EBOEBO
Craig Houtz

Career-Best Performances Lead Penn State Past St. Bonaventure, 80-65

Coach Washington Postgame Quotes | Student-Athlete Postgame Quotes 

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A full-team effort and career nights from several Lady Lions guided the Penn State women's basketball team to a gritty 80-65 win over St. Bonaventure Sunday afternoon in non-conference action at the Bryce Jordan Center.
 
Teniya Page put together her fifth 20-plus point effort of the season with a team-best 23 points to lead four Lady Lions in double figures. Junior Siyeh Frazier contributed a career high-tying 17 points.
 
Freshman Lauren Ebo put together the best effort of her young career with her first-career double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Senior Amari Carter returned from a three-game injury layoff to score 12 points behind four third-quarter three-pointers. Freshman Karisma Ortiz led the Lady Lions with six assists while also chipping in a career-best nine rebounds.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Baskets from Page and Ebo had the score at 5-4 in favor of St. Bonaventure just over four minutes into the game. The Bonnies rattled off six-straight points to put PSU in an 11-4 hole with 2:41 left on the first-quarter clock.
  • The Lady Lions went 5-for-5 from the free throw line and a conventional three-point play from Frazier capped off a 7-3 term-closing run that pulled the Lady Lions within 14-11 heading into the second quarter.
  • Penn State scored nine of the first 12 points of the second term to take its first lead of the game at 22-20 with 4:56 left on the clock. Back-to-back Bonnies' three-pointers fueled an 8-3 St. Bonaventure response that put SBU right back on top at 28-25 two minutes later.
  • Five points from Page and a pair of clutch baskets from Frazier and freshman Bexley Wallace allowed the Lady Lions to spend the last 2:23 of the half on a 9-4 run that gave PSU a 34-32 lead heading into the break.


  • Carter opened the second half on fire as the senior hit four three-pointers in a 3:37 span to account for 12 points of a 14-8 run that put the Lady Lions ahead 48-40 just under five minutes into the third quarter.


  • The Bonnies answered right back, making their next three three-point attempts to put together an 11-2 streak that gave SBU the advantage right back at 51-50 with 2:54 left on the third-quarter clock.
  • A Page three-pointer and back-to-back Frazier buckets comprised a 7-0 Penn State run in the final 1:22 of the third quarter to put the Lady Lions up 58-54 heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
  • Penn State's lead reached eight at 62-54 after three Page free throws opened the fourth quarter.
  • The Lady Lions continued to keep the Bonnies at bay as a Page three-pointer gave Penn State its largest lead yet with 2:47 to play at 70-61.
  • It would be all Penn State the rest of the way as the Lady Lions closed the game on a 10-2 run to secure the 80-65 victory.

 
KEY NOTES

  • Penn State's 80 points tie its season high. The Lady Lions also put up 80 points in an 80-61 win over Jacksonville on Dec. 2.
  • The Lady Lions move to a 32-9 in the Bryce Jordan Center dating back to the start of the 2016-17 season.
  • After being out for three games due to injury, Carter returned to the court and played 27 minutes with 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
  • In addition to her first career double-double and career-best marks in points and rebounds, Ebo also registered a career-best three blocks.
  • Page has scored in double figures in all 10 games this season.
  • Senior Kayleigh Semion has honored on her individual Senior Day and turned in career-best numbers of three rebounds and 13 minutes played.
  • The Lady Lions snapped a three-game skid against the Bonnies.

 
STAT STANDOUTS

  • Penn State shot 58.8 percent (10-for-17) from the field and 55.6 percent (5-for-9) from three-point range in the third quarter.
  • The Lady Lions held St. Bonaventure to a field goal percentage under 30 percent in both the first and fourth quarters (28.6% first quarter, 20.0% fourth quarter).
  • Penn State dished a season high-tying 16 assists while committing just nine turnovers.
  • The Lady Lions held dominant edges in points off turnovers (19-5), second-chance points (16-3) and fast-break points (21-3).
  • Penn State controlled a 44-38 rebound edge.

 
COACH'S TAKE
Head Coach Coquese Washington

  • "It took us about a quarter to adjust to how St. Bonaventure was playing us and what the reads were. I think we did that from the second quarter on and kind of got into a rhythm offensively where we were able to get into transition. Once we got a couple of baskets in a row it opened things up for us."
  • "It was good for us to get Amari back on the court. Even though she wasn't at 100 percent, her presence out there gives us a steady influence on the court. It was an opportunity for us to have the full team together and continue to develop our chemistry."
  • Full transcript



 
UP NEXT

  • Penn State will now turn its attention to final exams before wrapping up non-conference play next Sunday, Dec. 16 against American.
  • Tipoff from the Bryce Jordan Center is set for 2 p.m.