UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's basketball team erased a 10-point halftime deficit to take a second half lead and it was a one-possession game in the final minute, but #25 Rutgers secured a 60-55 win in a tight Big Ten battle inside the Bryce Jordan Center Sunday afternoon.
The Penn State defense held a Rutgers team that has won seven-straight games to its second-lowest scoring output of the season and fewest points since Jan. 3 in the hard-fought effort.
Sophomore Shay Hagans finished with a team-best 15 points and added five rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Makenna Marisa added 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Senior Johnasia Cash recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- A low-scoring first quarter started in a 5-5 tie four minutes into the contest. A Maddie Burke three-pointer marked Penn State's only basket for the remainder of the quarter as the Scarlet Knights scored eight of the final 11 points of the term to take a 13-8 lead into the second quarter.
- The Scarlet Knights stretched their lead to 22-9 just over three minutes into the second stanza before three free throws and a Tova Sabel three-pointer sparked an 8-5 Penn State run to close the half. The Lady Lion defense held the Scarlet Knights to 2-for-11 from the field in the final 5:55, but Rutgers was still able to take a 27-17 lead into the break.
- Penn State came out on fire in the third quarter as the Lady Lions erased the 10-point halftime deficit in the first five minutes and spent the first eight minutes of the quarter on a 24-8 run. The Lady Lions shot 4-for-5 from downtown and 9-for-11 from the field in the stretch as Marisa and Hagans both chipped in eight points and Cash added six to put Penn State in front 41-35. The Scarlet Knights scored the final seven points of the third quarter, however, to take a slight 42-41 edge into the final 10 minutes.
- The Lady Lions scored the first four points of the fourth quarter thanks to a Marisa jumper and pair of Cash free throws to give PSU the lead right back at 45-42 two minutes into the final stanza.
- The Scarlet Knights answered right back with a 10-0 run over the next four minutes as they surged ahead 52-45 with 4:04 to play. A pair of Hagans free throws and a three-pointer from freshman Nan Garcia made it a two-possession game at 54-50 with 1:58 left on the clock.
- Hagans' third trey of the game made it a one possession game at 58-55 with 19 seconds to play, but Rutgers closed the contest with a pair of free throws to grab its seventh-straight win with the 60-55 victory.
KEY NOTES
- The Penn State defense held #25 Rutgers 18.1 points below its season-scoring average (78.1).
- Penn State also held Rutgers to 39 percent shooting, nearly 10 percent below their season average (48.1).
- The Lady Lions limited two of the conference's best scorers in Arella Guirantes (21.8 ppg) and Diamond Johnson (18.8 ppg) to just 14 and nine points respectively.
- Cash recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds. It's Cash's ninth double-double of Big Ten play.
- Hagans led the Lady Lions in scoring for the first time this season and notched the seventh double-digit performance of her sophomore campaign.
- Hagans tied her career high with three 3-pointers made. She's done that twice this season, most recently at Iowa on Feb. 18.
- Marisa put together her 14th double-digit effort of the season.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Carolyn Kieger
- "Very pleased with our third quarter and thought we showed a lot of fight and a lot of character there. In the second half we had 11 assists to five turnovers, and the first half was a different story. When we play with pace and share the basketball we're a very good offensive team, and when we don't we struggle. We have to just keep working on our consistency as we continue to mature and develop."
- "Seeing some fight and I'm excited to make some adjustments and come back and see what we can do on Tuesday."
UP NEXT
- Penn State faces #25 Rutgers for the second time in three days Tuesday when the Lady Lions travel to New Jersey for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff on the Big Ten Network.
- Penn State will travel to #8 Maryland to close out the regular season Saturday before turning its attention to the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis from March 9-13.