Lady Lions to Play Providence in Mid-Week Non-Conference MatchupLady Lions to Play Providence in Mid-Week Non-Conference Matchup

Lady Lions to Play Providence in Mid-Week Non-Conference Matchup

Penn State set to travel to Providence on Wednesday, Dec. 11

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State women’s basketball travels to Providence to take on the Friars on Wednesday, Dec. 11. In the Lady Lions’ second contest against a Big East opponent this year, they look to bounce back from their most recent two losses. Tip time in Alumni Hall is set for 7 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION

vs Providence

LAST TIME OUT

  • Penn State lost its first conference game of the season by a 75-60 final score to Indiana on Saturday.
  • The contest consisted of seven lead changes and three tie scores.
  • The Lady Lions led the Hoosiers at the first quarter break by a 14-13 margin. After the knotted score at halftime, PSU took the lead again and extended to as many as a five-point lead before IU made a comeback. By the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers built a substantial advantage that the Lady Lions could not climb back from.
  • Redshirt-sophomore Gracie Merkle continued her scoring in double figures stretch, surpassing the 10-digit mark for the 10th time this season, remaining the only Lady Lion to do so. She posted 16 points on six-of-eight shooting in the contest.
  • Senior Jayla Oden also scored in double figures for the second consecutive game. She led the team in scoring with 19 points.
  • Graduate student Gabby Elliot was the third Lady Lion to post double-digit point totals, with 13 points. This was her third consecutive game reaching double figures.

LADY LIONS IN THE RANKS

  • Moriah Murray sits 19th in the Big Ten in points per game (15.0) and 11th in total points (150). She sits first in the country in three pointers (37) and fourth in three pointers per game per game (3.7).
  • Merkle ranks 15th in the country in total points (198) and second in the conference. She also sits second in the conference in points per game (19.8). Merkle is seventh in the nation in field goals made (81) and fifth in field goal percentage (66.4). Her five double-doubles ranks her 12th in the country and third in the B1G.
  • Alli Campbell is ranked fourth in the conference in assists (48).
  • Penn State is seventh in the nation in total assists (198) and sits ninth in assists per game (19.8). The team is first in the conference in total assists and ranks third in assists per game.
  • The team ranks 12th in the country in shooting percentage from the field (49.8) and third in the Big Ten.
  • The Lady Lions also have the 25th-best scoring offense across the country, averaging 82.6 points per contest.

SCOUTING THE FRIARS

  • Providence has started the 2024-25 campaign with a 6-5 record, winning its most recent three consecutive games against Brown, Rhode Island and San Diego State. The Friars played at the Cancun Challenge where they went 1-2 with two losses to VCU and Wisconsin and the SDSU win. They have yet to play a conference opponent this year.
  • Grace Efosa leads the team in scoring, averaging 16.8 points per game. She has been named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll twice this season, including this week as she averaged 22.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 steals in Providence’s 2-0 week last week. Her 12 made field goals against Brown is tied for the most made by a Big East player so far this season.
  • In Providence’s most recent game against Brown, Efosa and Brynn Farrell both notched 27 points to guide the Friars to their overtime victory.
  • The Friars sit ninth in the Big East standings, heading into week six of the campaign.
  • Last year, Providence finished with a 13-21 overall and 6-12 conference record. After a first round win over Butler in the Big East Tournament, the Friars lost to UConn in the quarterfinals. They earned a bid to the WNIT where they lost to Colgate in round two.

PENN STATE – PROVIDENCE SERIES

  • The Lady Lions and the Friars have met seven times in the series history, with the eighth meeting to be played on Wednesday.
  • Penn State owns the all-time series 7-0.
  • The series dates back to 1984.
  • In the 1984 match up, the Lady Lions posted 110 points, the 13th highest single-game point total in PSU history.
  • The largest margin of victory for PSU in the series was the 110-63 win in the first-ever meeting on Dec. 9, 1984 at a 47-point margin. The smallest margin of victory came in 2018, when the Lady Lions earned a gritty 74-72 win at home on Nov. 8.
  • Most recently, Penn State hosted the Friars in a late November game on Nov. 26, 2023.