Penn State women’s basketball (16-5, 7-3 Big Ten) won its sixth consecutive game with an 80-64 victory on Wednesday night at Minnesota (14-7, 4-6 Big Ten). The Lady Lions took a big lead in the first quarter and never looked back.
Shay Ciezki led the way with 18 points, going 7-for-12 from the field, and Ashley Owusu continued to score with ease, dropping 17 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.
How It Happened
The game got off to a slow start, as it took over two minutes for the scoring to start, which finally happened when Leilani Kapinus hit a triple. Makenna Marisa then knocked down another three to open the game on a 6-0 run.
After a couple of scores inside for the Gophers, Tay Valladay got on the board from the left corner for Penn State’s third make from deep.
Owusu scored her first points after the first media timeout with a stepback mid-range jumper, part of a quick 6-0 run.
The Gophers’ shooting struggles continued and Penn State capitalized, Ciezki hit a three and Kapinus scored off a turnover to make it a 23-10 lead with just over a minute remaining in the first quarter. Sophie Hart laid it in for Minnesota late in the quarter, cutting its deficit to 11 after the first 10 minutes.
There wasn’t much action early in the second quarter, and with 7:44 left, it was a scary scene when Valladay had to be carried off the court, unable to put weight on either leg.
Minnesota used a 7-2 run to bring it within seven, but Marisa put an end to it with another three. The teams continued going back and forth for the remainder of the second quarter, with Penn State’s lead staying between eight and 12 for the final 6:13 of the frame.
With just three seconds left before halftime, Owusu converted on another stepback jump shot, putting the Lady Lions up 40-28 before the break.
Kapinus started the second half by rejecting Hart from behind and going coast-to-coast for an and-one layup, but those were Penn State’s only points for the first four minutes of the half. Amaya Battle scored three in a row to lead Minnesota’s 5-0 run to bring it within 10.
With under two minutes in the third, Ali Brigham scored her first points of the night by backing down a defender and getting to the rim for a post layup. Kapinus got another block, this time on Grace Grocholski, and on the following possession, Brigham was fouled and went one-for-two at the stripe, putting Penn State up 58-43.
Janay Sanders closed the frame by laying it in, and Penn State led by 13 heading into the final quarter.
The Lady Lions held onto that lead, and it didn’t get much bigger or smaller until a run began with just over seven minutes to play. Marisa dropped in five straight, and Brigham also scored a jumper, marking a 7-0 run and putting their team up 70-51 just under halfway through the fourth.
The streak kept on out of the media timeout with Owusu scoring from deep and Kapinus getting an offensive rebound and second-chance bucket. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, it was a 12-0 run and a 24-point lead, the largest of the game, with under four minutes remaining.
After each team made some late substitutions, the Gophers slightly trimmed their deficit, but it was too little, too late. Penn State held on to the lead it held from start to finish and won the game 80-64.
Takeaways
- Just as they have been all season, the Lady Lions were effective in turning defense into offense, scoring 19 points off turnovers.
- It was another spectacular game by Penn State’s backcourt. Ciezki, Kapinus, Marisa and Owusu combined for 64 points.
- Penn State’s heating up in Big Ten play, winning its last six games. The team’s last loss came against now-No. 10 Indiana, and for a group that claims it belongs in the Sweet 16 at the end of the year, it’s looking like it.
What’s Next?
The Lady Lions will return home to the Bryce Jordan Center at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3, against Michigan in the “Pink Zone” game. It will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
