Lady Lions Head to Wisconsin on SundayLady Lions Head to Wisconsin on Sunday

Lady Lions Head to Wisconsin on Sunday

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State women’s basketball (7-7, 0-3 Big Ten) kicks off the New Year at Wisconsin (10-4, 2-1 Big Ten) on Sunday, Jan. 4. The Lady Lions and the Badgers will face off inside the Kohl Center at 4 p.m. ET with national coverage on the Big Ten Network

Penn State is in search of its first conference win of the season while Wisconsin looks to improve to a 3-1 Big Ten record.

GAME INFORMATION

at Wisconsin

LAST TIME OUT

  • Gracie Merkle and Kiyomi McMiller’s double-digit scoring efforts were not enough in Penn State’s 97-61 loss to no. 4 UCLA on New Years Eve.
  • Merkle recorded her fourth consecutive double figure scoring outing and 13th of the season with 15 points. The 6-6 center recorded perfect shooting from the field, going six-of-six.
  • McMiller posted 13 points to go with six rebounds.
  • Shayla Smith led the Lady Lions in boards with seven in addition to eight points.
  • Téa Cléante produced seven assists to lead PSU in the category. She compiled half of the team’s passes on the day.

SCOUTING THE BADGERS

  • Wisconsin is 10-4, 2-1 Big Ten this season with conference wins over no. 20 Michigan State and Rutgers.
  • Destiny Howell leads the Badgers offensively, scoring 13.0 points per game while shooting 47.8% from the floor. Kyrah Daniels follows with 12.9 points per contest.
  • The Badgers also feature four international players on their roster.
  • Last season, Penn State fell to Wisconsin 75-68 at home in its Pink Zone contest. Merkle recorded 28 points on 13-of-17 shooting from the field to lead all scorers. She also produced double-digit rebounding, grabbing 12 boards for a double-double.
  • Last season, Wisconsin finished with a 13-17 overall record, going 4-14 in conference play. The Badgers finished their season with a loss to Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

PENN STATE – WISCONSIN SERIES

  • Penn State leads the all-time series against Wisconsin by a 36-19 margin.
  • The Badgers won the most recent meeting on Feb. 16, 2025.
  • The Lady Lions are 11-14 in games played in Madison.

LADY LIONS IN THE RANKS

  • Merkle finished the 2024-25 campaign ranked third in the nation and first in the conference in field goal percentage (.670). Among power 4 players, she ranked first in field goal percentage, 15th in double-doubles (13), 20th in rebounds per game (8.6) and 23rd in blocks per game.
  • Moriah Murray sat 21st in the nation in three pointers per game (2.63) and second in the B1G in 2024-25.
  • As a team, the Lady Lions ranked 14th in the nation in assists per game (17.7) and fifth in the Big Ten last season.
  • After 14 games, Merkle ranks first in the nation in field goal percentage (74.8) and ninth in field goals (122). She is also fourth in the conference points per game (19.4).
  • McMiller ranks 16th in the nation in field goals (110) and third in field goal attempts (264), ranking fourth and first across the B1G consecutively in those categories.
  • Murray is first in the conference in three pointers per game (2.93) and in total three-pointers (41).