Women’s Basketball Hosts Virginia for ACC/Big Ten ChallengeWomen’s Basketball Hosts Virginia for ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Mark Selders/Penn State Athletic

Women’s Basketball Hosts Virginia for ACC/Big Ten Challenge

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UNIVERSITY PARK – Penn State women's basketball hosts Virginia at the Bryce Jordan Center Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
 
GAMEDAY INFO
Promotions

  • The contest is the annual "Wear White" game for the Lady Lions. All fans are encouraged to wear white clothing in the arena.


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 is off to its fourth best start at 7-0, tied with the 1996-97 team.
  • The seven straight wins is the longest since an 11-game streak from Dec. 9, 2012-Jan. 27, 2013.
  • Penn State is one of 27 undefeated teams left in the nation.
  • The Lady Lions earned two wins at the Daytona Beach Invitational over Thanksgiving weekend, defeating Toledo 60-59 and Fresno State 68-49.
  • Penn State has won 14-straight home nonconference games, fourth-longest in program history.
  • Penn State owns wins over four reigning conference champions: Norfolk State (MEAC), Fairfield (MAAC), Youngstown State (Horizon League) and Toledo (MAC).
  • Penn State ranks in the nation ninth in steals per game (14.0) and 13th in turnovers forced per game (24.7).
  • Leilani Kapinus ranks fourth in the nation in steals (25).
  • Makenna Marisa has averaged 16.9 points per game with three 20-point games and 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.


SCOUTING VIRGINIA

  • Off to an 8-0 start for the first time since the 1992-93 season.
  • With no matchup in the 21st century, Penn State won the last matchup 82-69 on March 12 in the first round of the 1999 NCAA Tournament.
  • In the first year of being led by head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, who in the last three years led Missouri State to a 74-15 recorded, including a 46-6 record in Missouri Valley Conference play and two MVC regular-season titles (2020, 2021) and NCAA Tournaments (2021, 2022), including a Sweet 16 trip in 2021.
  • One of four starters from last year's squad that went 5-22 and 2-14 in ACC play, senior forward Camryn Taylor leads the team in scoring (13.9 points per game).


AGAINST THE CAVALIERS

  • Virginia has won four of the seven matchups.
  • Coming off victories at its Cavalier Classic over the weekend against East Carolina (72-50) and Penn State's next opponent, Minnesota (73-70).

 
FACING HER ALMA MATER

  • Assistant coach Sharnee Zoll-Norman faces her alma mater, Virginia.
  • Zoll-Norman coached against the Cavaliers last year with Rhode Island, an 80-76 Virginia victory on Nov. 26 in Charlottesville.
  • A 2008 graduate and three-time team captain, she was a 1,000-point scorer and started every game of her career.
  • She's the only woman in ACC history to record at least 200 assists in three straight seasons and broke the ACC and Virginia record with 785 career assists, both previously held by Dawn Staley.
  • She earned All-ACC Third-Team honors in 2005-06 and 2007-08.
  • In program history, she currently ranks third in career games played (134), seventh in steals (234).

 
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.
  • This year she leads the team in scoring (16.9 ppg) and assists (4.7 apg) in addition to 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals 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.
  • In the program's largest comeback against Syracuse, she produced 22 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, eight rebounds and seven assists.
  • She has recorded 63 double-digit scoring games and 27 20-point games with three this year.
  • A 35-game streak of consecutive double-digit games that started at the beginning of last season ended Nov. 26 against Fresno State.
  • With 1,362 career points, she is 18th in school history
  • Starting this season ranked 24th, she needs 67 more to pass Jen Bednarek (1977-80, 1,428) for 17th.
  • In program history she also ranks fifth in career free throw percentage (83.5%) and 30-point games (five), ninth in career scoring average (15.1 ppg), tied for ninth in career double-digit assist games (three), 11th in career three-point field goals made (135) and 14th in career assists (345).
  • In the nation, she ranks 14th in career free throw percentage and 70th in career points.
  • For the 2022-23 season, she ranks in the nation 45th in assists (33), 52nd in made field goals (45), 58th in points (118) and 67th in steals (16).
  • In the Big Ten she is seventh in steals and free throw percentage, eighth in assists and 10th in scoring.


A TRIO OF 1,000 POINT SCORERS

  • Johnasia Cash notched her 1,000 career point in the over Youngstown State, becoming the third current Lady Lion to accomplish the feat: Makenna Marisa (1,342) and Taniyah Thompson (1,255).
  • Cash has produced 368 combined from the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons as a Lady Lion for an average of 12.4 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 70th, Thompson 100th and Cash 201st.

 
CASHING REBOUNDS

  • Johnasia Cash has pulled down the ninth most career rebounds (892) among active Division I players in the nation and is also 25th in double-doubles (25).
  • In her fifth season, Cash has averaged 7.6 boards per game and 8.3 in her two seasons at Penn State (2020-21 and 2022-23).
  • In her 2020-21 season in which she earned Third-Team All-Big Ten from the media, she recorded a double-double in all 11 games in which she gathered 10+ rebounds.
  • After readjusting due to missing last season, her rebounding has picked up with a three-game streak of 10+ rebounds (Bryant-11, Syracuse-12 and Toledo-10).

 
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 steals (25) and blocks (four), is tied with teammate Johnasia Cash in rebounding (6.4 per game) and has 10.0 points per game, 20 assists, a 52.0 field goal percentage and 77.3 free throw percentage.
  • Kapinus leads the Big Ten in steals (fourth in the nation) and is 12th in free throw percentage and 16th in rebounding.
  • She has scored in double-figures in four games, pulled down at least seven rebounds in four contests and gotten at least three steals four times.
  • She racked up nine steals in the win over Fairfield along with 11 points and eight boards.
  • Against Fresno State, she produced 12 points, six steals and five assists.

 
FRESHMAN IMPACT

  • Shay Ciezki has made an instant impact as a freshman.
  • After coming off the bench in the opener, Ciezki has started every game since.
  • In 173 minutes of action as the main ballhandler after Marisa, she has committed just six turnovers with 18 assists.
  • She was pivotal in the team's 21-point comeback against Syracuse, scoring 16 of her 18 points during the team's second half rally.
  • She followed the game with 16 points and three assists with two three-points against Toledo.
  • 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 14-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.
  • One more win is 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 faces Minnesota on the road Saturday at 8:30 p.m. in the first B1G game of the season in the league.