Jan. 18, 2015
| 45 | 73 |
| Value City Arena | Columbus, Ohio | 6,346 | |
| POST GAME LINKS |
| Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
| Notes | VIDEO: Postgame Press Conference |
| Photo Gallery (USA TODAY) |
| FINAL STATISTICS |
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Despite missing their leading scorer Lindsey Spann (Laurel, Md.) due to illness, the Penn State Lady Lions (3-15, 0-7) had a solid effort at Ohio State (12-7, 4-3) but came up short in a 69-60 loss Sunday. Sophomore Sierra Moore (Hanover, Pa.) had a team-high 16 points to pace the Lady Lion effort.
Moore, who was 7-for-15 from the field, stepped into the point guard role in Spann's absence. She also snagged nine rebounds to narrowly miss out on a double-double. Moore also dished out five assists and had a steal.
Junior center Candice Agee (Victorville, Calif.) notched her second career double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Her first career double-double came against USF in the non-conference finale. Agee added four blocks, two assists and a steal on the day. The two helpers tied her career high, equaling the mark set three times previously, including at Nebraska on Thursday. Agee also tied her career high with five made free throws.
Sophomore Kaliyah Mitchell (Stone Mountain, Ga.) moved into the starting lineup and responded with 14 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals in a career-high 39 minutes. Senior Tori Waldner (Milton, Ga.) added nine points and tied her career high with three assists, while Keke Sevillian (Goodrich, Mich.) had eight points.
The Buckeyes got on the board first, but Penn State responded with consecutive scores by Mitchell and Moore to take the early 4-2 lead. Ohio State retook the lead with a three-point play by Asia Doss on the ensuing possession.
Mitchell jumpstarted an 8-2 Penn State run with a jumper and that was followed by a three-point play by Waldner. After a field goal by the Buckeyes, Moore scored three consecutive points to give the Lions a 12-7 lead with less thank 14 minutes left.
Ohio State fought back with a 9-2 run to take a 16-14 lead with 10:49 on the clock. Agee and Sevillian combined to score the next four points to give the Lions a two-point lead (18-16) before the Buckeyes scored five of the next seven points to move in front by a point (21-20) with 7:23 on the clock.
Back-to-back scores by Sevilian and Moore pushed Penn State back in front by three, but the Buckeyes went on a 10-0 run to take a 31-24 lead with 2:28 left to play in the opening frame. The Lady Lions came back with a three-point play by Mitchell and a pair of free throws by Sevillian in a 20-second span to close the gap to a pair (31-29) with two minutes left. However, Ohio State closed the half with a 5-1 run that included a three-pointer by Cait Craft at the buzzer for a 36-30 lead for the Buckeyes at the break.
The Buckeyes opened the second half with a basket by Alexa Hart, but Penn State responded with a layup from Waldner on the feed from Mitchell and a bucket by Moore to make it a four-point game (38-34). However, Ohio State clicked off a 14-2 run to extend its lead to 52-36 with 12:13 on the clock.
The Ohio State stayed consistent over the next four minutes until the Lady Lions went on an 8-0 run thanks to scores by Moore, Waldner, Mitchell and Agee to close the gap to six (57-51) with 6:31 left in the game. However, the Buckeyes would go on a 9-2 run to establish a 66-53 lead with 3:19 remaining. The Lady Lions could only close within nine points down the stretch.
The 2014-15 Penn State Lady Lion Basketball season is presented by Kish Travel and Kish Insurance. The Lady Lions are back home against Indiana on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. It is Dollar Dog Night and we will honor our fellow athletic teams with the OneTeam Celebration. Penn State continues its homestand against Northwestern on Sunday for another Subway Full Court 4-Pack game and the postgame team autograph session.
Lady Lion Basketball single-game are available by calling 1-800-NITTANY. Single-game tickets range from $10-17 for adults and seniors and $5-11 for youth (12 and younger). The PNC Flex Books are $120 and give fans 12 vouchers, 10 that can be redeemed in any combination for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball tickets throughout the year and two extra vouchers for the Nittany Lions' Coaches Vs. Cancer game and the Lady Lions' Pink Zone game.
The Lady Lions are on Twitter. Follow sports information contact Kris Petersen (@ladylionsid) and the Lady Lions and coaches (@pennstatewbb) to get the inside scoop. The Lady Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstateladylions.