Shepherd reaches milestone, scores 1,000th career point

By Gwenn Miller
Collegian Staff Writer

After series of missed shots, fouling and a general feeling of frustration, Lisa Shepherd was finally in position.

The junior guard drove to the hoop, drawing contact from a hulking player in a red Ohio State uniform. With 9:35 remaining in the second half, she had 14 points.

She needed just one more. One more point, and Shepherd would become the 22nd Lady Lion player to score 1,000 career points.

The sharpshooter stepped to the line and The Bryce Jordan Center crowd held its collective breath, but they had no reason to worry. Shepherd hit the shot with ease, scoring the much-needed 15th point.

"Lisa hit great shots under pressure, because she was so wide open," Penn State coach Rene Portland said.

She finished with a game-high 26 points and six rebounds, leading the No. 4 Lions to a 73-62 win against the Buckeyes (9-7, 2-4 Big Ten). Her performance included a perfect 8 of 8 from the charity stripe, which is a Jordan Center record.

It was a much-needed contribution to a physical and, at times, sloppy game. Not bad for someone who said she was unaware of how close she was to reaching the scoring plateau.

"I didn't really keep track," a smiling Shepherd said at the post-game press conference. "One of my friends came in today and told me, and I said 'I don't want to know that'."

Then the easygoing guard seemed to shoot a sly, sidelong glance at teammate Maren Walseth, who was seated to her left. Walseth, perfectly aware of Shepherd's expression, started to laugh and denied the silent allegation.

"It wasn't me, I swear," Walseth said.

Regardless of who leaked the secret, Shepherd played as though her life depended on scoring those 15 points.

She drove fearlessly to the basket, seeming to brush off the rough contact as she stepped to the line to sink her foul shots with ease. She ignored any fatigue she might have been feeling after the Lions (16-2, 7-0) were reduced to nine players after forward Rashanna Barnes returned home due to a sickness in the family.

When she reached the 13-point mark, Shepherd seemed more urgent. She demanded the ball more than usual, although she said it wasn't because she wanted to score her 1,000th point.

"I had no idea," Shepherd said. "I was just wanting the ball because I was open."

A thousand points later, it has Shepherd's ability to hit those open shots which has carried her to the latest landmark.