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Mark Selders

Senior Kelly Jekot

Lady Lions Host LIU For Season Opener


UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's basketball team welcomes LIU to begin is 2021-22 season on Tuesday night. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
 
FOLLOW ALONG

 
PARKING
All Penn State Athletics non-football events will require a valid permit or payment of the applicable parking fee for campus lots. Complimentary parking will no longer be issued for season ticket holders.
 
Fans with valid Penn State University Park parking permits will be permitted to park at non-football athletics events for free, following Transportation Services parking policies and access.
 
Fans without a permit are encouraged to prepay for event parking at a discounted rate through ParkMobile - https://psu.parkmobile.io/. Prepayment is available through 11:59 p.m. the day prior to each event. 
 
Please visit the2021-22 Women's Basketball Parking page for additional information.
 
Non-football event parking is managed by Penn State Transportation Services. For more information on parking for this event, please email parking@psu.edu or call 814-865-1436. 

OPENING TIP

  • Penn State begins its 57th season as it opens the 2021-22 campaign against LIU. The teams will meet for the first time in school history.
  • The Lady Lions enter the third year of the Carolyn Kieger era.
  • Penn State improved from year one to year two under Kieger in multiple offensive categories, including points per game (+5.9), assists per game (+4.1), three-point field goal percentage (+3), three-point field goals made per game (+2.8) and field goal percentage (+2.2).
  • The Lady Lions return eight of its top nine scorers from the 2020-21 season.
  • Maddie Burke returns after claiming 2021 Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year and All-Freshman Team honors. She ranked third in the Big Ten in three-point field goals (58) and fourth in three-point field goal percentage (35.4).
  • Makenna Marissa averaged 13.4 points and 5.0 assists per game while garnering All-Big Ten honorable mention.
  • Kelly Jekot returns after recording double-digit points in all nine games played before a season-ending injury. Jekot averaged 15.9 points per game and recorded three 20-point games.
  • Niya Beverley ranked second in the nation and led the Big Ten with a 4.88 assist-to-turnover ratio.

 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION

  • LIU is led by head coach Rene Haynes, who is in her third season. Haynes played at Michigan State from 2003-07 and spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Duke before taking over the Sharks.
  • The Sharks went 7-11 last season, playing exclusively Northeast Conference (NEC) teams.
  • LIU closed out the 2020-21 season with four straight wins, sweeping Central Connecticut State and Bryant.
  • LIU's offense averaged 58.8 points per game and shot 35.1 percent from the field in 2020-21.
  • The Sharks ranked 19th in the country and led the NEC averaging 15.5 offensive rebounds per game.
  • On defense, LIU allowed 61.0 points per contest while opponents held a 40.0 field-goal percentage.
  • The Sharks sat 18th in the nation and led their conference averaging 10.8 steals per game.
  • Senior forward Kiara Bell ranked fourth in the NEC averaging 7.5 rebounds and second averaging 1.87 blocks in 2020-21. Sophomore guard Zoee Hache held sixth in the NEC with 1.69 steals per contest.
  • LIU returns four of its top five scorers from a year ago: senior guard Brandy Thomas (11.5 ppg), redshirt junior guard Kennedy Taylor (8.5), Bell (7.1) and senior guard Shyla Sanford (6.5).

 
AGAINST THE SHARKS

  • Penn State and LIU will meet for the first time between the schools.
  • Including last year's 87-54 win over Saint Francis, the Lady Lions are 15-1 all-time against current members of the NEC.

 
ALL-BIG TEN RETURNERS

  • Sophomore Maddie Burke returns after earning Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year and Big Ten All-Freshman team honors in 2020-21.
  • Burke reached 20 points in four games, including a career-best 24 points vs. Maryland.
  • Burke drilled at least three three-pointers in 11 games and hit five or more treys in six games.
  • Burke ranked fifth among Division I freshmen with 58 three-pointers.
  • Junior Makenna Marissa also returns after being named honorable mention All-Big Ten.
  • Marissa averaged 13.4 points per game, including 15 double-figure scoring efforts and six 20-point games.
  • Marissa finished fifth in the Big Ten and 37th nationally with 5.0 assists per game.

 
RETURNING SCORERS

  • Penn State returns eight of its top nine scorers from the 2020-21 season.
  • Senior Kelly Jekot paced the Lady Lions, averaging 15.9 points per game through nine games, before suffering a season-ending injury. Jekot reached double-figures in all nine games and had 20+ points in three contests.
  • Marissa averaged 13.4 points per game, tallying 15 games with double-digit points and six with 20 points.
  • Senior Niya Beverley averaged 9.2 points per contest in 2020-21 with nine double-figure efforts and two 20-point games.
  • Sophomore Maddie Burke tallied 8.9 points per game and led the Nittany Lions with 58 three-pointers. She had four 20-point games and eight double-figure efforts.
  • Junior Anna Camden averaged 7.8 points with 13 double-digit games and fellow junior Shay Hagans averaged 7.0 points with 11 double-figure efforts.

 
NON-CONFERENCE SLATE

  • Penn State opens its 11-game non-conference slate against LIU.
  • The Lady Lions' first three contests will be played at the Bryce Jordan Center against LIU (11/9), Rider (11/11) and Delaware State (11/16).
  • Penn State's non-con continues at Clemson on Sunday, November 21. The Tigers reached the 2021 WNIT Second Round.
  • The Lady Lions then travel to the Gulf Coast Showcase in Florida. Penn State will open the tournament against St. John's on November 26.
  • On November 27, Penn State will face either Iowa State or Charlotte in the Gulf Coast Showcase. Iowa State was a 2021 NCAA Tournament team, while Charlotte was a 2021 WNIT participant.
  • Penn State takes on Boston College in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Thursday, December 2.
  • The non-conference schedule closes out with home games against Youngstown State (12/12) and Towson (12/22) and a road matchup at Duquesne (12/18).


STRENGTH OF THE BIG TEN

  • The Preseason AP Poll features five Big Ten teams: No. 4 Maryland, No. 8 Indiana, No. 9 Iowa, No. 11 Michigan and No. 17 Ohio State.
  • Penn State opens Big Ten play at Indiana on December 6.
  • The Lady Lions played 10 ranked opponents in 2020-21, the most among Big Ten schools, and earned a 69-67 win over No. 15 Ohio State on February 24, 2021.


UP NEXT

  • Penn State remains home to host Rider on Thursday night at the Bryce Jordan Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. with a broadcast on B1G+.