UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State women’s basketball dropped season opener, 62-61, to Cleveland State on Monday night inside the Bryce Jordan Center. The Lady Lions fall to 0-1, 0-0 Big Ten after the first game in the head coach Tanisha Wright era.
Sophomore guard Ava Black powered Penn State offensively and on the glass, producing her first career double double. The New Hampshire native posted 17 points and 10 rebounds to go with five assists, all of which are career bests. Junior guard Devyn Quigley followed with 12 points and sophomore guard. Senior forward Cristen Carter made an impact at the rim off the bench, grabbing eight boards. As a team, the Lady Lions outrebounded the Vikings 45-41.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Black was responsible for the first Penn State points of the 2026-27 season. Petra Božan sank a turnaround jumper and drew a foul to give the Lady Lions an early 6-3 advantage. The Vikings added a free throw before another set of points from Božan widened PSU’s lead to 8-4 into the media timeout. Cleveland State put across five points out of the break to take a 9-8 lead. Carter broke up the scoring with a mid-range bucket to give the Lady Lions a 10-9 edge after 10 minutes of game action.
Second Quarter
The Vikings put four points up to begin the second frame, but the Lady Lions gained momentum using a 6-2 run to take an 18-15 lead. Durley knocked down a floater in response to a Cleveland State basket to maintain the three-point edge. CSU answered with eight-straight points to recapture the lead at 25-20. The Vikings added two points while Penn State narrowed its deficit to 27-25 at the halftime break.
Third Quarter
Quigley drained a triple off a turnover to begin the third stanza, but CSU answered with a three pointer of their own. Enjulina Gonzalez quickly drove to the basket for a layup to tie the score at 30 all, but the Vikings found six-straight points to sustain their advantage. Gonzalez chipped at the deficit with a pull up jumper and Black followed that up with a three pointer to cut the margin to 36-35. CSU compiled six consecutive points to widen the margin to seven points. Durley ended the PSU scoring drought with a jumper and Quigley followed that up with one of her own. The Vikings found a set of points to break up the Lady Lions intensity, but Quigley drove hard through defense to the rim to inch her squad within one point. White made one of her two free throws to level the score at 44-44 at the end of three quarters.
Fourth Quarter
Black drained a three pointer out of the break, but the Vikings answered with six points. Quigley knocked down a jumper before the visitors had the response to preserve the lead. White put away a layup off an offensive rebound to decrease the deficit to 52-51 at the midway point in the fourth quarter. A free throw from Black tied the game late until Cleveland State shot out to a four-point lead and held the Lady Lions scoreless until the final minute of play. The Vikings and Lady Lions traded free throws before four shots from the charity stripe put Cleveland State up seven with 14 seconds remaining. Despite the score and dwindling time, Penn State fought hard with back-to-back three pointers from Quigley and Black, with Black’s coming at the five second mark from well beyond the arc. The Lady Lions fouled out of the inbound and the Vikings missed both of their free shots with three seconds remaining, giving PSU one last chance. Penn State could not fire off the shot in time, finalizing the Cleveland State victory.
POSTGAME NOTES
- The contest marked Wright’s first game as a collegiate head coach.
- Black recorded her third career double figure scoring performance and posted a career high 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. The sophomore also produced her first career double double.
- Kamrah Banks made her first collegiate appearance.
- Penn State outrebounded Cleveland State by a 45-41 margin.
- There were 10 lead changes and six tie scores throughout the contest.
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