Penn State women’s basketball (6-7, 0-2 Big Ten) couldn’t match the pace or intensity of a talented Michigan opponent (10-3, 1-1 Big Ten) in an 82-48 rout in Ann Arbor Tuesday afternoon.

Siyeh Frazier and Kamaria McDaniel combined for 32 of the team’s 48 total points in a lopsided contest that exposed many flaws of Carolyn Kieger’s young team.

How It Happened

The Wolverines jumped out to an early 4-0 lead Tuesday afternoon, which would set the tone for the entire contest. Frazier responded with a deep three-ball but from that point on, the Lady Lions had trouble finding any offensive rhythm.

Despite being locked at 7-7 early on, eight Penn State turnovers propelled Michigan to a 23-12 lead by the end of the first quarter. This created a deficit Kieger’s squad was never able to recover from.

Frazier, McDaniel, and freshman Bexley Wallace were the only Nittany Lions to find the net until 0:45 in the fourth quarter. Anna Camden notched two three-pointers during garbage time after Michigan had already expanded the lead to 37 points.

Combined, four Nittany Lions accounted for 44 of the team’s 48 total points in an overall disappointing performance on both ends of the floor. Michigan was able to dribble out the clock at the end of the game, handing Penn State its second loss in Big Ten play.

Takeaways

• If there’s one silver lining in all of this, it’s that Frazier and McDaniel are always consistent. The former now has nine double-figure games, while the latter has scored in double figures in 12 of the team’s 13 games so far. Both players notched 16 points in the loss to Michigan and did everything they could to boost the Lady Lions’ and light some sort of fire under their teammates.
• Big Ten play isn’t going well so far for Kieger’s squad. Following a similarly ugly loss to Minnesota last Saturday, the Lady Lions came out flat and unprepared to face a tough Michigan team. Penn State struggles to keep up with these Big Ten opponents, which seem to be on a completely different level compared to Penn State.
• If the Lady Lions want to win more ballgames, more than four players need to contribute. It’s that simple. Lauren Ebo, Shay Hagans, Makenna Marisa, and Alisia Smith were absent on the offensive end of the floor during today’s game, which gave the Wolverines a clear advantage. These players need to step up and pitch in if the outcome is going to be different in upcoming games.

What’s Next?

The Lady Lions will kick off the new year by traveling to Madison, Wisconsin to take on the Badgers on Saturday, January 4. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m., and the conference matchup will be broadcast nationally on the Big Ten Network.