UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State women’s basketball dropped its first conference game of the season to Indiana by a 75-60 decision on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Lions move to 8-2 overall, 0-1 Big Ten with their second loss this week. Despite Indiana walking away with the victory, the back-and-forth nature of the contest led to seven lead changes and three tie scores throughout the game. The Lady Lions and the Hoosiers split time with the lead, each holding the advantage for nearly 20 minutes apiece.
Three Lady Lions scored in double figures with senior Jayla Oden leading the way with 19 points, marking her second consecutive game reaching the 10-plus-point mark. She also shot perfect from the free throw line, making all four of her shots. Oden also collected two assists and one steal. Redshirt-sophomore Gracie Merkle posted her 10th-straight game scoring in double figures with 16 points on six-of-eight shooting from the field and four-of-five shooting from the charity stripe. Graduate student Gabby Elliott was the final player in the trio of double figure scores, putting up 13 points on six-of-nine shooting from the field. Graduate student Alli Campbell was productive this afternoon, leading the team in rebounding with six boards to go with four points, four assists and one steal.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Penn State drew first blood with a two-point jumper from Moriah Murray after winning the opening tip. A defensive stop for the Lady Lions was followed by two shots from the charity stripe for Jayla Oden who made them both. PSU forced two-straight turnovers on the defensive end to continue its 6-0 scoring run to begin the game. Indiana finally got on the board after two minutes of play with a layup off an offensive rebound. Four consecutive points for the Lady Lions were followed by the Hoosier’s first trip to the free throw line to make the score 10-4. Indiana forced a shot clock violation on the ensuing Penn State position to get the ball back and drain its first shot from long-range to make the score 10-7 heading into the media timeout. The teams traded baskets twice following the break, sealing the score at 14-13 after the first quarter, with PSU in the lead.
Second Quarter
Alli Campbell scored the first points of the second stanza off an IU turnover in the early seconds. Indiana answered with a basket on its offensive end and then earned a stop on defense. Penn State forced two-straight turnovers, one in the backcourt and one in the press amidst putting up two more points, making the score a tight 18-17, still maintaining the lead. The Hoosiers’ Caroline Striplin made back-to-back baskets with one point from Merkle off a free throw in between which tied the game at 19-19, the first level score of the contest. Tamera Johnson only made one of her two free throws in the next possession to give Indiana the ball back and allow it to take its first lead of the game with another two points from Striplin. A turnover from the Lady Lions offense was followed by a miscue on defense for the Hoosiers forced by Murray which gave the ball back to the Blue & White, allowing Gabby Elliott to capitalize. Five unanswered point for the visitors gave them a four-point lead. Oden chipped at the deficit, drawing it back to a 26-24 score but the Hoosiers converted yet again on their next position. IU extended to as much as a six-point lead before the Lady Lions answered with a layup from Merkle and a turnover on the defensive end on the following Indiana possession. With just under a minute to play, Elliott converted two points on the fastbreak after causing a turnover, closing the margin to 30-28. Oden drew a foul on her own defensive end and drained a two-point bucket off the IU turnover with one second on the clock, tying the score at 30-30 going into halftime.
Third Quarter
Campbell found Merkle under the rim to open the scoring in the third quarter to retake the lead. A stop on the defensive end allowed Campbell to seek Merkle once again in the paint who finished the basket. She completed the three-point play following a foul to extend to a 35-30 score. Indiana found its first points on the next possession and held PSU from putting up any on the defensive end. Oden sank two points following a missed opportunity for the Hoosiers, to extend the margin to five points at 37-32. Back-to-back shots from Indiana with only one made shot from the free throw line from Elliott knotted the score yet again at 38-38. IU got the final word heading to the media break with a three-pointer to recapture the lead. Grace Hall finished on her own offensive rebound to send the lead back to the home team, but Indiana answered with another two points to make the score 43-42 in favor of the Hoosiers. Another two points from Indiana’s Striplin concluded the back-and-forth lead change, extending IU’s advantage to 45-42. With Johnson only making one of her two shots from the free throw line, the Hoosiers were able to extend to a six-point margin with help from three consecutive PSU turnovers, leaving the score at 49-43 heading into the final stanza.
Fourth Quarter
Indiana began the scoring in the fourth period with a three-point shot off the inbound pass. Merkle made both of her shots at the charity stripe to cut the margin to seven points, but the Hoosiers responded with another basket from long-range. Two free throws for IU ballooned its lead to 12 points at 57-45. Oden took advantage of a stop on defense with two points to chip at the score but a foul on the ensuing defensive possession gave the Hoosiers a trip to the line, during which they only made one of. Campbell’s long shot from two-point range was quieted by a string of five points from the visiting team. Merkle was able to stop the scoring stretch with two points, but IU continued its hot streak from beyond the arc with another three points making the score 66-51 at the media timeout. A long two-point basket at the buzzer of the shot clock allowed the Lady Lions to cut into the lead, but IU answered with a pair of points on its end. The team’s traded two-point baskets until Oden drained a shot from three-point range to return the deficit to 13 points at a 71-58 score. Oden sank two shots from the free throw line, but Indiana continued to convert, adding another two points. The Hoosiers put up two more points on free throws to make the final score 75-60 in favor of Indiana.
POSTGAME NOTES
Penn State vs. Indiana
December 7, 2024
Bryce Jordan Center (University Park, Pa.)
- Merkle reached double figure scoring for the 10th consecutive game, the only Lady Lion to score 10-or-more points in every game this season. She used six-of-eight shooting from the field to total 16 points.
- Oden produced her second-straight game leading the team in scoring with 19 points.
- Elliott put up 13 points, marking her third consecutive game reaching the double-digit mark.
- Penn State outscored Indiana 32-28 in the paint.
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