Penn State women’s basketball (9-13, 6-12 Big Ten) couldn’t handle a series of runs from No. 24 Rutgers (13-3, 9-3 Big Ten) on Tuesday night in Piscataway, as the Lady Lions fell 74-56.

Niya Beverly led the way for the Nittany Lions, scoring 20 points. Anna Camden added 14 points, and shot 4-of-8 from three.

How It Happened

The Lady Lions got off to an incredibly hot start. Carolyn Kieger’s team hit three of its first five three-point attempts, and staunch defending put Rutgers into an initial 11-0 deficit.

Rutgers calmed down after its own timeout, getting off the mark through a Diamond Johnson three of her own. However, early transition opportunities kept the Nittany Lions’ double-digit first quarter advantage.

The Lady Lions went the first seven minutes of the game without turning the ball over. However, they committed five in the last three minutes of the quarter. Rutgers couldn’t capitalize on the extra possessions, giving the Lions a 21-13 lead after one on the back of five early three-pointers.

The story transitioned from Penn State’s shooting to Rutgers’ offensive rebounding. The Scarlet Knights took their first lead of the game three minutes into the second quarter, rattling off an impressive 13-0 run.

A lot of the run can be attributed to Rutgers’ full court press. The long arms of Mael Gilles and Tekia Mack made it tough for Penn State to get across half court, much less score.

The Nittany Lions didn’t let things get out of hand, in large part due to Anna Camden’s shooting from range. Rutgers went to the locker room up 37-33 after a tough second quarter for Penn State.

The Lady Lions needed a spark to begin the second half in order to stay with Rutgers, but it didn’t happen. The Scarlet Knights pressed their advantage in the third quarter despite not subbing all game until the fourth quarter.

Penn State finished the quarter strong, however. Nan Garcia found Niya Beverly on a sweet dish inside for an and-one at the buzzer. Beverly finished the three-point play to keep the Lady Lions in it, down 52-45.

In what was seemingly the theme of the evening, Rutgers stopped a burgeoning Lady Lions run dead in its tracks. The Scarlet Knights shot out to a quick 10-0 run to extend their lead to 17 with just under seven minutes to play.

Rutgers had all the confidence from there, and played the rest of the contest out to an eventual 74-56 win, its eighth straight.

Takeaways

• The Nittany Lions would’ve made this one way closer if it weren’t for turnovers. Kieger’s team handed the ball to Rutgers 17 times while only making 20 shots. Penn State was firing on all cylinders during the first quarter, but the lack of offensive opportunities following that killed off any chances for victory.
• Along with turnovers, Penn State lost the game off of forced shots. The Nittany Lions couldn’t seem to miss at some points, but other times they were rushing unnecessary shots. Makenna Marisa was the biggest culprit, finishing the night 1-for-10 from the field.
• Penn State needed this one if it wanted to get a bye in next week’s Big Ten Tournament. If the Lady Lions want to get the all-important 10 seed, they must win against No. 8 Maryland, the best team in the conference, on Saturday.

What’s Next

Penn State finishes its regular season on a road trip to No. 8 Maryland on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 3:10 p.m.