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Nittany Lions women’s hoops fall to Purdue

UNIVERSITY PARK – The Penn State women’s basketball team came out on the short end of a 91-87 nail-biter Sunday afternoon in PSU’s Big Ten opener at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Sophomore Makenna Marisa led five Lady Lions in double figures with a career-best 26 points. Kelly Jekot chipped in 14 points, while Anna Camden and Johnasia Cash added 11 each. Freshman Tova Sabel rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points.

“I’m very disappointed in our defensive effort. To give up 91 points in our first Big Ten game. We’ve been focusing on it all offseason, since the moment we got into workouts with this new team. I have to go back to the drawing board and we have to get better there,” coach Carolyn Kieger said.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Purdue had the edge in the early minutes before back-to-back three-pointers from Marisa and Jekot pulled Penn State within 15-13 with 4:29 left on the first-quarter clock. The Boilermakers answered with a 12-4 run over the next three minutes, but Shay Hagans tossed in a layup to end the quarter and pull PSU within 27-18 through the first 10 minutes.

The Lady Lion offense caught fire in the second quarter as Penn State shot 10-for-14 from the field led by eight points from Sabel. Purdue didn’t slow down, however, as the Boilermakers controlled a 46-39 edge heading into halftime.

Purdue led 55-48 with 7:00 to play in the third quarter before Penn State came alive. The Lady Lions went on a 12-5 run and tied the game at 60-all with a layup by Nyam Thornton with 3:11 on the clock.

Penn State took its first lead of the game, 66-65, with 51 seconds left in the third quarter following back-to-back layups from Hagans. PSU ended the quarter with a one-point advantage, 68-67, thanks to two free throws by Camden with one second left.

“”I thought we saw some good spurts offensively with some good execution down the stretch, but we have to get more assists and we have to stop people from getting in the paint,” Kieger said.

Purdue used a 15-3 run midway through the fourth quarter to pull away after a back-and-forth start to the term. Penn State went up 72-67 following a Marisa jumper with 8:37 to play before the Boilermakers started their run with a free throw by Kayana Traylor at the 7:50 mark and capped it with a three-pointer by Cassidy Hardin to go up 82-75 with 3:13 left on the clock.

Penn State would get as close as two, 89-87, with eight seconds left in the game, but Traylor hit a pair of free throws at the other end to put the game away.

KEY NOTES

Marisa’s career-high 26 points bested her previous high of 17 points. She is now averaging 14.4 ppg on the season.

Marisa’s point total was the highest by a Penn State player this season. The previous high was 24 by Kelly Jekot in a win over Saint Francis.

Penn State’s 37 field goals were its most in a game since making 42 in a 106-50 win over Saint Peter’s on November 13, 2016.

The Lady Lions have scored at least 70 points in all five games this season and have eclipsed 80 points twice. Today’s point total matched their season-high of 87 scored in a win over Saint Francis.

Penn State had five players in double figures for the first time this season and the first time since Dec. 22, 2019 against Sacred Heart.

Jekot has scored in double figures in every game this season. She leads the team with 14.6 ppg.

Cash notched her fourth double-digit scoring game of the year, while Sabel recorded her third and Camden her second.

Senior Niya Beverley, a transfer from Wisconsin, played seven minutes while making her Penn State debut.

Penn State held a dominant 56-32 edge in points in the paint.

Purdue shote 60 percent (9-15) from beyond the arc and 77 percent (20-26) from the free throw line. The Boilermakers finished with a large advantage in free throw attempts over Penn State, which shot 9-of-10 from the stripe.

Penn State forced 19 turnovers by Purdue, including 11 steals. Hagans had three, while Marisa, Thornton and Sabel had two apiece.

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