UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Sophomore guard Shay Ciezki's 18 points led six players in double figures as the Penn State women's basketball team picked up a 94-51 opening night victory over the Bucknell Bison on Tuesday inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
The Lady Lions opened their season in Happy Valley with a victory, moving to 1-0 through the first game of the campaign for the seventh year in a row while securing their 51st home-opening win all time. PSU's perfect record against Bucknell continued following the 14th meeting between the two programs. The Blue & White climbed to 14-0 against the Bison in their first meeting following a decade-long hiatus. Bucknell falls to 0-1 and continues its season-opening road trip through the Commonwealth this Saturday at Temple.
PSU was dominant in nearly every facet of the game, outshooting the Bison by 24 percentage points. The Lady Lions finished the night going 35-of-59 from the floor and 12-of-25 from beyond the arc, connecting on 59% of field goal attempts overall and 48% from three. One of the strongest defensive units in women's college basketball, Penn State forced 26 Bison turnovers and turned those into 31 points on the other end. Penn State dominated the rebounding battle, outworking Bucknell by a 37-25 margin on the boards. The Blue & White was a force to be reckoned with down low, doubling the Bison up in the paint by a 44-22 tally.
Ciezki led the way for PSU offensively, finishing with 18 points on 6-for-13 shooting with four made 3-point buckets. The second-year guard added four rebounds, four assists and sank both of her free throw attempts in a team-high 27 minutes of work. Senior+ guard Makenna Marisa moved into ninth place all-time in career scoring at Penn State following a 14-point, four-assist outing, while sophomore forward Kylie Lavelle poured in 13 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting night from the floor. Graduate guard Tay Valladay, redshirt freshman guard Moriah Murray and junior guard Jayla Oden rounded out the six Penn Staters in double digits, while redshirt junior guard Leilani Kapinus finished with a game-high nine rebounds.
The Lady Lions' signature full-court press resulted in a trio of Bison turnovers in the opening two minutes of action, allowing Marisa an opportunity to drive into the paint for the first PSU points of the year on a right-handed layup. The Blue & White rattled off an 8-0 scoring run beginning at the 6:20 mark of the opening frame to build up a quick 10-2 edge in the contest. Back-to-back driving layups from Oden ballooned the early Lady Lion lead to 14-4, forcing Bucknell into an early timeout. A 3-point barrage followed shortly thereafter, with both teams raining in a trio of triples apiece to make the score 26-17 in PSU's favor through one.
Penn State roared out of the gates to start the second period, booking a 7-0 scoring run highlighted by back-to-back scores from Ciezki. Both squads exchanged baskets as the quarter wore on, with the Lady Lions managing a steady lead throughout. A nifty move and ensuing layup from Ciezki saw her become the first Lady Lion in double figures in the 2023-24 campaign, and a late 3-pointer from the Lancaster, New York, native solidified a 48-31 Penn State edge at the break.
After the intermission, Penn State's offense continued to dominate the action as the Lady Lions forced another Bucknell timeout 90 seconds into the second half. Led by a 3-pointer and layup from Marisa, the Blue & White booked a 7-0 start to the third quarter to build a 24-point advantage. Dominance in the paint saw the Lady Lions maintain a field goal percentage of 60% or higher for most of the frame, as Penn State carried a 33-point lead into the final 10 minutes of play. With the game largely under control, the Lady Lions turned to the bench early in the fourth quarter to close out the dominant 94-51 showing.
POSTGAME NOTES
Penn State vs Bucknell
November 7, 2023
Bryce Jordan Center (University Park, PA.)
Attendance: 1,977
Final:
Penn State Scoring Leader: Shay Ciezki (18)
Penn State Rebounding Leader: Leilani Kapinus (9)
Penn State Assist Leader: Moriah Murray (5)
1st Half:
Penn State Scoring Leader: Shay Ciezki (13)
Penn State Rebounding Leader: Leilani Kapinus (5)
Penn State Assist Leader: Shay Ciezki, Makenna Marisa (3)
2nd Half:
Penn State Scoring Leader: Tay Valladay (10)
Penn State Rebounding Leader: Leilani Kapinus (4)
Penn State Assist Leader: Moriah Murray (4)
Team Notes:
Penn State began the game on a 14-4 run, shooting 54.5% from the field and hitting on two of its four 3-pointers.
The Lady Lions came out hot in the first half shooting 59.4% from the field. This was the first time PSU shot over 55% from the field in a half since Feb. 12, 2023 at Michigan State. From behind the arc, the Lady Lions went 7-of-13 in the first half.
The Lady Lions outscored the Bison 27-13 in the third quarter to extend their lead to a 31-point margin.
The Lady Lions ended the game on a 14-3 run making seven of their last nine field goals and forcing six turnovers in the final quarter of the game.
Penn State won by 43 points, marking the first time PSU won by 40-or-more points since beating Delaware State by 69 on Nov. 16, 2021.
Penn State was able to get 39 points from the bench. They also scored 31 points off 26 Bucknell turnovers.
Penn State ended the game with 91 points, the first time they've reached the 90-point threshold since facing Rutgers on Dec. 30, 2022 when they scored 90 exactly.
Penn State now leads the series against Bucknell 14-0.
Lady Lions Individual Notes:
Sophomore Shay Ciezki caught fire in the second quarter, hitting a 3-pointer and a mid-range jump shot consecutively for the Lady Lions to extend the lead to 16. She ended the quarter with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, hitting both triples. She also added two steals and an assist in the second period.
Redshirt junior Alli Campbell sparked the Lady Lions on both ends of the court, hitting a 3-pointer and producing a steal and assist on the ensuing possession for the Lady Lions.
Senior+ guard Makenna Marisa recorded her 27th game as a Lady lion achieving double digits. Her 14-point outing saw her move into sole possession of ninth-place all-time at PSU in career scoring.
Marisa got the scoring started for the Lady Lions in the second half, sparking a 13-3 run with her 3-pointer. She added a layup during the run to score five of the first seven points in the second half. Penn State was able to extend the margin over the Bison to 27.
The Lady Lions had six players in double figures for the first time since 2010. Ciezki led the way for the Lady Lions with 18 points followed by Marisa with 14, Kylie Lavelle with 13, Tay Valladay with 12 and Moriah Murray and Jayla Oden each with 10.
Kylie Lavelle didn't miss a shot in the game, going 5-5 from the field and hitting all three of her shots from behind the arc.
Head Coach Carolyn Kieger Press Conference
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