The Penn State Lady Lions fell, 77-59, to the UConn Huskies in the Sweet 16 of the 2012 Women's NCAA Tournament on Sunday at the Ryan Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
A double-digit first half deficit was too much to overcome for Penn State in the second half. The Lady Lions punched back after going down 22-8 early in the game but a late run kept UConn ahead going into the locker room. In the second half, UConn opened on a 10-0 run to end any hope of a comeback. The Huskies kept their shooting percentage above 50% during the half while Penn State struggled from outside the arc and couldn't cut into the lead.
The Lady Lions were led by 19 points by Mia Nickson. Maggie Lucas chipped in 15 points for Penn State. The UConn Huskies were paced by 20 points by Bria Hartley.
The Lady Lions finish the season at 26-7 (13-3 Big Ten). Penn State won the regular season Big Ten crown but fell in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament to Purdue. The Lady Lions defeated UTEP in the First Round of the tournament and LSU in the Second Round before falling to UConn.
The Huskies move on to the Elite Eight to face either the Kentucky Wildcats or Gonzaga Bulldogs.
For more coverage of the 2012 Women's NCAA Tournament, stay tuned to our StoryStream. Read here for a complete bracket and list of matchups.