into early foul trouble and finished with just four points.

The Wildcats will lose Amy Fassett (Ulster) and Rose Crowell (Temple Hills, Md.) to graduation.

"In 30-plus years of coaching, I've learned that it's not all about winning. It's the journey, not the destination, and this team really proved the journey was a valuable thing to them," Kodish said.

"They grew together as people. They got much better as basketball players and as a team. I think that we went as far as we possibly could go. "I couldn't have been happier with an effort from a team. They are winners," the coach added.

For the season, the Wildcats scored an average of 60 points per game and allowed 62. Blessard averaged 16.3 points per game after joining the team in the second semester; Ault averaged 14.2 and Fassett 11.7.

Men's VolleyballIn pool play at the Messiah Invitational, the Wildcats defeated Penn State Abington, 25-18, 25-17, and then split with Ichiban, 19-25, 25-21, and Harrisburg Area Community College, 22-25, 25-23. Moving into the Silver Bracket, Penn College fell to Shippensburg University, 23-25, 21-25.

(Complete rosters and season schedules are available on the college's Athletics Web site.)