Women’s Basketball Travels to NorthwesternWomen’s Basketball Travels to Northwestern
Mark Selders

Women’s Basketball Travels to Northwestern

Lady Lions square off against the Wildcats on Super Bowl Sunday

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State women’s basketball heads to Evanston, Ill. to take on Northwestern on Sunday, Feb. 9. The Lady Lions, in search of their 300th program Big Ten win, take on the Wildcats at 2 p.m. ET inside Welsh Ryan Arena.

GAME INFORMATIO

vs. Northwestern

  • Date: Sunday, Feb. 5, 2025 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
  • Location: Evanston, Ill. | Venue: Welsh Ryan Arena
  • Live Stats | Watch: B1G+ | Notes | Radio
  • Admission: Ticketed

LAST TIME OUT

  • Penn State celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day and 60 Years of Women’s Sports at Penn State in its most recent game on Wednesday, Feb. 5 against Washington.
  • The Lady Lions placed four athletes in double figures but were unable to overcome an early deficit.
  • The contest was the first between PSU and Washington since 1996.
  • Gabby Elliott and Talayah Walker led the team in scoring with 17 points apiece. Elliott produced perfect shooting from the free throw line for the second time this season. Walker was productive from the field, shooting at a six-of-nine clip.
  • Jayla Oden had a stellar night both on the offensive and defensive ends. She put up 14 points, five assists and six steals, a career high.
  • Merkle worked her way to double-digit scoring, posting 11 points while shooting five-of-five from the field.
  • PSU forced 25 turnovers on Washington, matching the Huskies season high in TOs. The Lady Lions converted 22 points from the miscues.
  • Penn State shot 56% from the field, its second-best field goal shooting percentage this season.

LAST TIME AGAINST NORTHWESTERN

  • Penn State won both games played against Northwestern in the 2023-24 campaign.
  • PSU won the first game on Jan. 2 95-55. This 40-point margin marked its largest margin of victory in a Big Ten game since 2013. It was also head coach Carolyn Kieger’s 150th career win.
  • The Lady Lions forced a season high 30 turnovers and converted 44 points from their defense.
  • Ali Brigham (17), Tay Valladay (16), Shay Ciezki (15) and Leilani Kapinus (14) all scored in double figures in the first contest inside the Bryce Jordan Center
  • The teams faced again on Jan. 25 in Evanston, The Lady Lions winning by a 76-65 margin.
  • Makenna Marisa notched her 2000th career point in the outing.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS

  • Northwestern is 7-14 overall 0-10 in the Big Ten this season. The team has not won a game since Dec. 21.
  • Four Wildcats average double figure scoring: Caileigh Walsh (11.7), Taylor Williams (11.2), Melannie Daley (11.0) and Grace Sullivan (10.5).
  • Caroline Lau leads the conference in assists (122) and assists per game (5.8), ranking 23rd and 13th in those categories nationally.
  • As a team, Northwestern ranks third in the conference in assists per game (18.2) and 17th in the country.
  • Last season, the Wildcats produced a 9-21 overall and 4-14 Big Ten record, losing to Purdue in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

PENN STATE – NORTHWESTERN SERIES

  • Penn State and Northwestern have faced 54 times in the history of both programs, with the 55th meeting coming on Sunday.
  • The Lady Lions own the all-time series record by a dominating 42-12 margin.
  • In 2000 when the teams met, PSU scored its fourth largest team point total in the Bryce Jordan Center, putting up 114 points using its second most field goals in a single game at 45 also a BJC record.

LADY LIONS IN THE RANKS

  • Merkle ranks 12th in the Big Ten in total points (348). She also sits 15th in the B1G in points per game (15.1). Merkle is fourth in the country in field goal percentage (67.0) and first in the conference. Her nine double-doubles ranks her fifth in the Big Ten.
  • Moriah Murray is 13th in the country in three pointers (64) and ranks first in the Big Ten in that category. She also sits second in the conference in three pointers per game (2.78) and first in three-point attempts (163), ranking 17th and 19th nationally in those respective categories.
  • Alli Campbell is ranked fourth in the conference in assists (96).
  • Penn State is 14th in the nation in total assists (397) and sits 18th in assists per game (18.0). The team is third in the conference in total assists and ranks fourth in assists per game.