KMACKMAC
Craig Houtz

Lady Lions Cruise To 80-61 Win Over Jacksonville

Coquese Washington Postgame Quotes | Penn State Student Athletes' Postgame Quotes

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A strong defensive effort and balanced offensive attack led the Penn State women's basketball team to an 80-61 rout of Jacksonville Sunday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center.
 
The Lady Lions set a program record with 15 blocked shots, while holding the Dolphins to a 31.3 percent (21-for-67) field goal percentage. Four Lady Lions finished in double figures, led by senior Teniya Page's 27 points.
 
Sophomore Kamaria McDaniel added 17 points, while classmate Alisia Smith recorded her third double-double of the season with 11 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Junior Siyeh Frazier stuffed the stat sheet in a huge all-around game with 14 points, five steals, four blocks and four rebounds.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

  • A slow offensive start for both teams had the score tied at 3-3 nearly seven minutes into the game before a McDaniel three-pointer provided the spark for a 9-3 Penn State run over the final 2:33 of the opening quarter. Four different Lady Lions converted baskets during the stretch to give Penn State a 12-6 lead after the first term.
  • Jacksonville was within five just over two minutes into the second quarter at 18-13 before a Page three-pointer kicked off a 12-2 Penn State streak. Page had a pair of treys during the stretch, while Smith, Karisma Ortiz and Lauren Ebo all added buckets to give the Lady Lions a commanding 30-15 lead at the 4:17 mark of the first half.


  • The Dolphins got the next four points, but Penn State held Jacksonville scoreless for the final 3:35 of the half to put up seven unanswered points and pull ahead 37-19 at halftime.
  • Jacksonville opened the second half on a 10-2 run to narrow the Penn State lead to 39-29 just over three minutes into the third quarter.
  • Six-straight PSU points had the Lady Lions back up by 16 at 45-29 two minutes later, but Jacksonville rattled off 11 of the next 12 to force a PSU timeout as the Dolphins were all of the sudden within 46-40 with 2:26 on the third-quarter clock.


  • Page then stepped up with nine-straight Penn State points in under a minute to help comprise an 11-4 Penn State stretch that gave the Lady Lions a 57-44 edge heading into the fourth quarter.


  • The teams exchanged baskets to open the fourth quarter as Penn State's lead sat at 68-57 with 3:18 to play.
  • The Lady Lions rattled off the next 10 points, five of which came from the free throw line, to put Jacksonville in a 78-57 hole that the Dolphins would never be able to recover from as Penn State cruised to the 80-61 victory.

 
STAT STANDOUTS

  • Penn State finished with a season-high 16 assists. Page and Ortiz dished a team-leading four assists apiece.
  • The Lady Lions held a 15-3 edge in fast-break points.
  • Penn State was 9-for-20 (45.0 percent) from three-point range. Both the nine treys and the three-point shooting percentage are season highs.
  • The Lady Lions, who entered the game ranked 10th in all of Division I in free throws made, continued to be aided by a strong showing from the charity stripe. Penn State was 15-for-20 (75.0 percent) from the free throw line against the Dolphins.
  • Page was 9-for-17 from the field and 5-for-9 from downtown en route to her 27 points. She added six rebounds and four assists.
  • Smith's career-high 14 rebounds were comprised of five offensive boards and nine defensive rebounds.
  • Freshman Lauren Ebo finished with a career-best nine points on 4-of-6 shooting.
  • Frazier's four blocks are a career high, while her five steals are a season best.

 
KEY NOTES

  • Penn State's program-record 15 blocks bested the previous record of 14. The 14 blocks were recorded three times in school history: vs. Purdue on Jan. 12, 2014, vs. Boston University on Jan. 22, 1982, and vs. Delaware on Feb. 15, 1980.
  • The Lady Lions' 80 points were a season high.
  • Page's 27 points and four rebounds marked the fourth game this season that the senior led Penn State in both scoring and assists.
  • Page's 27 points marked her fourth 20-plus point effort of the season.
  • With 149 career three-point field goals made, Page is now tied for seventh in career three-point field goals made with Zhaque Gray (2009-12).
  • Smith's career-best 14 rebounds marked the sixth time this season she has led the team in rebounds.


 COACH'S TAKE

  • "It's good to be back home and playing in front of our crowd. I thought that the things we've been working on and emphasizing in practice are starting to come out, particularly our defensive intensity."
  • "I like the way that we came out in the first half. Our defense was good early and then our offense kind of caught up. We've got to fix up that third quarter. We gave up too many points in the third quarter, but I thought in the fourth quarter we kind of locked in again. I'm really pleased to see the carryover from practice."
  • Full transcript




UP NEXT

  • The Lady Lions remain home to host Duquesne Wednesday night.
  • Tipoff from the Bryce Jordan Center is set for 7 p.m.