Penn State women’s basketball (10-4, 1-2 Big Ten) took down Rutgers (6-9, 1-2 Big Ten) in quick fashion on Friday night in a 90-72 win. The victory led off the Lady Lions’ long run of Big Ten play, which will last until the end of the regular season.

Sophomore Leilani Kapinus recorded her 100th steal against the Scarlet Knights, as she notched six steals in total across the game. Senior Makenna Marisa also recorded her 1,500th point on Friday, as she scored a total of 32, her second 30-point game of the season.

How It Happened

Penn State struck first against the Scarlet Knights and was able to control the game early on. The Lady Lions held a slight lead in the opening minutes, leading 7-4 after the first three.

Marisa took control of the Penn State offense early, scoring 13 of the team’s first 18 points. She also dished an assist to Anna Camden, as the Lady Lions dropped 11 points in just over a minute to expand their lead to 18-4.

On the other side of the court, Rutgers struggled to get going. Coming out of a timeout by the Scarlet Knights, the team recorded its ninth turnover in under five minutes. Three steals by the Lady Lions and several offensive fouls against Rutgers helped Penn State control the game’s tempo.

As the first quarter began to wind down, the Scarlet Knights looked to make a run of their own, cutting down Penn State’s lead to 11 points. However, some highlight plays from the Lady Lions killed any potential momentum, especially a steal and score from Taniyah Thompson.

Both teams traded points in the final seconds of the quarter, but late points from Kapinus and Shay Ciezki boosted the Lady Lions’ lead to 33-13 after ten minutes.

While Rutgers couldn’t cut down much on Penn State’s lead in the early moments of the second quarter, the Scarlet Knights weren’t falling behind much either. Halfway through the quarter, the Lady Lions led 42-22 as they stayed step for step with their opponents.

Both teams struggled to find the hoop in the last four minutes of the second quarter. Penn State scored all four points as the first half came to a close, while both defenses worked to close down the other’s offense.

Still, Penn State held a 24-point lead as the half ended, and went into the break with its 10th win all but secured.

Right out of the gate, Marisa scored her 20th point in the first seconds of the second half. However, even with the fast start, Rutgers continued to hold its own against the Lady Lions.

However, just as the Scarlet Knights started to make a real difference in the scoreline, Penn State retook control of the game, with Marisa leading the way with five points in 15 seconds.

Penn State held that control through the end of the third quarter and led 72-50 entering the final ten minutes.

The 20-point difference didn’t change throughout the fourth quarter. Neither team noticeably slowed, but once again, Penn State didn’t continue to expand on its lead.

Eventually, the Lady Lions cruised to the win, taking down their Big Ten opponents 90-72.

Takeaways

• The first quarter was a great look at what Penn State can be. The Lady Lions made six three-point shots in the first quarter as they dominated the Scarlet Knights. While Rutgers is not the best team that Penn State will face this year, this game was a great entrance to the Big Ten stretch of play.
• Anna Camden is quietly making a case to work her way back into the starting lineup. After averaging 1.7 points per game to start the season, Camden scored 14 points across the last two. Should this form keep up, the senior’s role will only continue to grow.
• Penn State’s defense was massive on Friday. While the offense performed well and shot well, the defense limited the number of chances Rutgers got. The whopping 41 turnovers are what won the game for Penn State on Friday, as the team continues to show what can make it a serious contender.

What’s Next

Penn State will kick off 2023 against No. 14 Michigan in Ann Arbor at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, January 3.