Makenna Marisa Headlines Lady Lions’ All-Big Ten Honorees
Now that the 2021-22 regular season has wrapped up, three Penn State women’s basketball stars have received some stellar Big Ten acknowledgments.
Makenna Marisa earned All-Big Ten first-team honors from both the conference’s coaches and media after finishing the regular season ranked second in the Big Ten in scoring (630 points) and averaging 22.5 points per game. That point total was good enough for her to earn the third highest average by a Lady Lion in a single season.
Along with her impressive scoring season, Marisa also tallied 18 20-point games, 13 25-point games, and an even more impressive five 30-point games. All of that scoring brought her to become the eighth-best scorer in the nation.
Leilani Kapinus, after suffering a season-ending injury prior to last season, received a bid to the All-Freshman team. She is the 13th Lady Lion to ever receive such a selection.
Kapinus dominated on the defensive side of the court and finished second in the Big Ten in both blocks and steals, totaling 32 and 56, respectively. She became the only Big Ten player with 30-plus blocks and 55-plus steals this season.
Although not known for her offense, Kapinus was the second-highest scorer on the squad and finished with 9.4 points per contest. Her offense continued to grow throughout the season, and she recorded her first career double-double against Rutgers and again against Ohio State.
Finally, senior guard Kelly Jekot earned Penn State’s Big Ten sportsmanship award for the second straight season. During her final campaign in Happy Valley, Jekot averaged started in 20 games and averaged 3.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. Her best game of the season came in late January when she sank four from deep against Maryland.
These three honorees will have the chance to bring home some Big Ten hardware when the Lady Lions face off against Rutgers on Wednesday, March 2, during the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
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