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Craig Houtz

Penn State Hosts Sacred Heart In Non-Conference Finale Sunday



UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's basketball team returns home for the first time since early December on Sunday afternoon when the Lady Lions host Sacred Heart in the final non-conference game of the season. Tipoff is slated for noon at the Bryce Jordan Center.
 
PROMOTIONS

  • Holidays With The Lions
  • Ugly Sweater Contest – Winner will take home a pair of airpods
  • Santa and Mrs. Claus on the concourse pregame

 
FOLLOW ALONG

 
OPENING TIPS

  • Penn State returns from a final exam break on Sunday when the Lady Lions host Sacred Heart in the non-conference finale.
  • Penn State is 5-5 heading into the final non-conference game of the season and the Lady Lions have won two of their last three games. Three of Penn State's wins this season have come over 2019 NCAA Tournament teams.
  • Junior Kamaria McDaniel is the Big Ten's second-leading scorer with 18.2 points per game. Senior Siyeh Frazier (11.2 ppg) and freshman Makenna Marisa (10.2 ppg) are also averaging double-digit points.

 
IF PENN STATE BEATS SACRED HEART

  • Penn State would wrap up non-conference play with a 6-5 record.
  • The Lady Lions would move to 2-0 all-time against Sacred Heart.
  • Penn State would head into Big Ten play having won three of its final four non-conference games.

 
LAST TIME OUT

  • Penn State fell victim to a strong Princeton team as the one-loss Tigers handed the Lady Lions a 72-55 road defeat on Dec. 14.
  • Senior Siyeh Frazier and freshman Makenna Marisa scored 12 points apiece to lead the Lady Lions, while freshman Shay Hagans finished with a career-best nine points.

 
SCOUTING SACRED HEART

  • Sacred Heart enters Sunday's contest at 3-7 overall.
  • The Pioneers have dropped their last four contests, including an 87-40 loss at Yale Thursday.
  • Sacred Heart's three wins this season have come over Hofstra (71-44, Nov. 10), Bridgeport (77-63, Nov. 20), and Detroit Mercy (66-60, Nov. 29).
  • Adrianne Hagood leads the Pioneers with 15.2 points per game, while Nikki Johnson follows with 10.9 points per contest and a team-best 30 assists.
  • Jessica Woods leads the team with 6.8 rebounds per game.
  • Sacred Heart is coming off a 2018-19 season in which it finished 19-13 and earned a bid to the WNIT.

 
AGAINST THE PIONEERS

  • Penn State and Sacred Heart will be meeting for just the second time in program history Sunday.
  • The two teams last met in 2015, with PSU earned an 83-46 home victory over the Pioneers.

 
KAMARIA McBUCKETS

  • Junior Kamaria McDaniel currently ranks second in the Big Ten with 18.2 points per game.
  • The Inkster, Mich. native earned Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honors and a spot on the NCAA Starting Five of the Week after dropping 40 points on Pittsburgh in Penn State's most recent game on Dec. 5.
  • McDaniel's 40 points marked a Penn State record in the Bryce Jordan Center and she became the first Lady Lion to put up 40-plus points in a game since former All-American Kelly Mazzante scored a school-record 49 points at Minnesota on Dec. 28, 2001. The only other Penn State player to top 40 points was Jen Bednarek, when she posted 42 points vs. Syracuse in 1979.
  • McDaniel has scored in double figures in nine out of ten games this season.

 
THREE WINS OVER 2019 NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS

  • Three of Penn State's five wins this season have come against 2019 NCAA Tournament teams.
  • The Lady Lions kicked off the season with a 73-67 victory at defending CAA Tournament champ Towson. A tough offensive first half had the Lady Lions trailing by eight early in the second half, but Penn State rallied to outscore the Tigers 25-13 in the third quarter to gain the separation it would need for the 73-67 win. It marked the first win in the Carolyn Kieger era.
  • Penn State then picked up a 72-59 win against defending Atlantic 10 champion Fordham on Nov. 13. Penn State shot a then season-best 53.2 percent (25-for-47) from the field against the Rams, highlighted by a blistering 65.2 percent (15-for-23) clip in the second half. It marked the 950th win in program history.
  • Penn State fought for a gritty 68-55 win over Clemson on Nov. 21. The Lady Lions held a 14-point halftime lead that was trimmed down to one midway through the third quarter thanks to a 13-0 Clemson run. The Lady Lions responded with a 10-0 streak that would help Penn State out-score the Tigers 28-16 in the final 15 minutes to secure the 68-55 victory.

 
FINDING THE FREE THROW LINE

  • Penn State leads the Big Ten and ranks seventh nationally in free throws made (170) and 16th in free throws attempted (238) as of Dec. 19.
  • Kamaria McDaniel has found her way to the free throw line the most, attempting a team-best 63 freebies. Her 63 free throw attempts rank 24th in the nation. Freshman Makenna Marisa is shooting a team-best 83.3 percent (30-for-36) from the charity stripe.

 
UP NEXT

  • Penn State opens Big Ten play on Saturday, Dec. 28 when the Lady Lions host Minnesota.
  • Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. from the Bryce Jordan Center.