Penn State Lady Lions upset Ohio State for their first win over a top-15 team since 2016
Led by Niya Beverley’s season-high 21 points on 82 percent shooting, the Lady Lions upset No. 15 Ohio State 69-67 Wednesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center to cap off the perfect ending to Senior Night.
The victory marks the first time since Nov. 20, 2016, that the Lady Lions defeated a top-15-ranked team in the AP Poll, and it also snaps an 11-game losing streak to the Buckeyes.
“Ohio State is a phenomenal basketball team, they’re deep, they have an inside and outside presence,” Penn State coach Carolyn Kieger said. “We had been chasing that top-25 and those teams ahead of us in the conference.”
Guard Makenna Marisa’s go-ahead layup with one minute left in the game proved to be the difference, as Penn State improves to 9-11 (6-10 conference) on the season and breaks its four-game losing streak.
When asked what she saw as the play was developing, Marisa noted she had a few choices, but let her natural basketball instincts take over as she put her team ahead by a score.
“It was an ISO read, it was like a screen, and then I kind of just read the options I have out of that. So if I have the drive, then take the drive,” Marisa said. “If I have the dump off to (Johnasia) Cash or whoever it is, then that’s who I’m going to hit.”
Ohio State falls to 13-5 (7-5 conference) and has lost its second consecutive game in a row. Dorka Juhasz led the way for the Buckeyes with 21 points and added 11 rebounds in 33 minutes.
The Buckeyes’ offense got out to a roaring start, notching eight consecutive points in the first three minutes of the game, and scoring at will at the rim against Penn State’s 2-3 zone defense.
Juhasz scored 10 of Ohio State’s first 17 points, and the Buckeyes won the quarter 18-13.
But the Lady Lions kept their composure and fought back throughout the second quarter, commanding their first lead of the game, 24-22, five minutes into the quarter on a Beverley layup.
Both teams battled back and forth for the remainder of the half, and Penn State led 31-30 on Beverley’s nine second-quarter points. The Lady Lions and Buckeyes both shot under 40% from the floor, and Ohio State really struggled from behind the arc, shooting 1-for-11 as a team.
“(It’s a) testament to our defense tonight, we weathered the storm (after) a not-so-great start,” Kieger said. “We kept our composure, which is huge for our young squad to get that win and just really proud of our defensive effort. I thought we were scrambling and our rotations were great.”
The back-and-forth affair continued for the entirety of the third quarter as both teams traded jump shots, but Ohio State edged out Penn State in scoring, 22-20, and totaled five steals as it led by one heading into the final frame.
But the Lady Lions found their groove at the start of the fourth quarter, and momentum rolled through the end of the game as they scored 18 points and limited their turnovers to only two and outscored the Buckeyes 18-15 to secure the victory.
“I think we just went out there and played hard today and we got that top-25 win,” Beverley said. “I just want to do whatever I can for our team to win whether that’s getting assists, that’s scoring, rebounding and I’m just really happy and blessed to be here.”
Penn State finished the game shooting 41 percent and shot 9-for-11 from the free throw line, while Ohio State only shot 40 percent and only 20 percent from the 3-point line.
This story was originally published February 24, 2021 at 7:38 PM.