Penn State women’s basketball (10-13, 3-9 Big Ten) fell in another close battle to Michigan, 66-62.

The Wolverines (16-9, 7-6 Big Ten) struggled to crack the Lady Lions’ defense, but shooting woes plagued Penn State as it finished the game converting 31.5 percent of attempts from the field.

How It Happened

Whether it was quality defense from Penn State or just carelessness from the Wolverines, the Lady Lions got off to a great start thanks to points off turnovers. Penn State led by as many as nine after forcing 13 turnovers and scoring 16 points on that transition in the first half.

Michigan charged in the final minutes of the half, though. Without a field goal in the final five minutes, Penn State’s lead evaporated and the Wolverines went into the break up 31-30.

Penn State’s defense kept it in the ball game heading into the fourth quarter after the Lady Lions went on another near five-minute scoring drought.

Down 46-44 with just 10 minutes to go, the Lady Lions needed to step up their game from the field after shooting about 30 percent through three quarters. Penn State finally was able to convert on its opportunities in the final quarter, taking a lead thanks to a 6-8 shooting stretch.

Much like in the first half, a scoring drought saw that slim lead go away. The Lady Lions went 0-8 from the field to finish the game as Michigan iced the 66-62 victory with all but four of the team’s final 14 points coming from the foul line.

Takeaways

• The Pink Zone game is truly a must-see event in Penn State athletics.

• The Michigan game served pretty much as a must-win if the Lady Lions wanted to get to the WNIT. They have to get to .500 to qualify, so because of the loss, Penn State will need to finish the season 5-1 or make a run in the Big Ten Tournament to see the postseason.

What’s Next

The Lady Lions travel to Northwestern for an 8 p.m. clash on Thursday night. BTN Plus will have the live stream from Evanston.