11
Craig Houtz

Lady Lions Visit Wisconsin On Sunday

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's basketball team visits Wisconsin on Sunday for a Big Ten matchup at the Kohl Center. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. ET on B1G+.

The Lady Lions, led by head coach Carolyn Kieger, are 9-7 overall and 3-3 in Big Ten play this season. Penn State earned a 63-59 win at Northwestern on Thursday for its first Big Ten road win of the year. Makenna Marisa earned her 10th 20-point game and hit six free throws in the final minute to seal the victory. Leilani Kapinus added 15 points, eight rebounds and five steals.
 
FOLLOW ALONG

OPENING TIP

  • Penn State travels to Wisconsin for a Big Ten matchup.
  • The Lady Lions lead the all-time series, 34-16, after earning a 98-74 win last year in Happy Valley.
  • Leilani Kapinus returns to her hometown, Madison, Wis.
  • Penn State picked up its first Big Ten road win of the season with a 63-59 victory at Northwestern.
  • The Lady Lions went 14-of-14 from the free-throw line.
  • The 14-of-14 performance is Penn State's second-best in program history, trailing only a 20-of-20 performance against Texas in 2003.
  • Penn State forced 11 steals, its seventh game with 10 or more steals this season.
  • Makenna Marisa notched her 10th 20-point game of the season, tallying 20 points.
  • Marisa hit the final six free throws of the game to close out the victory.
  • The junior sits eighth in the country averaging 21.5 points per game.
  • Kapinus posted 15 points, eight rebounds and a career-high five steals.
  • Kapinus has reached double-figures in each of the last four games and five of the last six contests.
  • Penn State sits second in the Big Ten in steals per game (10.0) and third in blocks per game (4.3).
  • The Lady Lions rank 42nd in the nation with a 44.5 field-goal percentage.

 
SCOUTING WISCONSIN

  • Wisconsin is led by head coach Marisa Moseley, in her first year leading the Badgers.
  • Moseley spent the past three years as head coach at Boston University, where she won 2019 Patriot League Coach of the Year honors.
  • She went 45-29 in her time at Boston and led the Terriers to a Patriot League championship game appearance in 2021.
  • Before her tenure at Boston, Moseley was an assistant coach at UConn for nine seasons.
  • The Badgers are 4-13 overall and 1-6 in the Big Ten this season.
  • Wisconsin is averaging 58.0 points per game, sitting 13th in the Big Ten, and allowing 67.0 points per game, holding ninth.
  • Julia Popisilova leads the Badgers averaging 14.1 points per game.
  • Sydney Hilliard is averaging 13.0 points per contest and ranks 30th in the country with a 55.8 field-goal percentage.
  • Katie Nelson followed Moseley from Boston, where Nelson was a three-time All-Patriot League honoree.

 
AGAINST THE BADGERS

  • Penn State will meet Wisconsin for the 51st time in the series
  • The Lady Lions lead 34-16 in the all-time series.
  • In the last matchup, on February 7, 2021, Penn State picked up a 98-74 victory in Happy Valley.
  • Makenna Marisa led the way with 20 points, while Maddie Burke had 15 points off the bench.

 
MARISA'S STRONG JUNIOR CAMPAIGN

  • Junior Makenna Marisa scored at least 11 points in all 16 games this season and has 20+ points in 10 games, six 25-point games and two 30-point games.
  • She had 20 points vs. Rider (11/11), 30 vs. Delaware State (11/16), 29 at Clemson (11/21), 25 vs. St. John's (11/26), 23 vs. Kent State (11/28), 21 at Indiana (12/6), a career-high 33 at Duquesne (12/18), 29 at Maryland (1/6), 25 vs. Illinois (1/16) and 20 at Northwestern (1/20).
  • She has recorded a triple-double (30 points, 11 assists, 10 steals vs. Delaware State) and two double-doubles (25 points, 10 assists vs. Illinois).
  • Makenna Marisa ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring (21.5 ppg), good for eighth in the country. Her 21.6 points per game rank third among Power Five players.
  • In conference games, Marisa is averaging 21.3 points per game with three of six games coming against ranked opponents. Her 21.3 points per game against conference opponents are fifth in the Big Ten.
  • Marisa's also averaging 19.5 points per game against ranked opponents this season.
  • She sits fourth in the conference and 14th in the nation in total points (344). Marisa's 12th in the country in field goals made (127) and field goal attempts (290).
  • Marisa also holds seventh in the Big Ten in assists per game (4.6), ranking 65th in the nation, and seventh in total assists (74). She's also eighth in the conference averaging 2.38 three-pointers per game.
  • Marisa is tied fifth among DI players with 10 20-point games this season and is one of 26 DI players with multiple 30-point games this year.
  • Marisa is one of 14 DI players with double-figures in all of their games this season (minimum 16 games).

