Women’s Basketball Hosts Syracuse Monday NightWomen’s Basketball Hosts Syracuse Monday Night
Mark Selders/Penn State Athletics

Women’s Basketball Hosts Syracuse Monday Night

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UNIVERSITY PARK – Penn State women's basketball team plays Syracuse Monday at 7 p.m. at Bryce Jordan Center in the fifth game of the 2022-23 season.

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 had its fourth biggest margin of victory (63) at Bryce Jordan Center in the 96-33 win over Bryant Friday.
  • The Lady Lions have won its first four games of the season at home: 77-63 versus Youngstown State Tuesday, 77-49 against Fairfield last Friday and 67-61 over Norfolk State last Wednesday in the opener.
  • Makenna Marisa has averaged 19.0 points per game and recorded a double-double in the first two contests: 24 points and 11 rebounds against the Spartans and 14 points and 10 assists against the Stags.
  • Penn State has forced opponents to an average of 27 turnovers per game, and Kapinus leads the team with 17 steals, including nine against Fairfield.
  • Kapinus also leads the team in rebounding (8.0 per game) and has averaged 12.8 points per game with 43 in the last three contests.
  • Shay Ciezki has started the last three games and committed just three turnovers with eight assists in 81 minutes of action as the main ballhandler after Marisa.
  • The Lady Lions are off to the best start since the 2017-18 season (5-0) and have won 13-straight home nonconference games, fourth-longest in program history.

 
SCOUTING THE ORANGE

  • Undefeated with wins over Stony Brook (79-56), Colgate (72-48), Binghamton (92-59) and LIU (85-63).
  • A former star and 1989 graduate of Syracuse, Felisha Legette-Jack is in her first year as head coach after guiding Buffalo to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 2018 Sweet Sixteen, in 10 seasons.
  • Ranking second in the nation in active players in career scoring (2,104), Wooden Award Preseason Watch List selection Dyaisha Fair followed Legette-Jack from Buffalo to Syracuse and has averaged this season 17.3 points and 4.8 assists per game.
  • One of eight Division I transfers on the roster, Dariauna Lewis (Alabama A&M) has averaged 14.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game.

 
AGAINST THE ORANGE

  • Penn State owns a 16-4 advantage against Syracuse.
  • With only four matchups in the 21st century, the Orange have won the last three contests, including an 82-72 victory in Syracuse on Dec. 6, 2020.

 
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 named to the All-Big Ten Preseason Team by the coaches and media.
  • Through four games, she leads the team in scoring (19.0 ppg) and assists (4.5 apg) in addition to 2.8 steals and 5.5 rebounds per game.
  • She notched a double-double in the first two contests: 24 points and 11 rebounds against Norfolk State and 14 points and 10 assists against Fairfield.
  • She has recorded 61 double-digit scoring games, including 33-straight dating back to the start of last season, and 26 20-point games with two this year.
  • With 1,320 career points, she is tied with Cheryl Ellison (1979-83) for 19th in program history.
  • Starting this season ranked 24th, she needs nine to pass Maren Walseth (1997-01, 1,328) for 18th.
  • In program history she also ranks fifth in career free throw percentage (83.2%) and 30-point games (five), ninth in career scoring average (15.2 ppg), tied for ninth in career double-digit assist games (three), 11th in career three-point field goals made (134) and 14th in career assists (330).
  • In the nation, she ranks 16th in career free throw percentage and 74th in career points.
  • For the 2022-23 season, she ranks in the nation 15th in double-doubles, 44th in points (76), 49th in made field goals (28), 54th in steals (19) and 71st in assists (18).

 
A TRIO OF 1,000 POINT SCORERS

  • Johnasia Cash notched her 1,000 career point in Tuesday's win over Youngstown State, becoming the third current Lady Lion to accomplish the feat: Makenna Marisa (1,320) and Taniyah Thompson (1,242).
  • The three are among 199 current Division I players to accomplish the career feat.
  • Cash has produced 351 combined from the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons as a Lady Lion for an average of 12.5 ppg.
  • She produced 659 in her seasons at SMU.
  • Thompson accomplished the feat in her three seasons at East Carolina.
  • Among active career scoring leaders in Division I, Marisa ranks 74th, Thompson 95th and Cash 189th.

 
SOPHOMORE CAMPAIGN FOR ALL-FRESHMAN KAPINUS

  • Much like last season, Leilani Kapinus has proven she can do it all for the Lady Lions.
  • This year she leads the squad in rebounding (8.0 per game), steals (17) and blocks (two) in addition to 12.8 points per game, 14 assists, a 57.6 field goal percentage and 80.0 free throw percentage.
  • She has scored in double-figures in all but one game, pulled down at least seven rebounds each game and gotten at least three steals in all but one contest.
  • 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.

 
FRESHMAN IMPACT

  • Shay Ciezki has made an instant impact as a freshman.
  • After coming off the bench in the opener, Ciezki has started the last three games.
  • In 81 minutes of action as the main ballhandler after Marisa, she has committed just three turnovers with eight assists.
  • She notched her first double-digit scoring performance against Youngstown State with 16 points along with five rebounds and three assists.
  • She produced her first collegiate basket as part of a seven-point, four-rebound and two-steal performance against Fairfield.

 
NONCONFERENCE HOME WINNING STREAK

  • Penn State is currently on a 13-game non-conference home winning streak, the fourth-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.
  • Two more wins are needed to tie the second longest streak at 15 (12/28/10-11/17/13 and 12/12/84-12/11/87).

 
UP NEXT
Penn State plays in the Daytona Beach Invitational, the first road trip of the season, for games against Toledo Friday at 1:15 p.m. and Fresno State Saturday at 11 a.m.