UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – On the back of the second-highest scoring output in program history, Penn State women's basketball roared to a 119-43 victory over the Saint Francis Red Flash in PSU's penultimate non-conference match up inside the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday afternoon.
The Lady Lions improved to 8-3 overall on the 2023-24 campaign and halted a two-game skid dating to PSU's road matchup against West Virginia in Morgantown on Dec. 4. Penn State secured its second win over an in-state rival on Sunday and saw its record in games played inside the Bryce Jordan Center climb to 6-0. Following the ninth all-time meeting between Penn State and Saint Francis, the Lady Lions improved to 8-1 overall against the Red Flash and have won three straight games against SFU dating to the 2013-14 season. In defeat, Saint Francis falls to 1-10 overall heading into its penultimate non-conference game against Syracuse.
Penn State was dominant in practically every statistical category, shooting at a 55.8% clip from the field with a 38.7% mark from beyond the 3-point arc. PSU's defense held the Red Flash to 26.7% shooting overall in addition to a mere 18.5% from 3-point range. The Blue & White registered a season-low in the turnover column with eight while forcing 25 SFU giveaways. Penn State scored a whopping 45 points off Red Flash turnovers and allowed just three points off their own giveaways. The Blue & White also managed victories in points in the paint (60-18), second chance points (25-9), fast break points (22-4) and scoring off the bench (46-12).
Multiple Lady Lions had career outings in the dominant home result, highlighted by redshirt junior guard Leilani Kapinus' career-high 25 points. The Madison, Wisconsin, native shot 9-of-13 from the field with 3-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Redshirt freshman guard Moriah Murray poured in a career-high 18 points and booked five assists with zero turnovers while junior guard Jayla Oden added in a career-high 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field with a 3-of-5 mark from 3-point range.
Senior forward Ali Brigham was a force down low, scoring a season-best 16 points with a career-high 12 rebounds for her third career double-double. Sophomore guard Shay Ciezki logged her ninth double-digit scoring performance of the season and her second consecutive, dropping 15 points with two assists and a steal. Graduate guard Tay Valladay poured in 11 points with three assists to round out the six Lady Lions in double figures on Sunday afternoon. Redshirt sophomore forward Grace Hall and graduate forward Chanaya Pinto both dropped six points, while sophomore forward Kylie Lavelle added four points of her own to see all nine available Lady Lions find their way onto the stat sheet.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Penn State won the opening tip, but the Red Flash mustered the opening score of the contest around a minute in. Valladay responded on the other end with a physical layup and Kapinus drained back-to-back triples assisted by Murray to take an 8-4 edge early on. Stifling defense from the Lady Lions coupled with remarkable efficiency from the floor culminated in a 12-2 run over a span of 2:37 for the Blue & White, resulting in a 17-6 Penn State lead at the media timeout. Both squads traded layups out of the short break, but Kapinus rained in her third 3-pointer of the quarter from straight-on to make it a 22-8 Lady Lion lead. SFU responded with a layup on the other end to crack double digits, but a Valladay and-one gave Penn State its largest lead of the day at 25-10. The Red Flash rolled off five straight points toward the end of the period, but a Ciezki 3-pointer made it a 28-15 PSU lead through 10 minutes of work.
Second Quarter
Ciezki opened the second quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers and Brigham connected on a layup underneath the basket to punctuate an 8-0 run and force Saint Francis into a timeout. Penn State continued to roll offensively after the brief break, forcing three straight turnovers and rattling off 14 unanswered points before SFU booked its first bucket over three minutes into the frame. Leading by a 42-17 margin, the Red Flash hit a 3-point bucket before PSU rattled off a striking 13-0 run to take a 35-point lead at 55-20. Murray was a menace from everywhere offensively, scoring 14 points in the second quarter alone to single-handedly outpace the Red Flash by a 14-9 margin in the frame. The Lady Lions closed the second period on a 12-2 run over the final 2:43 and took a 67-24 lead into the halftime break. PSU's 67-point tally through 20 minutes of work marked the most first-half points by any Lady Lion team in program history.
Third Quarter
Saint Francis came out of the halftime break red-hot from beyond the arc, draining a pair of long-range jumpers to crack the 30-point mark. The Lady Lions maintained their composure on both ends, with Ciezki earning an and-one opportunity to crack double figures and put Penn State up by a 75-31 mark. SFU made another layup, but the Lady Lions responded with a pair of scores from Hall on the other end to get all nine available Penn State players on the stat sheet and take an 83-35 lead at the media timeout. PSU's offense was unstoppable for the remainder of the quarter, rattling off a 13-0 run over five minutes near the end of the period, culminating in a 54-point advantage. After the Red Flash connected on one of their two free throws in the final minute, Penn State managed an 89-36 lead with 10 minutes of work remaining.
Fourth Quarter
Oden hit a pair of shots at the free throw line to put Penn State past the 90-point mark, but SFU replied with a make on the other end to open the fourth quarter. Valladay cracked the double-digit threshold with a layup to make it 96-38 and a fast break layup from Kapinus had PSU two points away from crossing the century mark for the second time in the 2023-24 campaign. Brigham hit a free throw and SFU responded with a layup on the other end, but a Red Flash foul in their defensive half allowed Murray to move Penn State into triple digits with a successful trip to the charity stripe. PSU's offense afforded the Lady Lions a 14-2 run over the middle portion of the frame and saw the Blue & White carry a 105-40 lead into the final media timeout of the game. PSU's dominance continued through the final buzzer, with the Lady Lions falling just one point shy of tying the all-time program scoring record in a 119-43 result.
POSTGAME NOTES
Saint Francis at Penn State
December 17, 2023
Bryce Jordan Center (University Park, Pa.)
- Kapinus notched a career high three three-point shots to go along with another personal best point total of 25.
- Murray recorded a career high 18 points.
- Six total players in double figures including four starters.
- Ciezki hit 500 career points in only her sophomore season.
- Ali Brigham posted a season high 16 points her sixth game scoring in double figures this season.
- The Lady Lions earned their second highest point total in program history, just one shy of meeting their all-time record of 119, which came against Delaware State in 2021.
- Penn State scored its most points in a first half in program history. The team's next highest total came against Northwestern on January 2, 2000.
- The Lady Lions forced 25 turnovers on St. Francis and converted 45 points off those errors.
- Penn State produced its lowest turnover total of the season at eight.
- The Lady Lions accumulated 46 points off the bench, their highest of the season.
- Penn State outscored the Red Flash in the paint 60-18.
- This is the Lady Lion's largest margin of victory of the season at 76.
Leilani Kapinus and Moriah Murray Postgame Press Conference
UP NEXT
The Lady Lions continue their four-game home stand on Wednesday, Dec. 20 when they host Central Connecticut State University. Tip off in the Bryce Jordan Center is set for 11:30 a.m.
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