Defense, team chemistry fuels No. 23 Penn State’s return to Top 25

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Defense fuels No. 23 Penn State’s return to Top 25

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State’s Julia Trogele remembers the grueling, defense-only practices coach Coquese Washington put the team through in the preseason.

The hard work is paying off in Happy Valley.

Once a staple among the Top 25 in women’s basketball, No. 23 Penn State is ranked again after a five-year absence and defense is leading the way.

“Coach would come in and say, ‘We’re not going to work on offense today,’ Trogele said Wednesday. “We can score, but we need to learn how to defend.”

Lesson learned: The Lady Lions have held opponents to 34-percent shooting, the seventh-stingiest mark in the NCAA heading into Thursday night’s game against Purdue.

Heady times for Penn State (15-4, 7-2 Big Ten) after four straight seasons of at least 16 losses, including the last two under Washington.

A six-game winning streak has propelled the Lady Lions into second place in the conference, a game behind Ohio State. The Top 25 ranking is the first for the school since finishing the 2004-5 season at No. 22.

Finally, Washington is seeing positive results after watching the team struggle since taking over for coach Rene Portland in the 2007-08 season.

“I want our kids to enjoy it, absolutely,” Washington said. “But like I told them, ‘Who was ranked 23rd in the country last year?’”

She said she got no response from her players. Then she asked them who won the Big Ten championship last year — and they immediately answered “Ohio State.”

“Don’t dwell in the past, and don’t look too far ahead,” Washington said.

But what makes Penn State’s revival noteworthy is the women’s basketball tradition built at the school by former coach Portland. She turned the program into an NCAA tournament regular, with 21 berths in her 27 years and a national semifinals appearance in 2000.

The often gruff and cocky Portland also was a lightning rod for controversy, dogged by allegations throughout her tenure that she discriminated against lesbian players.

She left after a 15-16 record in 2006-07, a cloud hanging over the program after the school settled a discrimination lawsuit filed by a former player.

In stepped Washington, who came to Penn State after eight years as an assistant at Notre Dame under coach Muffet McGraw. Washington was a standout point guard for the Fighting Irish before playing in the WNBA.

She helped lead the Houston Comets to their fourth straight WNBA title in 2000 and was an assistant coach when Notre Dame won the NCAA title in 2001.

Washington, who earned a law degree at Notre Dame, made an immediate impact with her upbeat personality.

But the change wasn’t immediately evident on the court. Penn State started 13-6 in 2007-08, Washington’s first year, before finishing on a school-record 12-game losing streak. Another 18-loss season followed last year.

Expectations for this year’s team weren’t high, at least outside of Happy Valley. Slowly, though, momentum is shifting behind a combination of savvy veterans and solid freshmen.

First-year point guard Alex Bentley is the second-leading scorer (10.9 points) while still learning the intricacies of running an offense. Washington said Bentley had a breakout game on Sunday in a 70-66 win over Illinois with 19 points, six assists and five rebounds.

“She grew up a little bit and came into her own in directing the team,” Washington said.

Another freshman, 6-foot-4 center Nikki Greene, has started every game. She’s tied with Trogele with a team-high 6.5 rebounding average.

High-scoring senior guard Tyra Grant (19.2 points) is the go-to player. Washington said she’s expanded her game to get teammates more involved on offense.

Trogele, a vocal junior forward, is one of the last players on the roster recruited by the previous coaching staff. She said her first two seasons were marked by uncertainty among some players who weren’t sure “where she was going to lead.”

“I’ve always been on board, but I’m not sure everyone was one board,” Trogele said.

Things have changed this year, to the point where Washington felt she didn’t need to hold the preseason team-building exercises. Veterans like Grant and Trogele have stepped up as leaders and have grown more comfortable with Washington’s system.

“Some of it was sinking in from the last two years, so there wasn’t a necessity to spoon-feed it,” Washington said.

With each victory, expectations grow from a loyal fan base eager to root on a winner again. Washington walks a vocal tightrope with her players, offering encouragement but warning them not to take anything for granted.

This year, leaders like Trogele are spreading the same message, too.

“The biggest thing we talk about is not becoming complacent,” she said. “We have to get better every day.”