November 29, 1998
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State women's basketball team fell to Penn State, 76-53 in the championship game of the Inaugural San Diego State Thanksgiving Classic at Cox Arena on Saturday.
The Lady Lions (3-1) had four players score in double figures, but they were led by guard Helen Darling, who recorded a double-double. Darling scored 13 points and dished out 10 assists en route garnering Tournament Most Valuable Player accolades. Center Andrea Garner scored a game-high 19 points and pulled down five rebounds.
Sophomore guard Shannon Lee, who made the All-Tournament team, paced the Aztecs (1-4) by scoring 15 points and grabbing four rebounds. Freshman center Atim Otii contributed with 10 points and five rebounds for SDSU.
The Aztecs were unable to put together any kind of run against Penn State, who defeated 10th-ranked North Carolina State on Friday to qualify for the championship game. The Lady Lions used their size advantage to outrebound SDSU, 41-34 (including a 24-15 total on the offensive glass).
The Aztecs will travel to Manhattan, Kansas to participate in Commerce Bank/Wildcat Classic hosted by Kansas State University on Friday, December 4th and Saturday, December 5th. In its first game, SDSU will battle University of Detroit, who has lost each of its first four games. The winner of that game will take on the winner of the Kansas State-Army game for the tournament championship, while the losers will battle in the consolation game.
The Aztecs' next home game will be on Friday, December 11th at 7 p.m., when they battle 12th-ranked UCLA in a game that will be televised locally by Cox Cable Channel Four.
Inaugural San Diego State Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team
Helen Darling (MVP)-Penn State
Summer Erb - North Carolina State
Shannon Lee - San Diego State
Angela Munger - Idaho State
Andrea Garner - Penn State