UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- The Lady Lions are set for their second game of two at the State Farm WBCA Showcase in Orlando, Fla. at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. Penn State will face Southeastern Conference opponent Georgia on Saturday, Nov. 23 with tip time slated for 2:30 p.m. The Lady Lions look for their seventh win to start the 2024-25 campaign 7-0 for only the fifth time in program history.
GAME INFORMATION
vs Georgia
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 | Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Orlando, Fla. | Venue: State Farm Fieldhouse
- Live Stats | Watch: Peacock | Notes | Radio
- Admission: Ticketed
LAST TIME OUT
- The Lady Lions showed grit in the first game of the WBCA State Farm Showcase. They pulled out a 74-59 win over Marshall on Thursday night.
- Penn State earned its sixth consecutive victory to open the 2024-25 campaign 6-0. This marks the second time in three seasons the team is off to an unblemished start through six games and only the seventh time in program history with two coming under the helm of head coach Carolyn Kieger.
- Redshirt-sophomore Gracie Merkle produced her third double-double of the season and 22nd of her career using 28 points and 11 rebounds. She is the only Lady Lion to score in double-figures in all six games.
- Graduate student Alli Campbell posted a 12-point outing, her first time scoring double-digit points this season. She also added five rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.
- Grace Hall reached 10 points for the second time this season using five-of-nine shooting from the field. She also collected four boards.
- The Lady Lions outscored the Herd 42-20 in the paint, producing a 41.2 shooting percentage from the field. They also held Marshall to just 28.1% shooting from the field and 18.8% from beyond the arc.
- Penn State forced 22 turnovers and converted 14 points off that defense.
LADY LIONS IN THE RANKS
- Moriah Murray ranks eighth in the Big Ten in points per game (18.0) and third in total points (108). She sits 15th in the nation in total points, first in three pointers per game (4.7) and is tied for first in total three pointers (28). The Pennsylvania native is first in the B1G in total threes and first in threes per game. Murray is also one of 18 players to remain perfect from the free throw line this season.
- Merkle ranks 5th in the country in total points (126) and first in the conference. She also sits fourth in the conference in points per game (21.0). Merkle is also third in the nation in field goals made (52) and field goal percentage (65.8). Her three double doubles rank her fourth in the country and first in the B1G.
- Alli Campbell is ranked 21st in the country in assists (28).
- Penn State is second the nation in total assists (139) and sits 11th in assists per game (21.5). The team is second in the conference in total assists and ranks fourth in assists per game.
- The Blue & White produced one of their most effective back-to-back shooting outings against Niagara and Monmouth, leaving the team ranked 15th in the country in shooting percentage from the field (50.8) and third in the Big Ten.
- The Lady Lions also have the 10th-best scoring offense across the country, averaging 91.0 points per contest.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
- The Bulldogs are 3-2 to start the 2024-25 campaign. They opened with three straight wins against North Carolina Central, Houston and Furman before dropping two consecutive games to Georgia State and Georgia Tech.
- Most recently in its first game at the State Farm WBCA Showcase, Georgia defeated Tulsa by a 60-44 margin. De’Mauri Flournoy led the team in scoring with 19 points and Asia Avinger also produced a 13-point outing.
- Last season, the Bulldogs went 12-18 overall and 3-13 in the SEC. They lost to Kentucky in the SEC Tournament to end their season.
- Four Georgia players average double-digit scoring: Woolfolk (18.0), Turner (13.0), Flournoy (12.7) and Avinger (11.8).
PENN STATE – GEROGIA SERIES
- Penn State has only faced Georgia two times in program history, both games were in the 90s. The Lady Lions and Bulldogs completed a home-and-away series in 1996 in Happy Valley and 1997 in Athens.
- Georgia owns both wins.
- The first meeting between the two teams in University Park, Pa. was the first-ever women’s basketball game played in the newly constructed Bryce Jordan Center, the current home to both Penn State basketball programs. Prior to the game in January of 1996, the Lady Lions played all of their games in Rec Hall.
2023-24 SEASON IN REVIEW
- Penn State produced its best overall record in a decade with its 22-13 season.
- The Lady Lions advanced to the Final Four of the Inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament, marking their first postseason appearance since 2017-18.
- Penn State was one of four one-seeds in the tournament after just missing a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
- The Lady Lions finished ranked sixth in the Big Ten.
- Penn State consistently ranked in the top-10 in three major statistical categories throughout the 2023-24 campaign. PSU produced one of the highest level offenses in the country with steady recognition in field goal percentage, three-point percentage and scoring offense.
- The Lady Lions had for 100-plus-point performances, 13 90-plus point games and 21 80-plus point performances.
- Penn State shattered its single game three-point record on two different occasions last season. Once against Central Connecticut on Dec. 20 with 15 three-pointers and then again when it hosted Maryland on Jan. 28 with 16.