Lady Lions’ Comeback Bid Falls Short To No. 14 Maryland 82-73

Penn State women’s basketball (10-12, 1-10 Big Ten) fell to No. 14 Maryland (17-4, 7-3 Big Ten) 82-73 in the Return to Rec game on Wednesday night.
Gracie Merkle and Gabby Elliott starred in a gritty performance from the Lady Lions. After going down by 20, Penn State rallied back to make it a nail-biter deep into the fourth quarter. However, the Terrapins proved too much to handle as Maryland pulled away in the final minutes to hand Penn State its third consecutive loss.
How It Happened
Maryland fired off with a quick 8-0 run, forcing head coach Carolyn Kieger to call Penn State’s first timeout less than two minutes into the contest.
Merkle got the Lady Lions on the board with a layup assisted by Alli Campbell. Moriah Murray tried back-to-back shots from distance to spark something in Penn State’s offense, but neither fell in her favor as Maryland led by 15 points late in the first quarter.
Talayah Walker poked the ball away from a Terrapin and led a three-on-one with Elliott and Grace Hall closely by her side. The transition opportunity didn’t amount to any points.
Merkle scored one free throw before the quarter ended. Maryland led 23-7 after the opening frame.
Merkle laid in back-to-back buckets, bringing her points total to nine early in the second quarter. The Terps’ Kaylene Smikle fired in a triple, to which Merkle responded with another basket to reach double digits.
Merkle continued to be a force to be reckoned with in the paint, muscling her way to another physical score while guarded by two Terps.
Walker drained two free throws to become only Penn State’s third player to score on the night. Maryland stifled the Lady Lions on their next offensive possession, forcing Penn State into a shot clock violation. The first half ended with the Terps clear by 17 points.
Hall scored Penn State’s first points of the second half after Maryland padded its lead with back-to-back jumpers. Murray then picked out Hall down the left flank for the Lady Lions’ first triple of the night.
Sarah Te-Biasu delivered from downtown for the Terps to extend their lead to 20 at 53-33 with six minutes left in the third quarter.
Campbell brought some offensive juice with an off-balance fadeaway shot that she somehow managed to convert into an and-one.
Murray tried her hand at three once again, but Tamera Johnson worked for the rebound and knocked in a three-point play of her own.
Elliott made her presence known with a fadeaway bank shot for her first points of the night after an uncharacteristic slow start.
The Lady Lions ended the third quarter on an 8-2 run, bringing the deficit down to 13 going into the final frame.
Walker and Elliott combined in transition as Elliott stood strong and took a hit while sinking a bank shot for a three-point opportunity, but the free throw didn’t fall. However, the episode forced Maryland head coach Brenda Frese to call a timeout as the Lady Lions pulled within single digits at 62-53.
Jayla Oden snatched the ball out of a Terp’s hands off the inbound, and Johnson hit a mid-ranger as the crowd in Rec Hall got to its feet. Elliott continued Penn State’s run with a spinning layup off of the glass, but Te-Biasu hit a clutch shot to keep the Lady Lions at bay.
Kieger employed the full-court press on the Maryland inbound, and Penn State forced the turnover as the Terrapins threw the ball out of bounds. Merkle found Elliott for another acrobatic layup to pull within four.
Johnson collected another steal, which Elliott converted with a high-arching three from the top of the key as the Rec Hall crowd exploded.
Maryland responded with a layup, and Kieger called a timeout on the ensuing possession to talk things over.
Oden cashed in a layup coming out of the timeout, but Smikle banked in one of her own and collected the and-one.
Maryland started to pull away despite Penn State’s comeback efforts, but Elliott secured an additional and-one to haul it back to a six-point ballgame.
Te-Biasu scored a jumper to all but put the game out of reach for the Lady Lions despite Elliott’s last-ditch efforts in the paint. Maryland dribbled it out and won 82-73.
Takeaways
- After coming off the bench against Rutgers, Merkle returned to the starting five with a vengeance. Merkle dominated the paint and carried Penn State’s hopes of clawing back into the game on her shoulders through the first half. Despite the loss, Merkle easily registered her best game of Big Ten play this season, finishing off with 24 points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
- Elliott once again showed why she’s the big playmaker on the Lady Lions. Elliott’s craftiness around the rim and in transition continuously prove to be one of Penn State’s most crucial keys to competitiveness. Elliott showed up all the way down the stretch with clutch play after clutch play, ending her night with 23 points and six rebounds.
- Although they suffered their third straight loss, the Lady Lions displayed a sense of pride that oozed out to the fans in Rec Hall. Penn State went down by as much as 20 but came back and spooked the Terrapins late into the fourth quarter.
What’s Next?
Penn State opens its final full month of play with a matchup against Washington slated for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, February 5, at the Bryce Jordan Center. Folks can watch on BTN+.
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