UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State (10-4, 1-2) picked up its first conference win of the season with a convincing 90-70 win over Rutgers (6-9, 0-3) Friday at the Bryce Jordan Center. Makenna Marisa led all scorers with 32 points (just two shy of her career-high) and reached the 1,500-point mark of her career.
Congratulations, @makenna_marisa! 💪👏🔥#UnleashThePRIDE pic.twitter.com/xjZvRVk4mJ
— Penn State Women's Basketball (@PennStateWBB) December 30, 2022
The Lady Lions started off hot, going on a 16-2 run after exchanging opening baskets. Penn State drilled six treys in the opening quarter, including three from Marisa who netted 15 points in that time. The Blue and White exhibited stout defense, forcing 13 turnovers including six steals and cashing those swipes into 20 points to lead 33-13.
Penn State remained in front in the second quarter, with its lead never dipping below 16 points. The Lady Lions closed out the half with a 9-1 run for the 53-29 edge.
Despite three separate Rutgers runs of five unanswered points, Penn State never let its lead dip below 16 points in the third quarter..
Penn State maintained its double-digit advantage through the fourth using a 10-for-12 effort at the line to cruise to the victory.
NOTES
- Needing 27 points to reach 1,500 career points heading into the game, Marisa achieved the mark before the end of the third quarter.
- Marisa tied assistant coach Maggie Lucas for the third-most career 30-point games (seven) in program history with her second of the season (34 at Minnesota).
- She recorded her 69th career double figure game, including 30 with 20+ points.
- Leilani Kapinus, who ranked 10th in the nation in steals and leads the Big Ten coming into the contest, had six steals to reach 100 in her career.
- Kapinus reached her 26th career game in double figures with 14 points along with six steals, five assists and four boards.
- Taniyah Thompson was the third Lady Lion to finish in double-digits (11 points).
- Shay Ciezki tied a career-high five rebounds, while notching five assists and three steals – both just one shy from her career-bests.
- Penn State made a season-low 10 turnovers.
- The Blue and White forced 30+ turnovers for the third game this season (34 by Fresno State and 33 from Bryant) for a 38-9 points off turnovers advantage.
- The Lady Lions' 90 points were the third most they have scored this season behind 96-point efforts at Minnesota and Drexel.
- 33 points in the first quarter marks the second game this season that Penn State has scored 30+ in a period this season (37 against Syracuse).
- The Lady Lions had advantages in points for the paint (40-26), second chance (14-9), bench (24-11) and fast break (23-10).
UP NEXT
Penn State faces No. 14/19 Michigan on the road Tuesday at 1 p.m.