UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Despite four double figure scorers, Penn State fell to Nebraska, 101-83 in its Big Ten opener inside the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Lions fall to 6-2, 0-1 Big Ten while the Cornhuskers improve to 9-0, 1-0, remaining unbeaten in the 2025-26 campaign. Despite a Penn State 38-34 lead at the halftime break, Nebraska climbed back from the deficit to close out the victory.
Redshirt junior center Gracie Merkle and sophomore guard Kiyomi McMiller guided PSU with a pair of 20-plus-point performances. Merkle posted 23 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field in her eighth consecutive double figure scoring outing. McMiller recorded 22 points, with all but two coming in the second half, in addition to six rebounds and five assists for her eighth double-digit performance. Redshirt junior guard Moriah Murray added 18 points including 12 from three-point range. Freshman guard Tèa Clèante eclipsed double figures for the first time since November 16 against St. Joseph’s, finishing with 12 points, three rebounds and four assists.
Penn State produced 54.2% shooting from the field, marking the fifth time this season the team recorded 50-plus-percent shooting. PSU dominated the paint by a 46-38 margin and out rebounded Nebraska by a 29-26 clip.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Turnovers plagued the Lady Lions in the opening minutes, which allowed Nebraska to begin the game on a 9-0 run. Vitoria Santana broke the silence for the Nittany Lions, adding two points to the board at the 6:57 mark. This sparked a surge of momentum for PSU as it managed to add seven-straight points to get within two. The next bucket wouldn’t come until a Nebraska layup with 4:36 remaining and the Cornhuskers tacked on a jumper, making it 13-7. Merkle made another layup, but Nebraska added two free throws before making a three-pointer, increasing its lead to nine at the 2:50 mark. A pair of shots from the charity stripe in addition to a two-point jumper from McMilller began to chip at the deficit but a foul called on Penn State sent Nebraska to the free throw line with 30 seconds remaining in the stanza to allow the visitors to finish out the first quarter with a 22-13 advantage.
Second Quarter
Penn State took the ball to begin the quarter and turned it over, with Nebraska making its pair of free throws to stretch its lead to 11. Following the free shots, the Lady Lions decreased the deficit to 24-18 using points from Merkle and a long three from Murray. Nebraska snuck in another two points before Merkle earned a trip to the charity stripe to complete a three-point play. A point from the free throw line for Nebraska was followed up with back-to-back shots from behind the arc out of the hands of Clèante and Murray to tie the score at 27-27. Merkle captured the first lead for Penn State at 29-27 to follow up a shot clock violation on the visitors. The teams split the next eight points, all from layups, before Murray made two foul shots to give Penn State a 35-31 lead with 1:54 to go in the half. The Cornhuskers utilized a shot from three-point range to creep within one, but Murray’s fourth three-pointer of the contest sent the BJC into a roar to close out a 38-34 lead for Penn State at the halftime break.
Third Quarter
After missed offensive opportunities for both squads to begin the second half, Nebraska drained a shot from long range to close the gap. Four consecutive points for the Lady Lions extended their lead to 42-37, but a set of free throws allowed the Cornhuskers to decrease the deficit. The squads traded points, but PSU still preserved its advantage despite a threatening shot from long range for the visitors. More opportunities from the charity stripe allowed the Cornhuskers to recapture the lead at 46-45 with just under six minutes remaining in the third quarter, but the same situation in favor of the Lady Lions sent the lead back their way. The teams continued to pass the lead back and forth until Nebraska pulled ahead by 51-49 at the four-minute mark. McMiller and Murray added back-to-back points to grab the lead back, but the Cornhuskers continued to have an answer. A three-point shot ignited a 6-0 run for the visitors, allowing them to open their lead to 61-56. While McMiller concluded a 16-point third quarter with a layup, Nebraska missed its final shot and held a 65-60 edge entering the final frame. stanza.
Fourth Quarter
Nebraska opened the final stanza with five-straight points to build a double-digit advantage. A steal-and-score three-point play for Viktoria Ranisavljevic chipped at the deficit, but the Cornhuskers had a response on their next offensive possession. The teams traded points, but the advantage stayed with Nebraska despite a shot from beyond the arc for Clèante to cut the Cornhuskers’ lead to 74-68. While Clèante cashed in a layup, a Nebraska three-pointer stretched the lead to seven. The Cornhuskers then made their next three shots from beyond the arc as part of a 9-4 run, forcing another Penn State timeout with 4:12 remaining and the Lady Lions trailing, 86-74. Both teams scored on their next possession, with McMiller’s jumper giving her 20 points on the afternoon. Nebraska scored 12 of the next 14 points and didn’t look back, forcing Penn State into its last timeout with 1:14 remaining in the contest. The visitors added one more three-pointer before a Merkle layup and a Vitoria Santana three-pointer at the buzzer capped the scoring, giving Penn State its second loss of the season.
POSTGAME NOTES
Nebraska at Penn State
December 6, 2025
Bryce Jordan Center (University Park, Pa.)
- Nebraska moves to 13-9 in the all-time series. The loss was Penn State’s 13th all-time to Nebraska and its second in a row, having dropped a 72-61 game in January 2025.
- Four Lady Lions reached double figure scoring for the third time this season.
- Murray posted her fifth contest of the season scoring four-plus three-pointers.
- The Lady Lions recorded 50-plus-shooting from the field for the fifth time this season.
- Penn State out rebounded its opponent for the sixth time this season and fifth in a row.
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