Women’s Basketball Faces Fairfield Friday at HomeWomen’s Basketball Faces Fairfield Friday at Home
Mark Selders/Penn State Athletics

Women’s Basketball Faces Fairfield Friday at Home

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UNIVERSITY PARK – Penn State women's basketball team faces Fairfield at home Friday at 7 p.m. in the second game of the 2022-23 season.

FOLLOW ALONG
Video ($): Big Ten Network-Plus
Listen: Penn State Sports Network with Justin Antweil and Joe Putnam – 93.3 FM, 1390 AM and online
Live Stats
 
GAMEDAY INFO
Parking

  • Parking for Penn State women's basketball games are available at the following locations two hours prior to the start of each game: Stadium West, Jordan East and Porter North.
  • There is no charge for patrons with a valid Penn State parking permit.
  • Pre-paid parking is available at a discounted rate of $5.50 through the ParkMobile app. Season-long packages are also available.
  • Parking will cost $10 on the day of an event without a valid permit or prepayment.
  • ParkMobile prepayment availability ends at 11:59 p.m. the night before each event. Events will not be selectable on the site after that time, and payment must then be made on site upon arrival to event parking staff (cash only).

 
Mobile Ticketing and Updated App

  • All Penn State Athletics tickets are once again mobile tickets.  Fans can access Penn State Athletics mobile ticket guide at GoPSUsports.com/mobiletickets.
  • Make sure to have the NEW Penn State Athletics App downloaded on your phone to easily access and manage your mobile tickets. Download the app on the App Store and Google Play.

 
Bryce Jordan Center Bag Policy

  • The bag policy has been updated for the 2022-23 season.
  • Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVB and are 12" x 6" x 12" or smaller are permitted.
  • Small clutches or wristlets that are 4" x 6" x 1" are also permissible.
  • All clear bags and patrons are subject to metal detection and/or bag inspection upon entering the venue.
  • Bag policy details can be found HERE.

 
OPENING TIP

  • Penn State won its season-opener 67-61 over Norfolk State Wednesday at home.
  • Makenna Marisa recorded her third career double-double and led the team in points (24), rebounds (11) and assists (four).
  • Taniyah Thompson had 15 points, three steals and two assists in her Penn State debut.
  • The Lady Lions enter the fourth year of the Carolyn Kieger era.
  • In her first three seasons, the win total has improved every year – seven in 2019-20, nine in 2020-21, to 11 in 2021-22.
  • Under Kieger's guidance in the 2021-22 season, Penn State led the Big Ten in steals with 269 and improved in five other statistical categories, including field goal percentage, free throw percentage, field goal percentage defense, blocks per game and steals per game.
  • The Lady Lions return four starters from last year – Makenna Marisa, Leilani Kapinus, Anna Camden and Ali Brigham.
  • Makenna Marisa was selected to the Nancy Lieberman Watch List as one of 20 point guards and the All-Big Ten Media and Coaches' Preseason Team after earning unanimous all-conference first-team.
  • Leilani Kapinus earned All-Big Ten Freshmen Team last year after ranking third in the league in steals per game (2.03) and blocks per game (1.14).

 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION

  • Opened its season Monday with a 62-52 win at Brown.
  • A former Minnesota assistant coach, Carly Thibault-DuDonis is in her first season as head coach.
  • Fairfield is coming off one of their most historic seasons in program history after winning the MAAC Championship and advancing to their first NCAA Tournament since 2001.
  • The Stags won their fourth MAAC Championship in program history and their first since 1998 after going 19-1 in the conference regular season.

 
AGAINST THE STAGS

  • Penn State has won all four meetings against Fairfield.
  • The last meeting occurred 20 seasons ago, a 96-50 victory at the Stags.

