Coming off the team’s worst loss of the season — in which the Lady Lions put up a season-low 34 points—the Lady Lions were in need of a confidence boosting victory. Hosting Ohio State, the Big Ten’s fifth-ranked team, such luck would not come, as Penn State fell 88-70. The loss drops the struggling Lady Lions to a woeful 6-22 on the year, and with one more game remaining on the schedule, a season that began with high aspirations is finally coming to an end. Let’s see how the action unfolded Thursday night.

How It Happened

The game started off on an incredibly slow note, with Ohio State crawling to a 6-4 lead through four minutes of play. Despite Ohio State’s far superior record, the Lady Lions were not going to go down without a fight. Lindsey Spann and Kaliyah Mitchell helped keep the Lions within one of the Buckeyes, trailing 19-18 at the 8:26 mark, and notching it up at 22 apiece a minute later.

A 9-2 run by the Buckeyes throughout the latter portion of the first half helped them take a 36-30 lead going into halftime, with the Lady Lions staying well within reach.

The six-point deficit would quickly become a much greater hole for the Lady Lions after the team struggled mightily out of the gate to start the second half. Ohio State began to catch fire, leading to a 55-42 score at the 13:33 mark. Ohio State continued its dominant run, never trailing again as the Buckeyes led by double digits throughout remainder of the game.

Behind 23 points from Ameryst Alston, Ohio State routed the Lady Lions, winning 88-70 in what has become a lost season for Penn State. Sierra Moore led the Lady Lions with 18 points, but her effort was not enough to take down the Buckeyes.

Player Of The Game

Ohio State’s Ameryst Alston receives game MVP honors with 23 points, three rebounds, seven assists, and one steal against the Lady Lions.

Game Notes

The Lady Lions drop to 6-22 on the season, dropping the team to 14 Big Ten losses on the year, compared to only three wins. Ohio State improves to 20-9, adding another win to its impressive 12-5 Big Ten record.

What’s Next?

The Lady Lions close out the year against an 8-18 Wisconsin team on March 1 at 2 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center.