 
SWATS AND STEALS

  • Penn State sits second in the Big Ten in steals per game (10.0) and third in blocks per game (4.3).
  • The Lady Lions hold fourth in the conference in total steals (160).
  • Penn State has at least 10 steals in seven different games this year, including a season-high 25 vs. Delaware State.
  • Shay Hagans leads PSU with 30 steals followed by Kapinus' 29 and Marisa's 27.
  • The Lady Lions also have four games with at least six blocks, including a season-best 10 at Duquesne.
  • Kapinus paces PSU with 19 blocks followed by Ali Brigham's 18 and Anna Camden's 13.

 
BRIGHAM OFF THE BENCH

  • Sophomore forward Ali Brigham is averaging 11.8 points per game and 5.8 rebounds in that span to go with seven blocks when coming off the bench this season.
  • She tallied 13 points vs. Rutgers, 15 at Duquesne and 11 against Michigan.
  • She recorded three blocks in each game vs. Duquesne and Michigan.
  • Brigham started her 2021-22 campaign with 20 points vs. LIU and 23 vs. Rider, becoming the first Lady Lion to score 20+ points in the first two games of a season since Brianna Banks in 2015.
  • She collected her first career double-double against St. John's with 19 points, on 8-of-12 shooting, and 10 rebounds.
  • Through 16 games, Brigham ranks third in field-goal percentage (57.0), good for 22nd in the nation, and third in blocks per game (1.20) in the Big Ten.

 
KAPINUS DOING IT ALL

  • Freshman Leilani Kapinus has 29 steals, including a career-high five at Northwestern, leading Big Ten freshmen and sitting 15th among Division I freshmen.
  • The Wisconsin native has 19 blocks, which is good for second among Big Ten freshmen and 13th among all Division I freshmen.
  • She's averaging 8.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest and led the team in rebounds in three games.
  • Against ranked opponents, Kapinus is averaging 10.5 points per game to go with five blocks and five steals.
  • She had a career-high 20 points vs. Youngstown State, adding seven rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals. She scored 10 points in the fourth quarter vs. St. John's, 12 points at Maryland, 17 vs. Michigan, 14 vs. Illinois and 15 at Northwestern.

 
MARISA APPROACHING 1,000 CAREER POINTS

  • Junior guard Makenna Marisa is nearing the 1,000 career point mark.
  • She currently sits at 943 career points in 70 career games.
  • Thirty-nine Lady Lions have previously reached 1,000 career points.
  • Kamaria McDaniel was the last Penn State player to reach 1,000 career points, accomplishing the milestone in 2020.
  • Marisa is on track to become the 21st Lady Lion to reach 1,000 points before the end of their junior year.

 
STEPPING UP AGAINST RANKED TEAMS

  • In four games against ranked opponents this season, Makenna Marisa is averaging 19.5 points per game while shooting 42.5 percent from the field.
  • Her 19.5 points per game are second among Big Ten players who have played at least four games against ranked opponents.
  • She tallied 11 points against No. 13 Iowa State, 21 at No. 6 Indiana, 29 at No. 10 Maryland and 17 vs. No. 11 Michigan.
  • At Maryland, Marisa scored 24 of her 29 points in the second half, shooting 10-of-12 from the field.
  • Leilani Kapinus is averaging 10.5 points against ranked opponents, including 12 at Maryland and 17 vs. Michigan. She also has five blocks and five steals.

 
UP NEXT

  • Penn State returns to the Bryce Jordan Center on Tuesday, January 25 to begin a three-game homestand against No. 25 Iowa. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. with a broadcast on B1G+.
  • The Lady Lions also host Michigan State on Thursday for an 8 p.m. matchup on Big Ten Network and No. 12 Maryland on Sunday for a 2 p.m. tipoff.