Freshman Teniya Page shines in Lady Lions’ 65-61 upset of No. 17 Michigan State
Michigan State head coach Suzy Merchant lamented in early January, after her Spartans had put a beating on the Lady Lions in the Bryce Jordan Center, that she wished Penn State freshman Teniya Page would’ve decided to play for her during the recruiting process.
That lament likely increased on Thursday night, as Page poured in a game-high 20 points to lead the Lady Lions to a 65-61 upset of the Spartans on the road.
Michigan State had only lost one game on its home hardwood this season, and Page’s go-ahead layup with 2:30 to play in the game — and the rest of her team in foul trouble — served as a catalyst to win the contest and snap a four-game losing streak.
I thought she was phenomenal. She played with a lot of poise and a lot of confidence down the stretch. This is probably the most poised and confident that I’ve seen her in any game this year. She really had a command for what needed to happen, in particular on the offensive side of the floor.
Head coach Coquese Washington
on the play of freshman guard Teniya Page“I thought she was phenomenal,” said head coach Coquese Washington, via phone call after the game. “She played with a lot of poise and a lot of confidence down the stretch. This is probably the most poised and confident that I’ve seen her in any game this year. She really had a command for what needed to happen, in particular on the offensive side of the floor.”
Guard Brianna Banks scored 16 points in the effort, while Michigan State guard Tori Jankoska paced the Spartans with 14 — though she was 0 for 6 from the perimeter. Aerial Powers lent 18 points of her own before fouling out — and without her in the game, Page was able to capitalize.
The true freshman scored 10 of Penn State’s 13 points (and assisted Candice Agee for the remaining layup) in the last 2:50 of the game.
“That’s the growth I’ve really seen from (Page) all year,” said Washington. “She understood what shots we needed to get as a team, who needed to have the ball, and when to call her number. I thought she played with a lot of intelligence and composure down the stretch.”
Forward Kaliyah Mitchell also pulled down a crucial rebound with under a minute to play and Penn State up 64-61. Guard Lindsey Spann then hit one of two free throws with six seconds remaining to seal the win.
“It was both ends of the floor,” said Washington. “We got some great stops, and Teniya made some great plays.”
The Lady Lions started 0 for 6 from the field as Michigan State opened with a 7-0 run. Penn State trailed 33-28 at the half after making up for a nine-point first quarter with a 19-point second period, despite nine turnovers throughout the half.
Penn State improved its shooting from 40 percent in the first half to 53.3 percent in the second, despite all starters except for Page getting into foul trouble.
The Lady Lions improved to 9-15 (4-9 Big Ten) with the win, and return to the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday to host Ohio State.
“(Michigan State) is really a fantastic team, you know, one of the best teams in the nation so you’re happy to get the win,” said Washington. “But at the same time, you go home and you got Ohio State comin’ in the BJC, which is going to be another tough opponent. It’s a really big win, a great win for us, but at the same time we’ve got another big opponent coming up and we’ve got to be ready to tackle the Buckeyes.”
Note: The Centre Daily Times covered the game via statcast and broadcast.
Jourdan Rodrigue: 814-231-4629, @JourdanRodrigue
This story was originally published February 11, 2016 at 8:51 PM with the headline "Freshman Teniya Page shines in Lady Lions’ 65-61 upset of No. 17 Michigan State."