 
ONE OF THE TOP POINT GUARDS IN THE NATION, MAKENNA MARISA

  • Senior Makenna Marisa was one of 20 point guards selected to the Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List heading into the season and was named to the All-Big Ten Preseason Team by the coaches and media.
  • She was a consensus All-Big Ten First-Team pick by the coaches and media last year.
  • A stellar junior campaign, she ranked second in the Big Ten and sixth in the country in scoring at 22.2 points per game, third-highest average by a Lady Lion in a single season.
  • She scored double-digit points in all 29 games last season, one of only two Division I players to notch the feat, including 19 20-point games, 13 25-point games and five 30-point performances.
  • Her 30-point games included a career-high 33 at Duquesne (12/18), 32 vs. Iowa (1/25) and at Michigan State (2/21), 31 at Purdue (2/9) and 30-point triple-double vs. Delaware State (11/16).
  • She had four 20-point halves, coming against Delaware State (20, 1st), Maryland (24, 2nd), Purdue (25, 2nd) and Minnesota (20, 2nd).
  • Marisa's 645 total points in the regular season ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 15th in the country and ninth in a season at Penn State.
  • In conference games, including six against ranked opponents, she averaged 23.0 points per game, good for second in the conference.
  • She also averaged 19.9 in seven games against ranked foes, also second in the Big Ten.
  • She was 28th in the country in field goals made (224) and 29th in free throws made (138), while holding seventh in the Big Ten in assists per game (4.2) and total assists (123).
  • The CoSIDA Academic All-American has 1,244 career points, ranking 24th all-time at Penn State.
  • She needs 13 more points to pass Louise Leimkuhler (1979-83) for 23rd place.
  • In program history she also ranks fifth in career free throw percentage (83.3%), ninth in career scoring average (15.1 ppg), 11th in career three-point field goals made (129) and 13th in career assists (314).

 
SOPHMORE CAMPAIGN FOR ALL-FRESHMAN KAPINUS

  • After redshirting the 2019-20 season, Leilani Kapinus earned All-Big Ten Freshman-Team honors last years.
  • Kapinus averaged 9.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, tallied 46 assists, 33 blocks and 59 steals, shot 43 percent from the floor and collected 16 double-figure games (two with 20+ points and three double-doubles)
  • She was one of eight Division I players with 30+ blocks and 55+ steals.
  • She ranked third in the Big Ten in blocks per game (1.14), third in the Big Ten in steals per game (2.03) and fourth in total steals (59)
  • She led Big Ten freshmen in steals, sitting 13th among all Division I freshmen and held second among Big Ten freshmen in blocks, ranking 13th among all Division I freshmen.

 
EXPERIENCED NEW FACES

  • Penn State has seven newcomers on the team with four players with Division I experience: Chaya Pinto (Oregon), Taniyah Thompson (East Carolina), Alexa Williamson (Temple) and Johnasia Cash (Penn State and SMU).
  • Thompson was named the American Athletic Conference's Most Improved Player and all-conference first-team.
  • She notched 1,189 points, 230 rebounds, 81 assists and 120 steals as a Pirate.
  • Last year she averaged 18.5 points per game, ranking second in the AAC, and 4.3 rebounds per game, collected 36 assists and 43 steals and ranked in the conference in field goals made (199) and ranked eighth in free-throw percentage (78.4).
  • She had 27 games scoring in double-figures, including 12 games with 20+ points and a career-high 31 points against UNC Wilmington
  • Williamson was a three-year starter and four-year letterwinner for the Owls.
  • She collected 788 points, 504 rebounds and 92 blocks while shooting 44.5 percent from the floor.
  • Pinto played all 30 games for the Ducks last year and tallied 86 points, 73 rebounds, 19 assists and 18 steals, while averaging 11.4 minutes per game.
  • Prior to Oregon, she led Northwest Florida State College to its first ever NJCAA Women's Basketball National Championship as a sophomore and earned second-team All-America honors.
  • Cash returns to the Lady Lions after sitting out last season.
  • In 2020-21, she was named all-Big Ten Second-Team (media) after averaging 13.7 points per game and a team-best 8.8 rebounds per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field.
  • She ranked in the league third in rebounds per game (8.8), fourth in double-doubles (10) and eighth in blocks (26).

 
NONCONFERENCE HOME WINNING STREAK

  • Penn State is currently on a 10-game non-conference home winning streak, tied for seventh-longest in program history.
  • The streak began Dec. 3, 2019 with a 78-73 win over Pitt in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge and had one more win that season, 88-65 over Sacred Heart.
  • The Lady Lions racked up three-straight of these victories in the 2020-21 season: 84-65 over Coppin State, 87-54 against Saint Francis (Pa.) and 70-69 over Rhode Island.
  • Penn State went 4-4 last year in Bryce Jordan Center: 85-66 over LIU, 83-69 against Rider, 120-51 versus Rider and 78-58 over Youngstown State.
  • A win against Fairfield would tie for the sixth-longest streak, done twice (12/12/15-3/19/17 and 1/24/78-1/6/79).

 
UP NEXT
Penn State remains home to face Youngstown State Tuesday at 7 p.m.