UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State women's basketball led by as many as nine points late in the second quarter, but a second-half comeback from No. 14/13 Indiana saw the Hoosiers book a 75-67 decision over the Lady Lions Wednesday night inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Penn State suffered its first defeat of the 2024 calendar year and moved to 10-5 overall with a 1-3 start to Big Ten Conference competition heading into a weekend meeting with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Indiana picked up its seventh-straight win over Penn State, but the Lady Lions maintain a solid 33-20 lead over the Hoosiers in the all-time series. Following the win, the nationally ranked Hoosiers improve to 14-1 overall while remaining perfect against Big Ten competitors at 5-0 through this point in the league season.
The Lady Lions were slightly more effective than their hosts in both field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage, with PSU outpacing Indiana by a percentage point in both categories. The Blue & White were also significantly stronger off the pine, with Penn State booking a 12-0 victory in bench scoring on Wednesday. Aided by an impressive performance from senior forward Ali Brigham, PSU outplayed Indiana in the paint by a 46-38 margin. The Franklin, Massachusetts, native was an offensive force in the paint, reaching double figures in B1G competition for the third-straight game with 14 points paired with seven rebounds and an assist.
Redshirt junior guard Leilani Kapinus finished as Penn State's leading scorer on the night with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, while graduate guard Tay Valladay poured in 13 points and sophomore guard Shay Ciezki added 12 of her own to round out the quartet of Lady Lions in double figures. Senior-plus guard Makenna Marisa made saw game action for the first time since PSU traveled to Ohio State, adding six points in limited minutes, while redshirt sophomore forward Grace Hall contributed a pair of baskets in the fourth quarter.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Brigham got the scoring going on Penn State's first possession on a feed from Kapinus, but the Hoosiers got both points back with a driving layup on their next trip down the floor. IU connected on their next field goal attempt and drilled a 3-pointer from head-on to punctuate a 7-0 run, but a bucket down low from Brigham stabilized matters for the Blue & White before the media timeout. Each squad came out of the break looking sluggish offensively, combining for multiple turnovers over the next couple of minutes. Indiana connected on two of their next four free throws to go up 9-4, but a sweet layup from Marisa kept it a one-score game. Each squad traded buckets inside the arc, but a left-wing triple from Ciezki tied things up at 11-all. IU connected on a mid-range jumper, but a fastbreak layup by redshirt junior guard Alli Campbell afforded PSU its first lead since its opening possession, leading 15-13. The electrifying opening period ended with a 6-0 Lady Lion run over the final 48 seconds, affording PSU a 21-17 lead through 10 minutes.
Second Quarter
Indiana opened the second quarter with a 1-for-2 trip to the charity stripe and a layup on its next possession, but a marvelous fadeaway jumper from Brigham preserved the Lady Lion edge. The Hoosiers booked back-to-back baskets and PSU responded with a tricky play that afforded Kapinus an easy lay-in. IU got two back at the line, but an ice-cold trey from Valladay on the left wing put PSU up 28-26. Indiana's attack remained relentless on the offensive end, tallying a fastbreak layup just before the media timeout to tie the game up. Layups from Kapinus and Brigham out of the break kept the energy up for PSU, but both teams frenetically traded buckets over the next two minutes to see things deadlocked at 34-apiece with less than a minute in the half. With 38 seconds to go, Kapinus buried a second-chance layup just before a brilliant defensive stop afforded PSU the final shot. As time expired in the half, Ciezki called glass and banked in the buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the right wing to give PSU a 39-34 advantage at the intermission.
Third Quarter
The intense play continued to start the second half, with neither team able to overcome some early shooting struggles. Brigham resumed her role as the focal point for PSU in the paint, using stellar footwork to fight through a double-team and book PSU's first field goal of the period two minutes in. Ciezki nailed a magnificent layup high off the glass on Penn State's next offensive trip, and a steal from Kapinus turned into easy points on the fastbreak, culminating in a 45-38 advantage and a Hoosier timeout. Indiana replied with a quick 6-0 run to make it a one-score game, but a one-for-two trip to the charity stripe from Kapinus put Penn State up four. Indiana rained in a triple from the right corner and capitalized on yet another trip to the line to take a 47-46 lead moments later. Multiple free throw exchanges kept things close, and a driving layup from Valladay tied things up at 51-all with two minutes to go. The Hoosiers tallied back-to-back makes in reply to close out the period and booked a 55-51 lead with 10 to play.
Fourth Quarter
Penn State got on the board first with a free-throw make from Kapinus, but Indiana rattled off five-straight points to build an eight-point margin early in the final frame. Hall provided a respite for the Lady Lion offense, booking her first basket with just under seven minutes to play. Indiana and Penn State traded buckets, but a physical and-one for the Hoosiers at the 5:26 mark gave the home team its largest lead of the night at 66-56. The Blue & White got a point back at the stripe, but IU drove through the lane and buried a layup to go up by 11. Three-straight trips to the free throw line helped Penn State book a 6-2 run over the next minute to keep hope alive, but Indiana's offense managed to hold on and secure the 75-67 result over the Lady Lions.
POSTGAME NOTES
Penn State at Indiana
January 10, 2024
Assembly Hall (Bloomington, Ind.)
- Four Lady Lions scored in double figures. Leilani Kapinus led the way with 15 points, Ali Brigham followed with 14, Tay Valladay at 13 and Shay Ciezki had 12.
- Kapinus produced six-of-nine shooting from the field while leading the team in rebounds with six.
- Alli Campbell had a season high three steals to match Kapinus' three.
- There were nine lead changed and 12 tie scores throughout the contest.
- Penn State outscored Indiana in the paint by a 46-38 clip.
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