Lady Lions Head to RutgersLady Lions Head to Rutgers

Lady Lions Head to Rutgers

Penn State women’s basketball travels to Rutgers on Saturday

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State women’s basketball is set for its second meeting of the year with Rutgers on Saturday, Feb. 21. The rematch between the Lady Lions (9-17, 2-13 Big Ten) and the Scarlet Knights (9-17, 1-14 Big Ten) is slated for 4 p.m. with national coverage on the Big Ten Network.

GAME INFORMATION

at Rutgers

LAST TIME OUT

  • Penn State secured its second conference win of the season with an 81-71 feat over Northwestern on Sunday, Feb. 14 in the 20th Annual Pink Zone game. The win served as the Lady Lions’ first Pink Zone win since defeating no. 24/25 Michigan on Feb. 25, 2017.
  • After a brief 24 seconds trailing Northwestern in the early minutes of the first quarter, Penn State built an advantage that it never relinquished, despite the Wildcats attempts down the stretch.
  • Once again, Kiyomi McMiller led the PSU offensive effort with her fourth-straight 30-plus-point performance. She posted 32 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field to go with 12 rebounds, marking her third double-double of the year. McMiller also led the team with a career best six steals.
  • Gracie Merkle also notched a double-double, her eighth of the campaign. She recorded 19 points on eight-of-13 shooting in addition to 11 boards.
  • Moriah Murray posted her 23rd career game with four-plus triples. She added 14 points, 12 of which came from beyond the arc.
  • As a team, the Lady Lions out-rebounded the Wildcats by a 45-28 margin and outscored Northwestern in the paint by a 40-22 clip.

SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS

  • Rutgers is 9-17, 1-14 Big Ten this season. The Scarlet Knights are on an eight-game losing streak, with their last win coming over Penn State on Jan. 18.
  • Nene Ndiaye leads the squad on offense, averaging 15.0 points per game. She ranks fifth in the B1G in free throws attempts, combining for 119 free shots throughout the year. Imani Lester (11.0), Zachara Perkins (10.5) and Faith Blackstone (10.1) also average double figure scoring.
  • Lauryn Swann earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman team before transferring to Rutger this season. as well as being named Big 12 Freshman of the week twice last year.
  • Last season, the Scarlet Knights finished 13-20, 3-15 Big Ten.

PENN STATE – RUTGERS SERIES

  • Rutgers leads the all-time series against the Nittany Lions 37-22.
  • The Scarlet Knights have won the most recent three meetings. The last Lady Lion win came in 2024 in Piscataway. It was PSU’s 1,000th program win.
  • Penn State is 7-21 in games played in Piscataway throughout the series.
  • In the contest earlier this season, McMiller produced a double-double with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Merkle also had a double figure scoring outing with 21 points.

LADY LIONS IN THE RANKS

  • Merkle ranks first in the nation in field goal percentage (73.9) and 23rd in field goals (190). She is also seventh in the conference points per game (19.0).
  • McMiller ranks fifth in the nation in field goals (229) and first in field goal attempts (518), ranking third and first across the B1G consecutively in those categories. She sits fourth in the conference in points per game (21.0).
  • Murray is second in the Big Ten in three pointers per game (2.65) and in three pointers (69).