Penn State (14-10, 5-6) handled Michigan State (14-10, 4-7) at home on Sunday afternoon. Guards Amari Carter and Teniya Page combined for 30 points, with Jaida Travascio-Green having a great day from beyond the arc as well. Siyeh Frazier quietly had one of her best games of the season, too, scoring 14 points off the bench for the Lady Lions.

How It Happened

The Lady Lions started off the game going 3-for-3 behind baskets by Amari Carter and De’Janae Boykin. The Spartans held their own throughout the first few minutes, before Penn State’s Jaida Travascio-Green began to heat up. She made two consecutive threes and four foul shots, giving her ten early points to lead the team in scoring. The Lady Lions forced four turnovers in the opening frame which lead to several breakaway layups, and extended the lead to seven as the quarter ended.

After making her first two baskets of the game, Amari Carter struggled to find the range in the second quarter. She missed six of her next seven shots, giving Michigan State a chance to stay in it. It was an all-around effort from the Spartans in the first half, with no player scoring more than nine points. Travascio-Green remained perfect from the floor in the first half, adding another three pointer with a little over two minutes to go. The Lady Lions ended the half on a 17-6 run, pushing the lead to 14 due to ten forced turnovers.

Teniya Page, who only connected on one shot in the first half, started off with the third period with two foul shots and a mid-range jumper. After that, both teams looked relatively sloppy, as neither team shot above 30% until two minutes to go in the quarter. Travascio-Green was quiet after a brilliant first half, which allowed others to step up. Amari Carter and Page, the two most consistent scorers for the Lady Lions, combined for 11 points in the period and helped the team maintain a 60-44 edge over the Spartans.

The Spartans made things interesting to start the fourth quarter, going on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 11. But it wasn’t enough, as Michigan State could never get out of its own way. They committed ten turnovers in the second half alone, giving up chances they needed to have down the stretch of a crucial road game. Teniya Page made a living for the Lady Lions at the foul line in the second half, making ten of eleven shots. Penn State only managed to shoot 21% from the field in the fourth quarter, but pulled away with a 15-point win.

Player Of The Game

Amari Carter | Junior | Guard

It wasn’t the prettiest performance from Carter scoring wise, but she found a way to keep her teammates involved all afternoon. She finished with six assists and four rebounds, while also scoring 14 points on 5-15 shooting. Look for Carter to carry the scoring load along with Page when the Lady Lions take on Iowa later in the week.

What’s Next

The Lady Lions will go on the road to take on Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, a team that has proven they can hang with the best in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes have beaten both Ohio State and Michigan on the year, so it looks to be a tough matchup for Penn State. The game starts at 8 p.m. on February 8 and will be broadcasted on BTN Plus.