Nov. 24, 2016
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- In sports you want to string together as many wins in a row as possible and the Penn State women's basketball team ran its winning streak to four games with a 69-42 defeat of Georgia State on Thanksgiving Day at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla. as a part of the relocated San Juan Shootout.
Freshman Jaida Travascio-Green (Lisle, Ill.) led the Blue and White with a career-high 18 points, including five makes from 3-point range on seven attempts. The rookie connected on 6-of-8 shots from the floor and added a career-high six rebounds to her total.
For the third straight game a Lady Lion ended with a double-double, as senior Peyton Whitted (Suwanee, Ga.) logged her first of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds. It is the eighth such effort of her career, as she connected on 6-of-10 shots, including her first 3-pointer of the season. She added one assist, one steal and two blocked shots in the game.
Redshirt-freshman Amari Carter (Washington D.C.) scored 10 points and Lindsey Spann (Laurel, Md.) tallied 11 points to put four players in double figures for the third time in five games for Penn State. Sophomore Teniya Page (Chicago, Ill.), who played a career-low 24 minutes, scored nine points to go along with six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
For the fourth time in 2016-17, Penn State connected on at least eight 3-pointers, making 9-of-22 shots from distance. The Lady Lions pulled down a season-best 44 rebounds, while they held the Panthers to an opponent-low 42 points and 27.4 percent shooting from the field. The Blue and White also forced an opponent-high 21 turnovers.
It was a slow start for both teams, as the game was nearly seven minutes old before the first squad cracked the 10-point barrier. With Penn State leading, 16-7, after 10 minutes. However, the Lady Lion picked up the pace and outscored the Panthers, 41-16, over the next 20 minutes.
During the third quarter, Penn State held Georgia State scoreless over a 6:46 stretch to blow the game open. During that time, PSU raddled off 18-straight points and opened up a 33-point lead, 55-22, with 1:08 to play in the quarter.
Turning Point
7:22 remaining in the 3rd Quarter
A jumper by Georgia State's Kennesha Nichols made the score 37-22 in favor of Penn State, but the Lady Lions would hold the Panthers scoreless for the next 6:46 of the quarter to open up a 33-point lead. During that stretch, Penn State forced five turnovers and GSU was 0-of-6 from the field.
Difference Makers
Penn State
- G Jaida Travascio-Green -- Connected on 6-of-8 shots from the field -- including 5-of-7 from 3-point range -- for a career-high 18 points. Added a personal-best six rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench.
- F Peyton Whitted -- Posted the eighth double-double of her career with 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. Made the sixth 3-pointer of her career in the first quarter, her first triple since Feb. 11, 2016 vs. Michigan State. Added one assist, one steal and two blocked shots.
- G Amari Carter -- Posted her second-straight double-figure scoring game with 10 points, which included three 3-pointers. Dished out a game-high six assists to just one turnover.
- G Lindsey Spann -- Ticked off 11 points and added one assist.
- G Teniya Page -- In just 24 minutes of play -- the lowest total of her career -- scored nine points, grabbed six rebounds, handed out three assists and collected three steals.
- 2nd Half Turnovers -- After 11 missteps in the first half, Penn State limited its turnovers to just five in the second half.
Georgia State
- F Kennesha Nichols -- Posted a team-best 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Had four rebounds.
- F Tiffany Holston -- Pulled down 10 rebounds and scored three points.
By Quarter
First Quarter
It was a slow start for both squads, as the first team didn't crack the 10-point mark until the 3:39 mark of the first quarter thanks to a Jaida Travascio-Green triple. A quick 9-5 scoring run over the final 4:40 of the opening stanza helped Penn State take a 16-9 edge into the first break. Peyton Whitted was the catalyst for the Lady Lions in the opening 10 minutes, scoring nine of her 15 points in the frame.
Penn State 16, Georgia State 9
Second Quarter
The second quarter was mostly Penn State, with the Lady Lions holding Georgia State scoreless for a 4:43 stretch of the quarter. During that stretch, Penn State went on an 8-0 run to extend its lead to double figures. Five different players accounted for points in the quarter, with Amari Carter and Lindsey Spann each chipping in four points to lead the way.
Penn State 30, Georgia State 16
Third Quarter
Penn State limited the Panthers to just nine points, holding Georgia State scoreless for nearly seven minutes in the frame. The lead grew to 33 points after a Travascio-Green 3-pointer with 1:08 to play in the quarter. Carter scored six of her 10 points in the third quarter, hitting a pair of 3-pointers. During the 6:46 scoreless drought for GSU, Penn State reeled off 18-straight points.
Penn State 57, Georgia State 25
Fourth Quarter
Georiga State won the quarter, 17-12, but it was too little, too late in the 69-42 contest. Travascio-Green connected on both of her field goal attempts, connecting on a pair of 3-pointers, to account for seven points in the quarter. Spann and Whitted chipped in two points each, and Siyeh Frazier (Detroit, Mich.) added one free throw to cap the quarter's scoring.
Penn State 69, Georgia State 42
Up Next
Penn State closes out the San Juan Shootout on Friday, Nov. 25 against Georgetown at 1:15 p.m.