Penn State Women’s Basketball Set for Fourth-Straight Top 25 Matchup at no. 21/22 Michigan StatePenn State Women’s Basketball Set for Fourth-Straight Top 25 Matchup at no. 21/22 Michigan State

Penn State Women’s Basketball Set for Fourth-Straight Top 25 Matchup at no. 21/22 Michigan State

Lady Lions travel to East Lansing, Mich. On Wednesday, Jan. 22

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State women’s basketball is in search of its second consecutive top 25 win as the team travels to East Lansing, Mich. to take on no. 21/22 Michigan State on Wednesday, Jan. 22. Tip off inside the Breslin Center is set for 6:30 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION

at no. 21/22 Michigan State

  • Date: Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 | Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: East Lansing, Mich. | Venue: Breslin Center
  • Live Stats | Watch: B1G+ | Notes | Radio
  • Admission: Ticketed

LAST TIME OUT

  • Penn State stunned no. 9/8 Ohio State inside the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday with a 62-59 result, handing the Buckeyes their first loss of the season after being one of just three teams remaining unbeaten prior to the game.
  • The Lady Lions notched their first win over a top 10 opponent since defeating no. 8 Ohio State on Feb. 20, 2012.
  • Four PSU players surpassed the 10-point mark: Gabby Elliott (14), Jayla Oden (13), Merkle (12) and Murray (12).
  • Elliott’s 14 points marked her seventh-straight double figure scoring outing and 12th of the campaign.
  • Merkle’s 12 points came by way of effective shooting from the field at a six-of-seven mark. She also grabbed 10 rebounds, marking her ninth double-double of the year.
  • Murray recorded her first double-digit performance since the game against Kansas on Dec. 15. She used four shots from beyond the arc, her first time with multiple three pointers since that date as well.
  • The Lady Lions outrebounded the Buckeyes 39-21, their 15th time grabbing more boards than their opponent this season.
  • Penn State outscored Ohio State 34-22 in the paint.
  • The Lady Lions produced better scoring from the field and from three-point range with a 48.1% mark and a 46.7% mark respectively.
  • Penn State played back-to-back top 10 opponents after playing no. 1 UCLA just three days prior, for the first time since facing no. 2 Texas on Nov. 14, 2004 and no. 6 Duke on Nov. 19, 2004.
  • The Lady Lions held the Buckeyes to just 59 points, their lowest point total this season.

LAST TIME AGAINST MICHIGAN STATE

  • Michigan State won the most recent outing 98-87.
  • Four Lady Lions scored in double figures: Valladay (32), Ciezki (14), Brigham (14) and Kapinus (11).
  • Valladay’s 32 points was a career high, she also posted a personal high 11 free throws.
  • Penn State outscored Michigan State 56-44 in the paint and shot 57.6% from the field.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS

  • Michigan State opened the 2024-25 campaign with 11-straight wins before dropping its first game at the West Palm Beach Classic. The Spartans own a 15-3 overall, 5-2 Big Ten record.
  • Four Spartans average double figure scoring: Julia Ayrault (15.4), Moira Joiner (14.7), DeeDee Hagermann (12.3) and Theryn Hallock (11.2).
  • Grace VanSlooten was named to the Cheryl Miller Award Preseason Watch List ahead of the campaign.
  • Michigan State worked its way into the top 25 rankings in December, climbing to no. 17. This was the Spartans first time being ranked since 2021. Their highest ranking of the season was week seven, when the Spartans were no. 15 in the AP poll.
  • Michigan State ranks in the top 10 nationally in several statistical categories. The Spartans force 24.44 turnovers per game which ranks eighth in the nation and leads the Big Ten. Their turnover margin of 8.83 is the ninth best in the country and second in the conference. MSU also ranks eighth nationally in steals per game, averaging 13.3 a game. The Spartans take the second most free throws each game nationally at 24.39 each contest. They make 17.33 shots from the charity stripe per game, good for fifth in the country.
  • Last season, the Spartans produced a 22-9 overall, 12-6 conference record, their most wins since the 2015-16 season. They earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament as a nine seed but dropped their first-round game to eight-seeded North Carolina.

PENN STATE – MICHIGAN STATE SERIES

  • This will be the 55th meeting between the Lady Lions and the Spartans.
  • Despite MSU owning the most recent three wins, Penn State leads the all-time series 31-25.
  • The Lady Lions are 12-11 in games played in East Lansing.
  • In 2008, Penn State earned its 750th program win with a victory over Michigan State, becoming one of only 10 programs to hit that milestone at the time.

LADY LIONS IN THE RANKS

  • Merkle ranks 10th in the Big Ten in total points (298). She also sits 15th in the B1G in points per game (15.7). Merkle is sixth in the country in field goal percentage (65.1) and second in the conference. Her nine double-doubles ranks her 18th in the country and fifth in the Big Ten.
  • Moriah Murray is 21st in the country in three pointers (49) and ranks second in the Big Ten in that category.
  • Alli Campbell is ranked seventh in the conference in assists (82).
  • Penn State is 14th in the nation in total assists (340) and sits 22nd in assists per game (17.9). The team is third in the conference in total assists and ranks fifth in assists per game.