MADISON, Wis. – The Penn State women's basketball team dropped a 69-57 decision at Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center. The Lady Lions fell to 9-8 overall and 3-4 in Big Ten play. The Badgers improved to 5-13 overall and 2-6 in conference games.
Makenna Marisa led Penn State with 26 points, going 8-of-15 from the floor. Leilani Kapinus added 10 points, six rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Tova Sabel had nine points and six rebounds off the bench. Penn State shot 42 percent from the floor.
Wisconsin was paced by Katie Nelson's 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including four three-pointers. Julie Pospisilova contributed 23 points, while Brooke Schramek had 13 points. The Badgers shot 44 percent from the field.
Penn State led 17-11 after the first quarter. With the score tied at 7-7, a three by Anna Camden and four points by Marisa helped PSU to extend its lead to 14-9 at the 4:53 mark. After a layup by Wisconsin's Schramek, the Lady Lions responded with a steal and a three-point play by Kapinus to close out the quarter.
Wisconsin had an 11-4 run to start the second quarter, taking a 24-21 lead with 5:27 left in the half. Nelson contributed eight points during the run. However, Penn State answered with a three-point play by Sabel to tie the game. The teams traded layups before a free throw by Pospisilova gave the Badgers a 27-26 advantage. Penn State concluded the quarter with a layup by Maddie Burke and a three by Marisa. The Lady Lions led 31-27 at the break.
Penn State extended its lead to 35-27 on back-to-back layups by Ali Brigham and Shay Hagans. After a jumper by Marisa put the score at 39-35 Penn State, Wisconsin responded with a 17-4 run to end the quarter. Nelson scored 10 of the Badgers' 17 with Schramek adding a three. Wisconsin led 52-43 after three.
The Lady Lions cut its deficit down to five, 59-54, with 4:25 left in the game. Marisa had five points, including a three, while Sabel scored on a pair of layups and Kapinus added a jumper. Layups by Nelson and Sydney Hilliard extended Wisconsin's lead back to nine, 63-54, with 2:58 remaining. A jumper by Marisa and a free throw by Hagans cut the deficit back to six, 63-57, at the 1:46 mark. However, a lay-in by Hilliard and four free throws by Nelson closed out the game.
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 6 p.m. with a broadcast on Big Ten Network.
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.