UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State women's basketball falls to No. 2 Ohio State in an 82-69 decision inside Rec Hall on Thursday night. The Lady Lions dropped to 16-11 (7-9 Big Ten) while the Buckeyes improved to 23-3 (14-1 Big Ten).
At halftime, the Lady Lions honored 21 alumni, many of whom played their careers for the Blue & White inside Rec Hall. The program returned to the historic building, where they played for 20 years, for the first time since 1996, amassing an impressive 203-34 record and six NCAA Tournament victories entering Thursday night's matchup.
Three Lady Lions surpassed the 10-point mark. Ashley Owusu led the charge with 22 points, with 18 of her points coming in the second half. The graduate guard notched her fourth 20-plus-point scoring outing this season while leading the team on offense for the eighth time. Kapinus was strong on both ends of the court, posting her third double-double of the season and 13th double figure scoring outing. Brigham rounded out the trio with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field.
Penn State as a team outrebounded Ohio State by a 35-29 margin and produced a better night shooting the ball from the field. PSU clocked in at a 49.1% field goal shooting mark while OSU brought 47.1% shooting.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Ohio State controlled the opening tip and took an early 11-0 lead behind three 3-pointers to force a Penn State timeout. Back-to-back opening three pointers for the Buckeyes sparked an 13-0 run. Kapinus was responsible for the momentum shift using a steal and score to get Penn State on the board for the first time. Ali Brigham posted a quick six points using two offensive rebounds and two assists from Murray in the paint. Despite an offensive surge late for the Lady Lions, they could not cut the deficit to more than 26-10 after the first quarter.
Second Quarter
Shay Ciezki boomed the crowd in Rec Hall, sinking a basket from distance following an offensive foul take by Marisa on the opposite end of the court. Stops on defense and a 5-0 surge for Penn State cut the margin to 12 and forced the Buckeyes to call a timeout with under five minutes to play in the period, all the momentum with the Lady Lions. Penn State held Ohio State to just six points in the opening half of the quarter. PSU continued its dominance out of the media timeout, Kapinus responsible for a forced turnover and Owusu finished the play with two points on the other end. Following an Ohio State miss, Oden lobbed a pass down the court to Pinto for a quick two. Pressure from the Blue & White forced a Buckeye timeout, igniting the Rec Hall crowd. Ohio State made a 3-pointer with under a minute left to increase their lead to 37-24 at the half.
Third Quarter
Penn State began the quarter off strong with an elbow jumper from Oden following a turnover on the Buckeyes' opening possession. Ohio State responded with an 11-point run to push their advantage to over 20 points. Campbell scored on a fastbreak and Owusu drove in for two to make the score 48-30 with just under seven minutes to play. Ohio State made a pair of 3-pointers to take a 58-34 lead at the media break.
After the timeout, the Blue & White went on a 5-0 run with points coming from Owusu, Brigham and Marisa. The Lady Lions' press forced a turnover off an inbound, capped by a bucket from Lavelle. Entering the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes held a 64-42 advantage.
Fourth Quarter
The first points of the fourth quarter belonged to Penn State after a full court pass from Kapinus to Grace Hall in the front court. Brigham laid in a turnaround shot from the block after an offensive board from Campbell. The Buckeyes jumped out to a seven-point run to force Penn State into a timeout with a score of 74-48 in favor of Ohio State. The Buckeyes extended their lead to as large as 30 points in the quarter. The Blue & White were able to rally for an 11-point run, including eight straight points from Owusu, but it was not enough in the end. At the horn, the Lady Lions fell to Ohio State by a score of 82-69.
POSTGAME NOTES
Penn State vs. No. 2 Ohio State
February 22, 2024
Rec Hall (University Park, Pa.)
- The Lady Lions made their return to Rec Hall for the first time since Jan. 5, 1996.
- Penn State welcomed 21 alumnae to the game and recognized the former Lady Lions at halftime.
- Three Lady Lions scored in double figures, Owusu with 22, Kapinus with 10 and Brigham with 10.
- Owusu earned her fourth, 20-plus-point performance of the season, marking her 11th double figure scoring outing. She shot 8-of-12 from the field and grabbed five boards.
- Kapinus posted her third double-double of the season and seventh of her career with 10 points and 10 rebounds. She also posted two blocks and three steals.
- Brigham shot near perfect from the field going 5-of-6.
- The Lady Lions outshot the Buckeyes from the field and outrebounded by a 35-29 clip.
UP NEXT
The Lady Lions head to Purdue on Wednesday, Feb. 28 following a bye weekend. Tip off in Mackey Arena is set for 7 p.m.
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