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Mark Selders/Penn State Athletics

Penn State Hosts Minnesota In B1G Opener Saturday



UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's basketball team kicks off Big Ten play Saturday afternoon when the Lady Lions welcome a red-hot Minnesota team to the Bryce Jordan Center. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m.
 
FOLLOW ALONG

 
OPENING TIPS

  • Penn State opens Big Ten play Saturday afternoon when the Lady Lions host a red-hot Minnesota team at 4 p.m. inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
  • Penn State emerged from non-conference play at 6-5 overall and won three of its last four 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 18.0 points per game. Senior Siyeh Frazier (11.7 ppg) and freshman Makenna Marisa (10.5 ppg) are also averaging double-digit points.

 
IF PENN STATE BEATS MINNESOTA

  • Penn State would snap its four-game skid against the Gophers and beat Minnesota for the first time since Feb. 8, 2017.
  • The Lady Lions would win their Big Ten opener for the first time since the 2015-16 season when PSU beat Northwestern 79-72 on Dec. 31.

 
SCOUTING MINNESOTA

  • Minnesota enters Big Ten play 10-1 and the top receiving-votes team in both the AP and Coaches Polls. The Gophers' only loss of the sesaon came in their season opener against Missouri State as Minnesota fell 69-77 on Nov. 5. Minnesota has since rattled off 10 straight wins.
  • The Gophers rank in the top three in the Big Ten in a number of statistical categories including scoring offense (79.0 ppg - third), free throw percentage (77.4% - first), three-point field goal percentage (39.4% - second), turnover margin (+7.2 - second), and three-point field goals made per game (8.5 - tied second). The Gophers, however, are last in the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense as their opponents are shooting 39.6 percent from the field.
  • Minnesota owns a balanced offensive attack with six players averaging 8.8 or more points per game. Destiny Pitts leads the way with 15.9 ppg, while Taiye Bello has contributed 13.4 ppg and a team-best 10.1 rebounds per contest.

 
AGAINST THE GOPHERS

  • Penn State holds a 28-19 all-time edge against the Gophers, but Minnesota has won the last four contests.
  • PSU is 17-5 when playing Minnesota at home compared to its 11-11 record when playing in Minneapolis.
  • The Gophers earned a 97-67 win in last season's meeting on Feb. 17, 2019 at Minnesota.
  • Teniya Page led four Lady Lions in double figures with 14 points. Jaida Travascio-Green scored 11 points, while Siyeh Frazier and Kamaria McDaniel added 10 apiece.

 
THREE OF FOUR

  • Penn State enters Big Ten play having won three of its final four non-conference games.
  • The Lady Lions kicked off the stretch with a dominant 92-68 victory over N.C. Central at the Cal Classic on Nov. 30. Penn State earned a 78-73 win over Pittsburgh in the Big Ten/ACC Challege on Dec. 5. The Lady Lions most recently defeated Sacred Heart 88-65 in the non-conference finale on Dec. 22. Penn State's lone loss in the stretch came against a Princeton team that is currently ranked No. 25 in the Coaches Poll.
  • Penn State shot 46.7 percent from the field while holding its opponents to a 35.8 percent clip in the three wins. The Lady Lions also out-rebounded their opponents by +15.0 rpg. Kamaria McDaniel averaged 27.7 points in the three wins, highlighted by a 40-point effort against Pittsburgh. Alisia Smith chipped in 13.3 ppg while shooting 55.6 percent (15-for-27) from the field, while Siyeh Frazier added 11.3 ppg and 7.0 rpg in the three victories.

 
THIS IS B1G

  • Penn State enters its 28th season as a member of the Big Ten Conference and has enjoyed immense success since becoming a member of the storied conference in 1992-93.
  • The Lady Lions own a winning record against nine of the 13 other Big Ten programs. Penn State owns an all-time mark of 273-175 in Big Ten play, with marks of 163-62 at home and 110-113 on the road.
  • Penn State's eight regular-season championships since joining the conference in 1992-93 are the second-most won by any Big Ten team during that span. The Lady Lions also own a pair of Big Ten Tournament titles, winning in 1995 and 1996.

 
UP NEXT

  • Penn State hits the road for its next two contests, beginning with a New Year's Eve showdown at No. 23 Michigan.
  • Tipoff from Ann Arbor is slated for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31.