LAWRENCE, Kan. – Penn State women’s basketball maintained the lead for much of the second half but were ultimately overcome by a late scoring burst from the Kansas Jayhawks in a 68-65 loss on the road from Allen Fieldhouse Sunday afternoon. PSU concluded its 11-game non-conference schedule with a 9-2 record against foes outside the Big Ten.
Following Sunday afternoon’s defeat in the birthplace of college basketball, the Lady Lions move to 9-3 overall with 17 games remaining on their Big Ten Conference calendar following an upcoming 12-day hiatus from play. Sunday also marked the sixth all-time meeting between Penn State and Kansas in women’s basketball, with this weekend’s meeting in Lawrence serving as the reciprocal trip from KU’s journey to Happy Valley a year ago. Both teams have now won a trio of matchups apiece, with the Jayhawks coming away with the first all-time meeting in Lawrence. With their win, Kansas improves to 10-1 overall heading into their first contest against a Big 12 Conference challenger at home against Baylor on Saturday, December 21.
Despite Sunday’s final score, the Lady Lions picked up victories in multiple statistical categories, highlighted by a 45-38% differential from the field, with PSU nailing 26 of their 58 shot attempts while holding KU to just 21 makes on 56 tries. The Lady Lions were once again strong in the rebounding battle, outworking the Jayhawks to the tune of a 38-32 win on the glass. Penn State utilized 13 offensive rebounds to score 12 second-chance points, limiting Kansas to just 11 offensive boards and five points in putback opportunities.
Individually, graduate forward Tamera Johnson tallied her 1,000th collegiate point with a layup in the fourth quarter of competition, while redshirt sophomore center Gracie Merkle notched her 26th career double-double and seventh such performance of the 2024-25 campaign with 22 points and 12 boards. The Mount Washington, Kentucky, native has reached double figures in the scoring column in all 12 of her Penn State appearances since transferring to Happy Valley this offseason. Redshirt sophomore guard Moriah Murray chipped in with 16 points highlighted by a 4-for-7 night beyond the arc, while graduate guard Alli Campbell logged a career-high 15 points in Sunday’s power-conference matchup.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Penn State hauled in the opening tipoff and led things off on the offensive end with a successful triple from Murray, but the Jayhawks replied on the ensuing possession with a triple of their own to deadlock the early score. Kansas’ opening 3-pointer kicked off a 7-0 scoring run that featured a pair of layups, but the Lady Lions locked in on the defensive end to halt the Jayhawk scoring stretch. Turnovers plagued both squads in the first five minutes of Sunday’s matinee, but Campbell was able to find the bottom of the net with a mid-range jumper to make it a 7-5 lead for Kansas heading into the media timeout. Out of the short break, Johnson buried a right-wing mid-range jumper, and Murray drove baseline for a quick layup to see the lead change hands in PSU’s favor. Kansas then connected on an old-fashioned 3-point play followed by a free throw line jumper to cap off a 5-0 reply, but Murray eluded her defender on the right wing and sank a trey to deadlock things at 12 apiece. The Jayhawks utilized a pair of buckets inside the 3-point line as well as a 2-for-2 trip to the line to close the opening frame on a 6-2 run and take an 18-14 edge into the second quarter.
Second Quarter
The Jayhawks opened the second period with a breakaway layup opportunity, but physical play on the other end from Merkle warranted an and-one opportunity to keep the Lady Lions within three. KU replied with a fast break bucket on the other end, but a 5-0 reply from the Blue & White highlighted by a left wing 3-ball from Campbell and a paint bucket from Merkle deadlocked the contest at 22 points just before the media timeout. Offense was hard to come by over the next three minutes, with neither team managing a bucket or successful free throw attempt until Oden went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe with 3:14 to play in the half. Baskets fell both ways over the next few possessions, but a mid-range jumper from Campbell saw the Lady Lions lurch ahead once again by a 27-26 tally with 1:33 to go. Both offenses came alive over the final minute of the period, with Merkle matching a KU basket with a spinning layup of her own to give Penn State a 29-28 advantage heading into the break.
Third Quarter
The Lady Lions roared out of the halftime intermission, starting the third quarter of action on a dominant 7-0 scoring run. Merkle opened the half for PSU with a bucket down low, followed the next trip down the floor by a 3-ball from Murray. Penn State’s best shooter pulled up from the right baseline inside the 3-point arc moments later, getting fouled by a Jayhawk and booking a 2-for-2 trip to the line moments later. KU was able to snap back with six-straight points, but the Penn State defense remained stifling, with the Lady Lions forcing multiple turnovers and missed Kansas buckets. Murray snapped the 6-0 Jayhawk run and quieted the Allen Fieldhouse crowd. Murray’s basket sparked an 11-2 response for the Lady Lions to give PSU its largest lead of the game at 11 points, but both teams continued to exchange blows as the third quarter wore on, with PSU leading 49-49 with 1:45 to go in the period. Four-straight free throw makes by the Jayhawks cut the Lady Lion lead back to six, but a cherry-pick basket from Merkle made it 51-43 with 0:43 to go. An intentional foul call against the Lady Lions provided KU with an opportunity to close the third quarter on a 4-0 scoring run, cutting Penn State’s lead back to four points at 51-47 with 10 minutes left to play.
Fourth Quarter
Both offenses scored in flurries to open the final period, with consecutive offensive possessions ending in a Campbell make for the Lady Lions, while KU nailed a 3-pointer on the other end. The Jayhawks booked a perfect trip to the line to make it a 3-point lead for the Lady Lions, with PSU calling timeout with 7:43 to play leading by a 55-52 tally. Walker capitalized on an offensive rebound and putback opportunity to put the Blue & White up by five, with the Lady Lions leading 57-52. Johnson notched her 1,000th collegiate point less than a minute later on a layup at the 5:52 mark to put Penn State up seven, but Kansas and PSU would continue to trade points over the next two minutes. A pair of fast-break buckets from the Jayhawks brought Kansas back within two, and a layup on the ensuing possession deadlocked the game at 61-all. Campbell sank another mid-range bucket to put Penn State back ahead, but a 3-pointer from the Jayhawks saw KU come all the way back and take a one-point advantage. Despite a desperate last-minute comeback attempt from the Lady Lions, Kansas was able to sink their free throws over the ensuing 30 seconds to come away with the 68-65 decision at home.
POSTGAME NOTES
Penn State at Kansas
December 15, 2024
Allen Fieldhouse (Providence, R.I.)
- Merkle continued her double figure scoring streak stretching over the span of 12 games, with 22 points this afternoon. She is the only Penn State player to reach double-digit scoring numbers in all of the team’s games so far this season. The 6’6 center shot 10-of-14 from the field. Merkle also posted her seventh double-double of the season using 12 boards.
- Murray’s four threes played a vital role in the hard-fought battle. The redshirt-sophomore totaled 16 points for her seventh double figure scoring game.
- Campbell produced her fourth double-digit points outing with 15 points to go with six rebounds, six assists and three steals.
- Tamera Johnson surpassed the 1,000-career point mark with her four points throughout the contest.
- There were nine lead changes and seven tie scores throughout the contest.
- Penn State dished out 16 assists.
- The Lady Lions won the board battle, outrebounding the Jayhawks by a 38-32 margin.
- Penn State outscored Kansas in the paint 32-24.
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