NASSAU, Bahamas – Sophomore guard Shay Ciezki led a trio of Penn State student-athletes in double figures, but a late surge allowed the No. 8/10 USC Trojans to escape the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship unscathed with a 71-70 result over the Lady Lions on Wednesday night from the Baha Mar Convention Center.
The Blue & White suffered their first defeat of the 2023-24 campaign in the second of two contests in Nassau this week, with the Lady Lions moving to 5-1 on the season after earning five straight wins to open the year. PSU is now 2-1 against teams that participated in the NCAA Tournament a year ago and maintains an identical 2-1 record in games played away from the Bryce Jordan Center.
Penn State's offensive efficiency remained on display in the Baha Mar finale, with the Lady Lions outshooting USC, 41% to 40% from the field overall. PSU was dominant in the turnover battle, surrendering just 12 giveaways while forcing 20 Trojan turnovers in the contest. The Lady Lions leveraged their success in the turnover battle to convert 20 points off of USC turnovers. Penn State utilized a relatively deep rotation in the game and outpaced USC by a 22-8 margin in bench points while nearly doubling the Trojans up in fast break scoring, 13-7.
Three Lady Lions reached the double-digit scoring mark highlighted by a team-high 18-point outing from Ciezki in addition to 10 points apiece from senior+ guard Makenna Marisa and sophomore forward Kylie Lavelle. Ciezki, a native of Buffalo, New York, has led PSU in scoring on three occasions out of six opportunities, with Marisa ranking second in the category with two. Ciezki notched her 23rd career double-digit scoring night and secured her fifth game of the season with 10 or more points. Additionally, Ciezki led the Lady Lions with a trio of assists and paced the team in rebounding with a career-high-tying seven boards.
Marisa found herself in double figures for the sixth-straight game and 90th time in her career, while Lavelle tallied her second double-digit scoring game as a Lady Lion and 14th overall. Graduate guard Taylor Valladay, junior guard Jayla Oden and graduate forward Chanaya Pinto each poured in six points, with the Maputo, Mozambique, native Pinto setting a season high in steals with a game-high four swipes. Senior forward Ali Brigham was perfect in her three field goal attempts, scoring seven points with three rebounds, while redshirt junior guard Leilani Kapinus added seven points with five rebounds, a steal and a block.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Marisa opened the game with a jumper less than 30 seconds into the contest and Ciezki drained another to give PSU an early 4-0 advantage. The Trojans snapped back with a paint jumper followed by a 3-point bucket to take their first lead of the game, but both teams managed to exchange buckets over the next couple of minutes resulting in an 11-7 USC advantage.
Lavelle engaged in a solo 5-0 run with a long-range bucket followed by a driving layup, giving PSU a one-point edge at the media break with 4:42 on the clock. The Trojans remained persistent offensively, but a 9-0 run for the Lady Lions over the next two minutes led by back-to-back baskets from Lavelle put Penn State up 21-14. USC scored the last points of the quarter but Penn State remained in the lead by a 21-17 clip.
Second Quarter
The Lady Lions and Trojans exchanged mid-range jumpers to open the frame, but USC drilled a triple to pull back within one point of PSU's advantage. A routine held ball resulted in a seven-plus minute review that ultimately preserved the call on the floor, and both teams returned to action after the extended stoppage to trade baskets yet again.
With less than four minutes remaining in the period, USC's offense came to life and allowed the Trojans to pull ahead by a narrow 30-27 margin. A three-point bucket from Ciezki knotted the score at 30-30 and a lightning-fast driving layup from Oden allowed PSU to surge ahead once again. Although Penn State played solid defense down the stretch, USC again got the last word of the period, sinking a halfcourt shot that gave the Trojans a 35-34 lead at the halftime break.
Third Quarter
USC opened the second half of work with a pair of successful free throw attempts, but an and-one layup and ensuing free throw from Kapinus leveled things out at 37-all. The Trojans responded with a 3-pointer from the far wing and a lay-in to take a five-point edge less than two minutes into the third period.
A pair of Lady Lion buckets kept PSU close, with a Kapinus layup at the 7:10 mark bringing Penn State back within four points. Neither team scored again until Ciezki drilled another triple with 6:30 to play in the frame and Pinto notched a layup to extend a 7-0 Lady Lion run and a 46-45 PSU lead at the media intermission.
USC managed an 8-0 run with time winding down in the quarter, Penn State kept within five points heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
Fourth Quarter
USC opened the final period of action with a layup and Valladay responded with a driving bucket of her own to preserve the five-point differential. The two squads exchanged 3-point baskets, with Oden's bucket at the 8:16 mark sparking a 9-0 Penn State scoring run to give the Lady Lions a one-point lead with 4:24 to play in regulation.
Ciezki hit a layup with 3:11 to play that marked a 12-0 run over a span of five minutes and a 14-3 Penn State run overall, giving PSU a 68-64 lead that forced the Trojans into a late timeout. Penn State forced a shot clock violation after the USC timeout, but the Trojans regrouped and engaged in a 7-0 run to retake the lead by a one-point margin to finalize the 71-70 result in Nassau.
POSTGAME NOTES
Penn State vs. No. 8/10 USC
November 22, 2023
Baha Mar Convention Center (Nassau, Bahamas)
- Three Lady Lions scored in double figures: Ciezki (18), Marisa (10) and Lavelle (10).
- Shay Ciezki in double digits for second straight game and fifth time this season totaling 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
- Makenna Marisa hit the double-digit mark for the sixth consecutive game.
- The Lady Lions forced 20 Trojan turnovers.
- There were 15 lead changes and nine tie scores throughout the duration of the contest.
- Penn State outscored USC 30-22 in the paint and created 21 points off of the Trojans' 20 turnovers.
- The Lady Lions produced 22 bench points, marking their sixth outing with 20 or more points from subs. Lavelle led the way with 10 of those points.
UP NEXT
The Lady Lions return to Happy Valley to host a pair of non-conference games, the first of which on Sunday, Nov. 26 when they host Providence. Tip time in the Bryce Jordan Center is set for 1 p.m.
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