UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's basketball team kicks off a two-game road trip with a Thursday afternoon battle at Iowa. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT and the game will be nationally televised on the Big Ten Network.
FOLLOW ALONG
- TV: Big Ten Network – Chris Vosters (play-by-play) and Meghan McKeown (analyst)
- Listen: Penn State Sports Network with Justin Antweil and Joe Putnam – 93.3 FM, 1390 AM and online
- Live Stats: Live Stats
- Game Notes: Penn State Notes
OPENING TIPS
- Penn State looks to get back on track when the Lady Lions open up a two-game road trip at Iowa Thursday afternoon.
- Penn State won four-straight games to surge upwards in the Big Ten standings before dropping its last two contests to #15 Indiana and Michigan State.
- Johnasia Cash has recorded a double-double in seven of Penn State's last 10 games and is averaging 15.6 ppg and 10.0 rpg in Big Ten play. Niya Beverley leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth in the country with a 3.73 assist-to-turnover ratio.
- The Lady Lions are the youngest team in the Big Ten with an average age of 19.56 and eight true freshmen on the roster.
IF PENN STATE BEATS IOWA
- The Lady Lions would earn their fifth win in the last seven games.
- Penn State would earn its first win in Iowa City since Jan. 20, 2016 when PSU beat Iowa 82-69.
- Penn State would beat Iowa for the first time since Jan. 3, 2017.
- The Lady Lions would move to 9-9 on the season and 6-8 in Big Ten play.
SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES
- The Hawkeyes currently rank eighth in the Big Ten standings with a 7-6 conference record that is part of an 11-6 overall mark.
- Iowa owns the Big Ten's second-leading offense with 87.4 points per game, but the conference's worst defense as the Hawkeyes give up an average of 80.8 points per game.
- The Hawkeyes are shooting a Big Ten-best 50.7 percent from the field and lead the conference with 19.88 assists per game.
- Iowa freshman Caitlin Clark leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the NCAA with 26.6 points per game. She is averaging 26.8 points per Big Ten contest.
- Monika Czinano (19.2 ppg) and McKenna Warnock (12.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg) are also key contributors.
AGAINST IOWA
- Penn State leads the all-time series with Iowa 29-23, but the Hawkeyes have won the last four matchups.
- Iowa won both of last season's meetings. The Hawkeyes claimed a 77-66 win in Happy Valley on Jan. 30, 2020 before earning a 100-57 win in Iowa City on Feb. 22, 2020.
- Makenna Marisa scored in double figures in both of last year's games against Iowa.
FOUR OF THE LAST SIX
- Penn State has won four of its last six games. The Lady Lions ran off four-straight wins with victories over Illinois (80-76), Purdue (80-70), Nebraska (85-74) and Wisconsin (98-74) before dropping tough games at #15 Indiana (65-90) and to Michigan State (65-78).
- Johnasia Cash averaged 21.8 ppg and 11.3 rpg during the four-game win streak to lead the way, while four other Lady Lions also averaged double-digit points: Makenna Marisa (17.3), Shay Hagans (11.5), Maddie Burke (11.5), Anna Camden (10.3).
CASH IS MONEY
- Senior transfer Johnasia Cash (previously SMU) has been on a tear as of late, recording double-doubles in seven of Penn State's last 10 games.
- Cash is averaging 15.6 ppg and 10.0 rpg in Big Ten play. Her season-long averages are 14.9 ppg and 9.4 rpg with eight total double-doubles.
- She earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors on Feb. 8 after shooting 63.0 percent (17-for-27) from the field while averaging 22.5 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per contest to lead Penn State to wins over Nebraska and Wisconsin.
- The McKeesport, Pa. native became the first Penn State player to record double-doubles in four-consecutive games since 1997 when she notched her fourth-straight against Nebraska on Feb. 4. Angie Potthoff was the last PSU player to accomplish the feat 24 years ago.
- Cash's efficiency has improved greatly in her first year under Head Coach Carolyn Kieger. She's shooting 47.9 percent (103-for-215) from the field this season and was a 36.0 percent (266-for-738) shooter in her three seasons at SMU.
BEVERLEY BLOSSOMING
- Senior transfer Niya Beverley (previously Wisconsin) currently leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally with a 3.73 assist-to-turnover ratio.
- Over the last seven games, Beverley has dished 30 assists compared to just six turnovers in 250 minutes of action.
- She has also turned her scoring up a notch, averaging 15.0 ppg in the last two contests. Beverley is shooting 45.7 percent (16-for-35) from three-point range in Big Ten play.
- Beverley was granted immediate eligibility for the start of Big Ten play due to the NCAA's blanket transfer waiver.
NOT JUST A TIKTOK STAR
- Sophomore Anna Camden, who has 159,000 followers on the popular social media app TikTok, has scored in double figures in five of the last six games.
- She had just two double-digit efforts in the first 11 games of the season.
- Camden is coming off a career-best 16-point performance Sunday against Michigan State.
MARISA COMING INTO HER OWN
- Makenna Marisa has turned her game up a notch in her sophomore season.
- Marisa is currently averaging 14.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 4.6 apg compared to her freshman year numbers of 9.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 2.7 apg.
- Marisa has gone for 20-plus points in three of Penn State's last six games.
BACK COURT THREATS
- Sophomore Shay Hagans has set the tone defensively as of late, leading the team with 3.2 steals per game over the last six games.
- Freshman Maddie Burke has drilled three or more three-pointers in five of Penn State's last six games.
YOUNGEST TEAM IN THE BIG TEN
- Penn State's 2020-21 roster features eight freshmen and four transfers who are seeing their first court time in in the Blue and White this season. The eight freshmen, all true freshmen, are tied for the national lead in number of freshmen on Division I rosters. Oral Roberts and Incarnate Word also have eight freshmen on their rosters.
- Penn State is ranked as the ninth-youngest team in Division I, and the youngest in the Big Ten, with an average age of 19.56.
- Penn State has 11 players that have two or less years of Division I playing experience, which equates to 73.3 percent of its roster.
UP NEXT
- Penn State remains on the road to face Nebraska Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT.