UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State women’s basketball travels to Henrico, Va. for the 4 Tha Culture Holiday Classic where the team will take on two Atlantic 10 opponents. The Lady Lions kick off the tournament on Saturday, Dec. 20 a 3:30 p.m. when they face VCU. PSU is back in action on Sunday, Dec. 21 at 2:30 p.m. to take on Richmond. The competition will round out Penn State’s regular season non-conference slate, throughout which the Lady Lions hold a 6-3 out-of-conference record heading into the weekend.
GAME INFORMATION
at 4 Tha Culture Holiday Classic
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 20-Sunday, Dec. 21 2025 | Time: 3:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
- Location: Henrico, Va. | Venue: Henrico Sports & Events Center
- Live Stats | Watch: ESPN+ | Notes | Radio
- Admission: Ticketed
LAST TIME OUT
- Penn State fell to South Carolina on Sunday, Dec. 14, 95-55. The Lady Lions kept it close through halftime, with a 46-34 score at the break, but a 29-9 third quarter for the Gamecocks built a substantial lead that PSU could not climb back from.
- Kiyomi McMiller led the team in scoring with her fifth 20-plus point outing of the season. She added 22 points, six rebounds and three assists.
- Shayla Smith produced her second consecutive double figure scoring performance while also making her first collegiate start. She posted 13 points and nine rebounds.
- Penn State out-rebounded its opponent for the eighth consecutive game, grabbing 51 boards to South Carolina’s 43.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
- VCU is 4-7 overall and 0-1 in the A10 so far this season. The Rams snapped a six-game slide with a win over American in their most recent contest on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Despite trailing 50-56, VCU closed the contest on a 13-3 run to take the victory. Lucy Ghaifan led the team in scoring with 16 points on six-of-nine shooting from the floor.
- Two VCU players average double figure scoring: Mary-Anna Asare scores at a 17.2 clip per game while Katarina Knezevic averages 12.7 points per contest.
- The Rams are first in their conference in bench points per game, averaging 28.4 points per contest from their subs.
- Asare was named to the All-Atlantic 10 Preseason First Team ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
- Last season, VCU finished 12-19, 6-12 A10.
PENN STATE – VCU SERIES
- Penn State and VCU have only met once in the history of both programs, with PSU owning a 95-46 win in 1983.
- The last time the two teams faced was in the Cavalier Classic in Charlottesville, Va.
SCOUTING THE SPIDERS
- Richmond is 9-3 this season including 1-0 in the A10. The Spiders won their most recent contest against Bethune-Cookman by an 81-45 margin on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
- Maggie Doogan leads the team averaging 23.8 points per game which ranks seventh in the nation. Rachel Ullstrom also averages double-digit scoring with 13.9 points per contest. The two Spiders combined for 49 points in their most recent outing against Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday.
- Doogan owns four A10 Player of the Week titles so far this season. She was named to the Katrina McClain and Naismith Trophy Watch Lists in addition to being one of ESPN’s Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Players ahead of the season.
- Ullstrom earned a spot on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Preseason Watch List.
- Tierra Simon is on the Cheryl Miller Award Preseason Watch List.
- Head coach Aaron Roussell was named to the Kath Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Preseason Watch List.
- Richmond was ranked 19th by ESPN in the Preseason Top 20 list and was ranked 24th by Associated Press ahead of the campaign.
- As a team, the Spiders rank seventh in the country in three-pointers per game (14.58) with Doogan sitting second in the nation in total three-pointers (39).
- Last season, Richmond finished 28-7, 17-1 A10. The Spiders made a run in the NCAA Tournament to the second round where they lost to UCLA.
PENN STATE – RICHMOND SERIES
- Penn State is 2-0 in the series history.
- Both games in history were played at Richmond.
LADY LIONS IN THE RANKS
- After 10 games, Merkle ranks first in the nation in field goal percentage (74.2) and sixth in field goals (95). She is also 14th in the country and third in the conference points per game (21.0).
- McMiller ranks 17th in the nation in field goals (84) and sixth in field goal attempts (195), ranking fifth and second across the B1G consecutively in those categories.
- Murray is 19th in three pointers per game (3.0) and first in the Big Ten.
- As a team, the Lady Lions are 15th in the country in field goal percentage (48.3), ranking seventh in the Big Ten.