11
Craig Houtz

Women’s Basketball Hosts Michigan State on Thursday


UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's basketball team welcomes Michigan State on Thursday for a Big Ten contest at the Bryce Jordan Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on B1G+.

The Lady Lions, led by head coach Carolyn Kieger, are 9-9 overall and 3-5 in Big Ten play this season. On Tuesday night against No. 23 Iowa, Makenna Marisa earned her third 30-point game of the year with 32 points, but Penn State fell 107-79.
 
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. Season packages will be available for general parking for most sports, and information on VIP parking options available for select events will be released later.
 
Please visit the 2021-22 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. 

EDUCATION APPRECIATION DAY

  • The Lady Lions will be celebrating our appreciation for local teachers and educators.
  • Penn State faculty and staff can purchase tickets for $5 here.

 
OPENING TIP

  • Penn State welcomes Michigan State on Thursday to continue Big Ten play.
  • The Lady Lions hold a 30-21 lead in the all-time series.
  • On Tuesday, Penn State fell 107-79 against No. 23 Iowa.
  • Makenna Marisa recorded her third 30-point game this season with 32 points.
  • Marisa went 12-of-14 from the free throw line.
  • On a layup in the fourth quarter, Marisa scored her 1,000th career point.
  • Marisa became the 40th Lady Lion to reach 1,000 career points and the 21st Penn State player to score 1,000 points before the end of their junior season.
  • In five games against ranked opponents this season, Marisa is averaging 22.0 points per game,
  • Marisa is leading Big Ten players who have faced at least four ranked opponents.
  • Tova Sabel scored 12 points off the bench, while Leilani Kapinus had 10 points.
  • Kapinus has scored double-figures in each of the last six games.
  • Penn State sits second in the Big Ten in steals per game (10.0) and third in total steals (180).
  • The Lady Lions hold third in the conference in blocks per game (4.5) and total blocks (81).
  • Ali Brigham ranks third in the Big Ten with 1.24 blocks per game.

 
SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE

  • Michigan State is led by head coach Suzy Merchant.
  • Merchant is in her 15th season leading the Spartans and owns a 306-165 record. She has led MSU to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances.
  • In 27 years as a head coach, Merchant has a 507-285 mark.
  • The Spartans rank fifth in the Big Ten in scoring offense (75.2 ppg) and 10th in scoring defense (68.2 ppg).
  • Michigan State sits 14th in the nation in assists per game (17.9) and 15th in free throws made (259).
  • Nia Clouden ranks third in the Big Ten, and ninth in the country, averaging 21.5 points per contest.
  • Clouden leads the country in free throws made (122) and ranks second in free throw attempts (137). She holds 23rd in free-throw percentage (89.1).
  • DeeDee Hagemann is fourth in the Big Ten in assists per game (5.3), while Matilda Ekh ranks fifth in three-point percentage (43.5).

 
AGAINST THE SPARTANS

  • Penn State will meet Michigan State for the 52nd time in the series.
  • The Lady Lions lead 30-21 but the Spartans have won the last three matchups.
  • In the last matchup, on March 10, 2021, Penn State fell 75-66. Maddie Burke paced PSU with 22 points, including six three-pointers.
  • Shay Hagans added 13 points, while Anna Camden scored 11.

 
MARISA ECLIPSES 1,000 CAREER POINTS

  • On a fourth quarter layup against Iowa, junior guard Makenna Marisa reached the 1,000 career point mark.
  • She became the 40th Lady Lion to score 1,000 career points.
  • Marisa is the 21st Penn State player to reach 1,000 points before the end of their junior season.
  • Marisa is one of six Big Ten underclassmen with 1,000 career points.
  • She currently sits at 1,001 career points in 72 career games.

