Penn State women’s basketball (9-4, 0-1 Big Ten) took down Central Connecticut State (2-10) 101-73 Wednesday. A 40-point game from Shay Ciezki was nearly all Penn State needed, as the sophomore guard continued to tear up her opponents.

The Lady Lions’ electric three-point shooting in the first half allowed them to take control of the game from the start. While the team cruised a bit in the second half, the 20-point lead obtained early on was enough to keep the Blue Devils at bay.

How It Happened

Penn State won the opening tip, but both sides traded misses to start the game. Chanaya Pinto gave Penn State its first points of the game before Meghan Kenefick tied it for Central Connecticut State. Ciezki and Leilani Kapinus then both scored, giving the Lady Lions a 6-2 lead in the first two minutes. A three-pointer from Ciezki extended that lead a minute later before the Blue Devils called a timeout.

GOING… GOING… GONE! 3 for @shay_ciezki #LionMentality pic.twitter.com/qpouyvzIkz

— Penn State Women's Basketball (@PennStateWBB) December 20, 2023

Coming out of that timeout, Central Connecticut State got four points back on the board before Ali Brigham dropped a layup through the net.

Kylie Lavelle and Moriah Murray both followed Brigham with points of their own as the Lady Lions got out to a 16-6 lead through the first six minutes of the game. Another three from Murray responded to two made field goals from the Blue Devils’ Kayla Henry within the next minute.

Three-point shots continued to fall for both teams, as Belle Lanpher made one for Central Connecticut State before Murray and Kapinus responded with a three each with two minutes left in the first quarter.

WE'RE SEEING TRIPLE THREE FOR @murray_moriah!#LionMentality pic.twitter.com/ZtoXcf1kAL

— Penn State Women's Basketball (@PennStateWBB) December 20, 2023

Jayla Oden’s two free throws and Tay Valladay’s three-pointer tacked on five more points for the Lady Lions. Ciezki closed the first quarter with two more points as Penn State held a 32-12 lead after 10 minutes.

Ciezki started the second quarter off strong with an acrobatic layup before Kapinus knocked down another three. The Blue Devils responded by calling a timeout after just over a minute into the quarter.

She makes it look easy 3 for Shay Ciezki!#LionMentality | @shay_ciezki pic.twitter.com/OJzZza66J5

— Penn State Women's Basketball (@PennStateWBB) December 20, 2023

Kapinus opened the scoring coming out of the break with two made free throws, but a nice steal from Valladay in Central Connecticut State’s half of the court didn’t manage to find the basket.

Brigham dropped her layup into the net soon after to make the score 45-14 with just under eight minutes left in the half, and Ciezki knocked down a three immediately after. The Blue Devils finally responded as Henry earned a layup in transition before Samora Watson scored on the fast break.

Still, Ciezki and her teammates couldn’t miss. Ciezki’s three with just over six minutes remaining in the half gave the Lady Lions a 49-20 lead. After Henry responded with another layup, head coach Carolyn Kieger allowed the clock to run for a couple more possessions before calling a timeout.

The Blue Devils got a few points back, but Ciezki turned into a one-woman show with four successive points. With another three after that, Ciezki had 22 points in 16 minutes of play.

Even with a blowout deficit in the second quarter, neither team slowed down. Central Connecticut State was still getting steals and taking the ball down the court while the Lady Lions kept shooting threes at a high rate. Both sides were playing at breakneck speed even with the contest seemingly decided.

Both teams traded points through the end of the second quarter, with Kapinus leading the way for Penn State. Through the first 20 minutes of action, Penn State held a commanding 59-32 lead.

Central Connecticut State took control of the early stages of the second half, scoring the first six points of the game. A steal and score with 8:31 left in the third quarter to make the score 59-38 was enough for Kieger to call a timeout to try and reset her squad.

Oden’s layup gave Penn State its first points of the half, though Watson followed up with a free throw. A slick jumper from Kenefick gave the Blue Devils their 41st point before Watson scored another two points.

Alli Campbell scored her first points in more than a month with a layup as she returned to the lineup from injury, but Watson responded with two more points. Pinto kept Penn State’s 20-point intact with her layup before Brigham’s hook shot make the score 67-45 with five minutes left in the third quarter.

The two teams continued to trade points, but it was clear Penn State had stepped up its press. The Lady Lions were playing more aggresive, refusing to allow any Blue Devils space to pass and shoot.

After a slow start to the second half, Ciezki started to take the game back over for Penn State. Her seven points put the Lady Lions up 77-53 as her team began to pull back away. Another finesse layup from Ciezki answered two Blue Devil free throws to give Penn State a 79-55 lead at the end of the third quarter.

ALLI SHAY#LionMentality | @alli_campbell21 + @shay_ciezki pic.twitter.com/L3ijphmKwq

— Penn State Women's Basketball (@PennStateWBB) December 20, 2023

With 10 minutes left and a 24-point deficit to make up, the game was out of reach for Central Connecticut State, though the Blue Devils kept trying. Their early layup was answered by a three from Ciezki, as Penn State tried to avoid letting the contest turn into a real battle.

The Blue Devils scored four of the game’s next six points, but Penn State still had a commanding 87-63 lead with 6:30 left in the game. Ciezki drained another three pointer, her eighth of the game, to extend that lead even further.

@shay_ciezki#LionMentality pic.twitter.com/KWvvJNP8wT

— Penn State Women's Basketball (@PennStateWBB) December 20, 2023

Coming out of a break, Murray got a three-pointer to fall from a freaky bounce off the backboard. With four minutes left, the Lady Lions were up 93-66. Grace Hall and Valladay tacked on four more points for Penn State, but Kenefick and Watson combined for five of their own.

Lavelle gave Penn State its 100th point, as her layup put the Lady Lions up 101-73 with a minute remaining. Neither team scored on the next three possessions, giving Penn State another dominant win.

Takeaways

• Penn State is still looking for a statement game. That close game against No. 6 USC was nice, but the Lady Lions just haven’t had a big win yet. Blowing out the Central Connecticut States of the world is nice, but this win isn’t putting the Lady Lions into the tournament in March.
• Campbell made her return to the court Wednesday, which could turn into a huge addition for the Lady Lions. She was injured in early November against Bucknell, but looked good against the Bison even in her limited pre-injury minutes. Ashley Owusu still has yet to take the floor for Penn State, but Campbell’s addition is a huge depth or starting piece to have in Kieger’s back pocket. Campbell finished the game with two points, five rebounds, and a steal.
• Ciezki is almost too good. Her second half may have been sluggish at points, but her 40 points made up more than the entire deficit between Penn State and Central Connecticut State. We’ll be hearing Ciezki’s name in the Wooden Award conversation before she’s done playing at the Bryce Jordan Center.

What’s Next?

Penn State will get back into Big Ten play against Michigan State in 10 days. The Lady Lions host the Spartans at 4 p.m. Saturday, December 30, in the Bryce Jordan Center.