COLUMBUS, Ohio – Despite some late-game heroics by the Lady Lions, 25th-ranked Penn State women's basketball dropped a 94-84 overtime road decision to the No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes inside Value City Arena on Sunday afternoon.
Penn State dropped its Big Ten Conference opener in Sunday's matinee from Columbus, moving to 7-3 overall and 0-1 in B1G competition. The Buckeyes improved to 8-1 overall and 1-0 in league play, securing their eighth-straight victory after a season-opening nine-point loss to USC in Las Vegas on Nov. 6. Ohio State secured its 35th all-time victory against Penn State but still trails the Lady Lions by a 37-35 margin in a series that dates to 1976.
The difference in the contest came at the free throw line for OSU, as the home team benefitted from 16 additional free throw attempts, hitting 62% of their chances at the charity stripe. Both squads were deadlocked in offensive efficiency, with each team shooting at a 48% clip from the field. Penn State was stronger from beyond the arc, shooting at a 50% rate from three by making 9-of-18 3-point attempts compared to a 30% 3-point percentage from the Buckeyes. The Lady Lions were far more effective off the bench as well, outpacing their hosts in Columbus by a 21-8 margin in scoring off the pine.
Senior+ guard Makenna Marisa led the way for the Lady Lions, dropping 28 points on 11-of-21 shooting with a 50% mark from beyond the 3-point arc. Marisa dished out a trio of assists in addition to hauling in eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Shay Ciezki was the only other Penn State student-athlete in double figures, scoring 19 points with six rebounds, four assists and a steal in a team-leading 42 minutes of action.
Senior forward Ali Brigham led the way down low with eight points on 100% shooting from the floor, going 4-for-4 with a Penn State-high 10 rebounds and one block. Redshirt junior guard Leilani Kapinus and graduate guard Tay Valladay each contributed eight points to the Lady Lion total while redshirt freshman guard Moriah Murray logged six points by hitting two of her three attempts from long range.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Ohio State utilized an offensive rebound to book the opening score of the contest less than a minute in, and multiple offensive miscues from both teams culminated in a 2-0 Ohio State lead three minutes into the game. The Buckeyes added three more points at the line in the next couple minutes, but an OSU offensive foul led to a successful Brigham layup for PSU's opening score of the game. Both squads exchanged fast break buckets, but a Marisa triple had the score deadlocked at 7-all at the media break. Out of the timeout, Ohio State rattled off a 6-0 scoring run but some free throw exchanges kept things close. Both offenses rolled in the final two minutes of play as each squad traded buckets down the stretch. Ciezki engaged in a personal 5-0 run over the last minute to tie the game at 26 points apiece heading into the second period.
Second Quarter
Penn State opened the second quarter with back-to-back layups from Brigham, giving the Lady Lions their first lead of the game at 30-26. A massive 3-point jumper from Murray saw the Blue & White surge ahead by seven points, forcing Ohio State into a timeout less than two minutes into the frame. OSU and PSU traded triples after the short break, but back-to-back long range Lady Lion baskets culminated in an 8-0 scoring run, a 41-29 Penn State lead and yet another Buckeye timeout. OSU booked a 7-0 response out of the break, but PSU snapped back with a 9-2 run to build up a 12-point advantage at 50-38. PSU's defense held Ohio State to 1-of-9 shooting from the field over the last four minutes, culminating in a 10-point edge for the Lady Lions at the half.
Third Quarter
The Lady Lions remained on fire from deep to start the second half, as Ciezki opened the scoring in the third quarter with an emphatic 3-point jumper. OSU got three points back with a layup and a made free throw on consecutive possessions, but both teams traded baskets as the Lady Lions led by nine around midway through the frame. Ciezki added a layup to give PSU an 11-point edge and the Lady Lion defense held Ohio State scoreless over a two-and-a-half-minute stretch to preserve the 57-46 PSU advantage at the media timeout. The Buckeyes benefitted from multiple free throw opportunities over the remainder of the frame, pulling back within two thanks to an 8-0 run that came largely at the charity stripe. Murray hit a much-needed triple with 1:37 to go in the quarter, and despite a late Buckeye advance, a personal 4-0 Kapinus run to close the frame resulted in a 68-59 Lady Lion lead heading into the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
Ohio State opened the final 10 minutes of work on a 10-0 scoring run to retake the lead from the Lady Lions, boasting a 69-68 edge with less than seven minutes to play. After a Penn State timeout, Kapinus hit a crucial layup to jump back in front, but a Buckeye layup on the other end saw the lead change hands once more. PSU tied things up with a free throw but another OSU lay-in gave the Buckeyes a two-point advantage. Ohio State scored once again, but a Marisa layup kept it a one-possession game with around two minutes to go. An and-one free throw line jumper from Marisa saw the back-and-forth final frame continue, but the Buckeyes snapped back with a pair of makes at the line. OSU rattled in a triple with 40.5 remaining, but a resilient Lady Lion offense managed to tie the game at 80 points apiece with back-to-back layups.
Overtime
Free basketball began with Ohio State in possession, and a trio of Buckeye makes at the line resulted in a 3-point OSU advantage. Back-to-back Buckeye jump shots down low put the home squad ahead by seven points with just under two minutes remaining. Ohio State remained in control for the remainder of the contest and booked a 94-84 home victory to open B1G play.
POSTGAME NOTES
#25 Penn State at #12 Ohio State
December 10, 2023
Value City Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
- Makenna Marisa was in double figures by the first quarter.
- Penn State shot 80% from three-point range in the first quarter and 77.8% beyond the arc in the first half.
- Nearly every player that touched the court scored at least two points.
- This was Penn State's first overtime game of the 2023-24 season after going to overtime four times in the previous season.
- The Lady Lions shot 50% from 3-point range, their second time shooting 50% or better this season.
- Penn State produced 21 bench points, its ninth game earning 20 or more points from subs this season.
- Marisa posted 28 points on 11-for-21 shooting including 3-of-6 shooting from 3-point range. This is her 93rddouble figure performance of the season and third game over 20 points.
- Ciezki scored 19 points, marking her eighth double-digit scoring performance of the season.
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