TOP 25 WOMEN Mazzante impresses, keys Penn St.'s surge

The Nittany Lions are focusing on becoming a top-five team.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- 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."
Pulling away
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?"
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.
No. 12 Louisiana Tech 81, Ark.-Little Rock 58
RUSTON, La. -- Trina Frierson scored 19 points, and No. 12 Louisiana Tech had four players in double figures.
The Lady Techsters (4-1) also got 16 points from Amisha Carter, 15 from Lakiste Barkus and 13 from Amber Obaze. Arkansas-Little Rock (2-4) was led by Alisha Cash with 21 points.
No. 17 Colorado 78, Washington 64
BOULDER, Colo. -- Tera Bjorklund had 26 points and 11 rebounds, Kate Fagan added 19 points and Colorado defeated previously unbeaten Washington.
Bjorklund connected on 11 of 17 shots for Colorado (7-1). Reserve Amber Metoyer added 16 points and 12 rebounds as Colorado won its fourth straight game.
Giuliana Mendiola had 20 points and Andrea Lalum 19 for Washington (5-1). The Huskies were off to their best start since 1997-98, when they opened with a 10-game winning streak.