UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Graduate guard Tay Valladay led the way with a career-high 32 point performance, but the Penn State women's basketball team dropped a 98-87 result to the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday afternoon inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
The Lady Lions moved to 9-4 overall on the 2023 campaign and fell to 0-2 against Big Ten Conference competitors in its home-opening league game. Penn State suffered its first loss on its home court inside the BJC this season, moving to 7-1 in games played on the PSU University Park campus. With its victory, Michigan State improves to 11-2 overall in the first season of head coach Robyn Fralick's tenure with the Spartans, rising to 1-1 against B1G competitors. The Lady Lions maintain a 31-25 lead over Michigan State in the all-time series.
Penn State was effective on the glass in the game, winning the rebounding battle by a 34-30 margin thanks to a 25-18 differential on the defensive boards. The Lady Lions were strong down low in the contest, outscoring Michigan State by a 56-44 tally in the paint while booking an impressive 58% field goal percentage overall. Valladay led the individual perofrmanes for Penn State, scoring a career-best 32 points on 11-for-12 shooting from the floor with a 3-pointer and season-high nine made free throws. Sophomore guard Shay Ciezki scored 14 points while dishing a game-high six assists, senior forward Ali Brigham dropped 14 points of her own and redshirt junior guard Leilani Kapinus rounded out the four Lady Lions in double digits with 11.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
PSU started the game with a gritty opening possession, with Valladay drawing a foul and sinking a pair of foul shots at the charity stripe to open the scoring. The Spartans snapped back with a long-range make, but Ciezki drilled a triple from the left wing. The physicality continued throughout the opening period, with the Lady Lions earning another trip to the line followed by an athletic Kapinus layup to lead 9-5, but an MSU triple pulled the Spartans back within one. Both teams exchanged baskets over the next couple of minutes, with the lead changing hands on multiple occasions. MSU managed to book some separation thanks to multiple trips to the charity stripe, leading 21-15 with about two minutes to go. Penn State's defense clamped down for the remainder of the period, with Pinto drawing a pair of key charges that allowed the Lady Lions to tally another layup, but the Spartans led by a 23-17 mark after the first.
Second Quarter
Scoring came in abundance for both squads to open the second quarter, with Valladay scoring the first five Lady Lion points of the frame. Penn State brought the score within 29-24, but the Spartans rattled off a quick 7-0 scoring run that forced the Blue & White into a timeout less than three minutes into the quarter. Michigan State remained in control for much of the opening five minutes, but a 6-0 PSU rally over a span of 1:20 made it 39-32 in MSU's favor at the 5:40 mark. Both offenses continued to roll as time continued to wind down in the first half, with the Blue & White torching the Spartans from every area of the court. A fastbreak jumper from Kapinus with two minutes remaining forced MSU into a timeout leading 53-45, but the Spartans were able to take a 57-47 lead into the halftime break.
Third Quarter
The Spartans opened the second half with back-to-back fastbreak layups, but a Campbell mid-range jumper and a difficult layup from Valladay kept the Lady Lions within 10. Michigan State hit a jumper with seven minutes in the period to balloon the Spartan lead to 12, but an and-one opportunity for Kapinus saw the Blue & White pull back within single digits at 63-54 at the 5:37 mark. Each squad traded triples, and MSU added another make down low to take a 68-57 lead at the media timeout. PSU came out of the break with added energy on both ends of the court, as Kapinus' high-octane effort sparked a 7-0 PSU run to pull within five points of the Spartans. MSU replied with a right corner 3-pointer, but a Valladay paint jumper kept the Lady Lions within six points at 72-66. A scoreless final two minutes saw the Spartans maintain their six point lead with 10 minutes to play in the contest.
Fourth Quarter
The first two minutes of the fourth quarter passed without incident, and MSU managed to get the scoring going with a jumper at the 7:32 mark. Brigham responded the next trip down the floor with a tough layup, but Michigan State snapped right back with another make. The Spartans seized the momentum midway through the quarter and booked a 6-0 scoring run on a 3-pointer and an and-one opportunity to take an 82-69 lead with five and a half to go. Multiple free throw exchanges down the stretch saw Michigan State preserve its advantage for the remainder of the contest despite a valiant 5-0 individual run from Valladay with a minute to go. MSU sank their shots at the line down the stretch and completed the 98-87 road result.
POSTGAME NOTES
Michigan State at Penn State
December 30, 2023
Bryce Jordan Center (University Park, Pa.)
- Four players were in double figures on the night: Valladay (32), Ciezki (14), Brigham (14) and Kapinus (11).
- Valladay surpassed her career high points with 32 this evening and hit a career high 11 free throws. She just missed one shot from the field on 11-of-13 shooting.
- Tonight's performance was the highest combined point total of the season between both teams at 185 points.
- Penn State outscored Michigan State in the paint 56-44.
- This was the Lady Lions seventh performance shooting 50% or better from the field and third consecutive, shooting at a 57.6% clip tonight.
- Three Lady Lions were in double figures at the conclusion of the first half: Valladay (17), Brigham (10) and Ciezki (10).
- Valladay shot perfect in the first half, with six-of-six shooting from the field including one three-pointer and four free throws.
UP NEXT
The Lady Lions remain home to host Northwestern on Tuesday, Jan. 2 with a 6 p.m. tip off time in Happy Valley.
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