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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Redshirt freshman Amari Carter (Washington D.C.) poured in a career-high 22 points and sophomore Teniya Page (Chicago, Ill.) added a team-best 27 points, but that was not enough for the Penn State women's basketball team in an 89-83 setback at No. 3/3 Maryland on Wednesday (Jan. 11) evening inside the XFINITY Center.
The Lady Lions trailed by as many as 16 pints to start the fourth quarter, but forced seven Maryland turnovers in the final 10 minutes and outscored the Terrapins 26-16 and cut that deficit to just four points on a Carter jumper with 16-seconds to play in the game. A pair of Maryland free throws pushed that lead back to six points, before the Terrapin's 16th offensive rebound of the night - off a missed free throw with seven seconds left - secured the win for the Terps.
Carter scored 12 of her 22 points after halftime and ended the game with four rebounds, eight assists, one steal and only two turnovers. Page posted her 13th career 20-point game, ending the night with 27 tallies - to go along with two rebounds, two assists and one steal. The sophomore played all 40 minutes, marking the ninth time in her career she played all 40 minutes.
Sophomore Ashanti Thomas (Lexington, Ky.) netted a career-high 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and Sierra Moore (Hanover, Pa.) chipped in 10 points for her ninth double-digit scoring game of the season.
Maryland senior Brionna Jones scored 42 points, the second most by a Penn State opponent in school history behind Carol Blazejowski of Montclair State who scored 44 points on March 26, 1976. She also added 14 rebounds in the winning effort.
In the game, Penn State connected on eight 3-pointers, the ninth time this season it has made eight-or-more triples, and forced 21 turnovers, which included seven steals.
Penn State posted a season high tying output in fourth quarter scoring, tallying 26 points - which equals its output against Tennessee.
Turning Point
With 1:44 left in the third quarter
After Penn State chipped away at a 16-point Maryland lead midway through the third quarter to get the game back within single digits, 63-55, a Brionna Jones layup pushed the lead back to 10 points and spurred Maryland on an 10-2 run to end the quarter. The run allowed Maryland to take a 16-point lead into the fourth quarter and eventually hold off a late rally by Penn State.
Difference Makers
Penn State
- G Amari Carter - Scored a career-high 22 points, making 11-of-19 shots from the field. She added eight assists, four rebounds and one steal. Committed just two turnovers in 39 minutes on the court.
- G Teniya Page - Posted her 13th career 20-point game with 27 tallies, including a career-high six 3-pointers. Added two assists, two rebounds and one steal. Played all 40 minutes in a game for the ninth time in her career.
- G Lindsey Spann - Moved her career total to 200 assists with a first quarter helper. Added eight points.
- C Ashanti Thomas - Scored a career-high 11 points - her first career double-figure scoring game - and added a team high tying four rebounds.
- G Sierra Moore - Posted 10 points for her ninth double-digit scoring game of the season in just her second start of the year. Also tied for team high with four rebounds.
- Turning Over the Terps - Penn State forced 21 turnovers - the second most in a game this season - and turned those into 24 points. The Lady Lions owned a 24-20 edge in points off turnovers in the contest.
Maryland
- C Brionna Jones - Scored 42 points, shot 15-of-19 from the field and 12-of-14 from the free throw line. Added 14 rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal.
- G Destiny Slocum - Scored 11 points to go along with eight assists and six rebounds.
- G Shatori Walker-Kimbrough - Tallied 16 points with four rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots.
By Quarter
First Quarter
The game flowed up and down the floor in the opening 10 minutes, with Penn State holding the two-point edge at the first break thanks largely to the efforts of sophomore Teniya Page and Maryland native Amari Carter. Page knocked down four 3-pointers in the opening frame to score 12 points and Carter added six points. Neither team led by more than three points, with Penn State owning the largest lead at three points on two occasions.
Penn State 24, at Maryland 22
Second Quarter
Penn State held the lead for most of the second quarter, pushing the advantage to five points, 31-26 on a Lindsey Spann (Laurel, Md.) 3-pointer early in the frame. The Terrapins slowly chipped away at the lead, pulling even on three occasions before finally taking the lead on an Ieshia Small jumper with 1:47 to play in the half. Maryland eventually pushed the lead to seven points, before two Page free throws ended the half.
at Maryland 44, Penn State 39
Third Quarter
Maryland opened the quarter on a 13-2 run to build a 16-point lead, 57-41. The Lady Lions fought back to pull the deficit to single digits, 63-55, with a 7-2 run of their own, but the Terrapins closed the quarter on a 10-2 spurt to take a 16-point lead into the final 10 minutes.
at Maryland 73, Penn State 57
Fourth Quarter
Penn State was not finished after the Terps moved the lead back to 16 points at the end of the third quarter, as the Lady Lions held a 26-16 scoring edge in the final 10 minutes. Seven points each from Ashanti Thomas and Page led the way, while Carter and Sierra Moore each added six points in the final frame. Thomas's layup and free throw cut the Maryland lead to just seven points with 2:17 to play and, after Maryland pushed the lead back to 10 points, Page hit a 3-pointer and added a pair of free throws on a separate trip to make it a five-point game with 25-seconds left. Carter's jumper with 15-seconds to play made it a four-point game, 87-83, but the Terps added two free throws at the end to account for the final score.
at Maryland 89, Penn State 83
Up Next
Penn State will play just two games in the next 11 days, with both coming in the friendly confines of the Bryce Jordan Center. The Lady Lions are next in action on Monday, Jan. 16 vs. Wisconsin. That contest will tip off at 7 p.m. and air live on the Big Ten Network and the Penn State Radio Network.