By Andrew Robinson
Collegian Staff Writer
Appropriately enough, a song by the latest big-name occupant of the Bryce Jordan Center may best summarize the Lady Lions’ schedule over the next week.
“Welcome to wherever you are.”
With a severe winter storm working its way across the Midwest and with Bon Jovi set up in the main gym of the BJC, the Penn State women’s basketball team is adapting its practices and travel plans this week. The Lady Lions left for Michigan early, giving the team a full extra day in Ann Arbor for their game Thursday night.
“You know how kids like snow days, well our kids got a snow day,” Penn State coach Coquese Washington said during her teleconference this week. “They’re enjoying the snow day.”
The same weather that prompted Washington’s team out of State College a day early also affected the men’s basketball team. During the Big Ten coaches’ conference call Tuesday, the weather was a frequent topic as well, with Purdue, Wisconsin and Northwestern scheduled to host games Thursday night.
But Jon Bon Jovi and his band have been the answer to the question, “Who says you can’t go home?”
With Bon Jovi’s set taking up the main gym until Feb. 9, the Lady Lions and men’s basketball team have had to practice in the much smaller South Gym, but the Lady Lions have the benefit of two road games this week.
“It’s not too bad for us because we have the road games,” Washington said. “We’re going to be in the South Gym, we’re going to practice on the road. It’s not too different because we only have one home game in that stretch.”
Though the Lady Lions decided to play it safe and leave early, Iowa, who plays at Purdue on Thursday is confident in their travel plans. Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said during the teleconferece that the team’s travel arrangements had not been changed due to the storm and she didn’t expect any problems.
“They say that the plan that we have laid out right now is perfect for the weather,” Bluder told reporters at her press conference Tuesday. “We are supposed to land at their airport at [7 p.m. on Wednesday] and it’s supposed to open up at 6. So if everything goes according to plan, we have a pretty good one in place.”
While big winter shows are nothing new in State College, the length of Bon Jovi’s occupation is something Washington hasn’t experienced during her tenure as Lady Lions head coach.
“It’s not really happened to us for this long of a stretch but it’s just one of those things that happens,” Washington said. “Again, because we’re playing on the road most of this time, not being able to practice on the main arena floor is not going to have a terrible impact on our team I don’t think.”
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