Penn State women’s basketball stands firm on defensive end in 52-48 victory over Rutgers
The Lady Lions felt that they needed a win to get back on track.
Penn State lost four straight games against Iowa State, Kent State, Boston College and a Big Ten matchup against Indiana heading into Thursday night’s game against Rutgers. The Lady Lions improved to 5-5 on the year with a 52-48 victory over the Scarlet Knights to pick up their first conference home-opening victory since the 2015-2016 season against Northwestern. Penn State is now 1-1 in Big Ten matchups.
Head coach Carolyn Kieger focused on defensive play throughout the week in practice. That emphasis on the defensive end led to the Lady Lions holding the Scarlet Knights to 15% (2-for-13) from the 3-point line and forcing them to commit 22 turnovers on the night. Forward Anna Camden started the game in lieu of Ali Brigham. Camden provided speedy defensive play, leading the team with three steals and block on the night. Makenna Marisa led all scorers with 16 points on the game with three assists, three rebounds and two steals. The Lady Lions had nine steals as a team on the night.
The game sat at 16-13 after the first quarter. Brigham led all scorers with eight points to Rutgers’ Oshlynn Brown’s four points. Point guard Shay Hagans entered the game for the Lady Lions and provided on-ball pressure for their defense and pushed the pace on offense. Penn State finished the game with 10 fastbreak points to Rutgers’ four and additionally had the same advantage on second chance opportunities. At the end of the half, the Lady Lions led 25-24 due to a late push by the Scarlet Knights.
Marisa opened the half with a mid-range jump shot to give the Lady Lions a 27-24 lead. Rutgers then went on a 7-0 run, paced by Shug Dickson’s 3-point field goal, followed by a layup by Tyia Singleton and another Singleton layup off of a Penn State turnover to give the Scarlet Knights a 31-27 lead with 6:49 left in the third.
Kieger called a timeout and Penn State’s energy shifted the game. Marisa hit back-to-back shots, followed by a Sabel 3-point field goal to put the Lady Lions up 34-31. The Lady Lions had a 40-36 lead at the end of the third quarter with Brigham on the bench after her third foul.
With 1:37 left in the game, the Lady Lions had to make multiple stops. Kelly Jekot entered on the offensive end of the floor with Kieger swiftly putting Hagans in on the defensive end. Brigham had four fouls at that point, but still continued to make her presence felt in the paint with Camden flanking her. Penn State went on to get multiple stops and salt the game away for the 52-48 victory.
Rutgers finished the game going 44% from the field with Singleton leading the Scarlet Knights with 12 points. Walker had 11 points, with Brown’s 10 points and 10 rebounds and Dickson’s 10 points.
Player of the game
Sophomore center Ali Brigham: Brigham saw herself in a different role against the Scarlet Knights on Thursday night. Instead of starting the night on the floor, she came off of the bench. She had a mostly efficient night, shooting 6-for-10 from the field to score 13 points and leading the way for the Lady Lions with a good chunk of their 29 bench points.
Stat of the game
29: The Lady Lions outscored the Scarlet Knights 29-13 off of the bench. Not only did Brigham have a strong night in relief of Camden, but Tova Sabel and Shay Hagans provided tough defense and timely offense in the game. Sabel scored 10 points and Hagans added six off of the bench.
Quotable
Penn State head coach Carolyn Kieger discusses Ali Brigham coming off of the bench to start the game:
“I think for us, our depth is going to be a strength of ours. So, next woman up. We say, ‘If it’s your turn, step up and do what you’ve got to do.’ I think our team is kind of buying into that concept. I think you’ll see a different person stepping up every night, and tonight, we were just trying different things. Obviously, Ali Brigham came off of the bench and they didn’t have an answer for her and I think she did a great job of coming in and being confident. For us, we’re going to just keep trying synergy and what fits for us chemistry-wise in that moment.”
Up Next
vs. Youngstown State: The Lady Lions are set for their second home matchup in a row. This time it’s a non-conference matchup against Youngstown State on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Penguins are entering Sunday’s game with an 8-0 record, holding a 4-0 record in conference play and leading the Horizon League. Lilly Ritz is leading in points per game with 18.4 and Chelsea Olson follows her with 12.8 points per game.
