COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Penn State women's basketball team couldn't slow down the nation's top scoring offense in an 88-61 loss at #8 Maryland Saturday afternoon in the regular-season finale at the Xfinity Center.
Penn State will now turn its attention to postseason play with next week's Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. The Lady Lions will receive a first-round bye and be the No. 10 seed in the tournament, opening action in the second round against seventh-seeded Michigan State at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on FS2. The winner advances to take on No. 2 seed Indiana in Thursday's quarterfinals. A full bracket can be found HERE.
Senior Niya Beverley led Penn State with 15 points at Maryland, marking her seventh double-digit effort in the last eight games. Sophomore Makenna Marisa followed with 10 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- A three-pointer from sophomore Anna Camden opened the game's scoring, but Maryland made five of its first six shots to jump out to a 10-6 lead. Penn State was within three at 14-11 after five points from Marisa, but Penn State went cold in the final five minutes of the first quarter as the Terps closed the stanza on a 13-4 streak to take a 27-15 lead through one.
- A pair of three-pointers from freshman Nan Garcia helped Penn State score 10 of the second quarter's first 17 points as the Lady Lions were back in single digits at 34-25 with 5:21 left on the first-half clock. The balanced second quarter saw both teams score 17 points as Maryland held onto a 44-32 lead heading into the break.
- Maryland spent the first six-plus minutes of the second half on a 21-4 run before a pair of three-pointers from Tova Sabel gave Penn State a bit of life, but the Terps carried a 67-42 advantage into the final term.
- Nine points from Beverley gave Penn State a push in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late as the Terps went on to claim the 88-61 win and the outright Big Ten regular season championship.
KEY NOTES
- Penn State played more games against ranked opponents in the regular season (10) than any other Big Ten team. The Lady Lions are the youngest team in the Big Ten.
- Beverley has now scored in double figures in seven of the last eight games and nine times this season.
- Marisa notched the 15th double-digit scoring game of her sophomore season.
- Sabel drilled a trio of three-pointers, marking her third game this season with three or more treys.
- Maryland claimed the outright Big Ten regular season title with its win.
UP NEXT
- Penn State turns its attention to next week's Big Ten Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
- The Lady Lions will have a first-round bye and open action as the No. 10 seed Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. against the No. 7 seed Michigan State. Wednesday's second-round game will be nationally televised on FS2.
- The winner of Wednesday's 7/10 game will advance to Thursday's Big Ten Quarterfinals to take on No. 2 seed Indiana at 6:30 p.m. on FS2.