Strong Second Half Not Enough As Lady Lions Fall to Minnesota
Despite a 20-3 second half run and a career performance by sophomore Peyton Whitted, the Lady Lions (5-16, 2-8 B1G) fell on the road Wednesday night against Minnesota 75-64 in Minneapolis.
How It Happened
Freshmen Lindsey Spann and Whitted drained two free throws each, sparking an 8-0 run to take a 29-25 lead with seven minutes remaining in the first half. Minnesota battled right back, going on a 15-4 run of its own despite its top scorer riding the bench with two early fouls. The Lady Lions stared down with a 34-29 deficit going into the half and the Maroon and Gold wouldn’t look back.
The Gophers piled on the points coming out of the locker room, going on a 13-0 run. Penn State battled back to take a 53-52 lead, spurred by a pair of free throws from Tori Waldner. The Lady Lions couldn’t retain the lead, as Minnesota took the game away, going on a 14-4 scoring spree.
Player of the Game
Peyton Whitted. The sophomore racked up a career-high 16 points by shooting 50 percent from the field and nabbed six rebounds.
Quote of the Game
“They play a zone and based on some of their coverages, we knew we could get a lot of threes. Yes, it was our game plan to go ahead and take those shots.” — Minnesota coach Marlene Stollings on the Gophers’ ability to shoot from the perimeter, finishing 10-of-33 from beyond the arc.
Game Notes
- Sophomore Peyton Whitted tied the team lead in scoring, racking up a career-high 16 points on seven shots from the field.
- Freshman Lindsey Spann recorded her 17th double-figure scoring game with 16 points.
- Penn State connected on 11-of-12 free throws, good for a season-high 91.7 percent from the line.
- Minnesota racked up 15 blocks, matching the Gophers’ 34-year-old single-game record.
- Gopher Amanda Zahui became the first player in program history to record two triple-doubles in her career.
What’s Next?
Penn State will travel to Piscataway on Sunday for its second meeting with No. 22 Rutgers. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network at noon. The Lady Lions return home on Thursday, Feb. 5 to face No. 5 Maryland.
Photo: GopherSports.com
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