SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Penn State women's basketball team was within four of nationally-ranked Syracuse in the final minutes, but the #22 Orange pulled away down the stretch to hand the Lady Lions their first loss of the season, 82-72, Sunday afternoon at the Carrier Dome.
Freshman Tova Sabel hit five three-pointers to lead Penn State and finish with a career-best 15 points. Senior transfer Johnasia Cash recorded her first double-double in a Penn State uniform with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Graduate transfer Kelly Jekot finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Makenna Marisa narrowly missed a double-double with nine points, a career-best 11 rebounds and a career-high nine assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Penn State raced out to a quick 7-2 lead three minutes into the game. Syracuse answered with an 8-2 streak that gave the Orange a 10-9 lead with 3:21 left on the first-quarter clock, but it was all Penn State for the remainder of the term. Sabel and fellow freshman Maddie Burke drilled back-to-back three-pointers to spark a 13-4 Lady Lion run to close the quarter and put Penn State in front 22-14.
- Penn State picked up where it left off in the second quarter, as five points from Jekot helped PSU score 10 of the quarter's first 14 and put the Lady Lions up 32-18 with 4:26 left on the clock.
- The Orange responded with a 15-0 streak to close the half, however, as Syracuse came back to take a 33-32 lead into halftime.
- Cash scored six points within the first 1:30 of the second half and Sabel followed by nailing two more three-pointers as Penn State jumped back in front, 46-39, three minutes into the third quarter.
- The Orange had an answer once again, however, as Syracuse spent the final 6:41 of the third quarter on a 22-7 run. Penn State had a tough time finding its offensive rhythm as PSU was just 2-for-12 from the field during the stretch and the Orange grabbed onto the 61-53 lead heading into the final quarter.
- Syracuse scored the first basket of the fourth quarter before Penn State clawed back with a 14-7 streak over the next five minutes. Six different Lady Lions scored as PSU pulled back within four points at 71-67 with 4:24 to play.
- Four points from both Kiara Lewis and Tiana Mangakahia then helped Syracuse pull away in the final minutes as the Orange closed the game with an 11-5 stretch to secure the 82-72 victory.
KEY NOTES
- Penn State made a season-best 10 three-pointers thanks to Sabel's five triples, three from freshman Maddie Burke and one each from Marisa and Jekot. It's the first time Penn State has made 10 or more three-pointers since Feb. 24, 2019 at Illinois.
- Penn State had a season-high 17 assists on its 28 made field goals.
- Sabel finished 5-for-7 from downtown for her career-best 15 points.
- Marisa was one assist and one point shy of a triple-double with an impressive line of nine points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Her 11 rebounds and nine assists are both career bests.
- Burke also finished with a career-best mark in points with nine behind three made three-pointers.
- Cash's double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) was her first in a Penn State uniform.
- Jekot (13 points) has now scored in double figures in every game this season.
- The Lady Lions turned the ball over 24 times compared to Syracuse's 17.
UP NEXT
- Penn State has the potential to add one more non-conference game to its schedule before turning its attention to Big Ten play, which opens Dec. 20 at home against Purdue.