 
MARISA'S STRONG JUNIOR CAMPAIGN

  • Junior Makenna Marisa scored at least 11 points in all 18 games this season and has 20+ points in 12 games, eight 25-point games and three 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), 20 at Northwestern (1/20), 26 at Wisconsin (1/23) and 32 vs. Iowa (1/25).
  • Marisa recorded her 1,000th career point on a fourth-quarter layup against Iowa.
  • 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 (22.3 ppg), good for seventh in the country. Her 22.3 points per game rank third among Power Five conference players.
  • In conference games, Marisa is averaging 23.3 points per game with four games coming against ranked opponents. Her 23.3 points per game against conference opponents are third in the Big Ten.
  • Marisa's also averaging 22.0 points per game against ranked opponents this season.
  • She sits second in the conference and sixth in the nation in total points (402). Marisa's eighth in the country in field goals made (144) and field goal attempts (323).
  • Marisa also holds eighth in the Big Ten in assists per game (4.4) and seventh in total assists (78). She's also eighth in the conference averaging 2.44 three-pointers per game.
  • Marisa is tied fourth among DI players with 12 20-point games this season, tied second with eight 25-point games and tied seventh with three 30-point games this year.
  • Marisa is one of 10 DI players with double-figures in all of their games this season (minimum 18 games).

 
SWATS AND STEALS

  • Penn State sits second in the Big Ten in steals per game (10.0) and third in blocks per game (4.5).
  • The Lady Lions hold third in the conference in total steals (180).
  • Penn State has at least 10 steals in eight different games this year, including a season-high 25 vs. Delaware State.
  • Shay Hagans leads PSU with 36 steals followed by Kapinus' 33 and Marisa's 30.
  • The Lady Lions also have five games with at least six blocks, including a season-best 10 at Duquesne.
  • Kapinus paces PSU with 22 blocks followed by Ali Brigham's 21 and Anna Camden's 13.
  • Brigham ranks third in the Big Ten in blocks per game (1.23), while Kapinus sits fourth (1.22).

 
HAGANS FORCING TAKEAWAYS

  • Junior guard Shay Hagans has been a force on the defensive end this season.
  • She ranks fourth in the Big Ten in steals per game (2.0) and total steals (36).
  • Hagans has recorded at least one steal in 15 games and has multiple steals in nine games.
  • The junior notched a career-high six steals against Youngstown State. She also recorded five steals against Delaware State and four in each game against Illinois and Wisconsin.

 
KAPINUS DOING IT ALL

  • Freshman Leilani Kapinus has 33 steals, including a career-high five at Northwestern, leading Big Ten freshmen and sitting 14th among Division I freshmen.
  • She sits seventh in the Big Ten in total steals.
  • The Wisconsin native has 22 blocks, which is good for second among Big Ten freshmen and 13th among all Division I freshmen.
  • Kapinus is tied fourth in total blocks in the Big Ten.
  • She's averaging 8.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest and led the team in rebounds in four games.
  • Against ranked opponents, Kapinus is averaging 10.4 points per game to go with six blocks and seven steals.
  • She had a career-high 20 points vs. Youngstown State. She scored 10 points in the fourth quarter vs. St. John's, 12 points at Maryland, 17 vs. Michigan, 14 vs. Illinois, 15 at Northwestern, 10 at Wisconsin and 10 vs. Iowa.

 
STEPPING UP AGAINST RANKED TEAMS

  • In five games against ranked opponents this season, Makenna Marisa is averaging 22.0 points per game while shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 80.8 percent at the free throw line.
  • Her 22.0 points per game lead 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, 17 vs. No. 11 Michigan and 32 vs. No. 23 Iowa.
  • At Maryland, Marisa scored 24 of her 29 points in the second half, shooting 10-of-12 from the field.
  • Leilani Kapinus is averaging 10.4 points against ranked opponents, including 12 at Maryland and 17 vs. Michigan. She also has six blocks and seven steals.

 
UP NEXT

  • The Lady Lions host No. 17 Maryland on Sunday for a 2 p.m. tipoff on B1G+.