Penn State women’s basketball (10-16, 1-14 Big Ten) lost to Wisconsin (12-14, 3-12 Big Ten) 75-68 at the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday afternoon.

The Lady Lions and the Badgers played an inch-close affair throughout Penn State’s 19th annual Pink Zone game. Gracie Merkle’s 28 points weren’t enough to secure the win for the Lady Lions as Wisconsin pulled away in the final minute. Penn State’s losing streak extended to seven, making the prospect of missing the Big Ten tournament increasingly realistic.

How It Happened

Gabby Elliott, Moriah Murray, Vitoria Santana, Grace Hall, and Gracie Merkle got the start on the hardwood for the Lady Lions.

Elliott got the scoring started with a jumper near the baseline. She hit a fadeaway mid-ranger to double Penn State’s lead in the opening 90 seconds.

Wisconsin matched the score until Santana cashed in a corner three.

DRAINED IT.

7:29 Q1 | 7-4 Penn State #LionMentality pic.twitter.com/Dyo4am1Oa0

— Penn State Women's Basketball (@PennStateWBB) February 16, 2025

Santana then found Merkle in the paint for a layup as both teams began to exchange buckets.

Wisconsin’s Halle Douglass nailed a triple, but back-to-back baskets from Tamera Johnson and Merkle slowed the Badgers’ momentum down. Wisconsin led 15-13 at the first media timeout with 4:22 left in the opening frame.

Elliott knotted the game back up with two free throws coming out of the media timeout.

After going down by seven late in the first quarter, the Lady Lions cut the deficit to three at the end of the first behind two Hall free throws and a Merkle layup. The Badgers led 24-21 after one.

Murray missed the game-tying three to open the second quarter, but Wisconsin also missed from beyond the arc. Merkle rattled in a shot from the paint, but Carter McCray responded with a basket of her own.

Douglass drained a three to double Wisconsin’s lead to six. Merkle worked her way through the paint for another score.

Murray picked out Elliott across the court for the Lady Lions’ second triple of the game to pull within one point.

Ice in her veins.

6:51 Q2 | 29-28 Wisconsin#LionMentality x @gabbyy5_ pic.twitter.com/KV13WnoZgt

— Penn State Women's Basketball (@PennStateWBB) February 16, 2025

Freshman guard Jill Jekot checked in for some rare minutes.

Wisconsin reclaimed its five-point lead before another freshman guard, Shaelyn Steele, sunk a corner three to pull back within two. The Badgers scored once more, going into the media timeout up 35-31 with 4:01 left in the half.

Hall scored a diving basket off the glass as the Lady Lions continued to force defensive stops. Merkle then cleaned up Murray’s miss from downtown for the three-point opportunity, but the foul shot veered off target. However, the layup tied the game up at 35.

Jayla Oden missed a go-ahead layup as time expired. The game was tied at 37 going into the intermission.

Merkle drew first blood in the second half with a quick score in the paint after both teams failed to score on their opening possessions. Murray then missed her fourth three-point attempt of the night before Sarah Williams faked out Merkle under the rim to tie the game back up at 39.

Wisconsin’s Ronnie Porter converted an and-one as the Badgers took a four-point lead. After Murray turned the ball over on offense, Merkle tracked back and denied a Badger from mid-range before a media timeout with 4:23 remaining in the contest.

The Lady Lions forced another stop as Santana drained a corner three from the near side. Wisconsin bricked its next shot, and Talayah Walker took the ball up the floor, ultimately ending in a Johnson layup as Penn State took back the one-point advantage.

Another Badger miss from beyond the arc as the shot clock expired injected more juice into the Lady Lions. However, turnovers on Penn State’s next two possessions allowed Wisconsin to take back the lead. Wisconsin led 51-50 after the third quarter.

Porter opened the final frame with a triple for the Badgers. Douglass also hit from deep on Wisconsin’s next possession as Penn State’s deficit grew to six. Santana immediately responded with a corner three for Penn State to slash the deficit in half.

Murray tried her hand from deep again but was again denied by the rim. However, the Lady Lions continued to keep pace with the Badgers behind Merkle’s dirty work in the paint and staunch defense.

The Lady Lions forced back-to-back Wisconsin misses down four with just under three minutes remaining. Johnson and Elliott scrapped under the rim, with Johnson ultimately winning a two-shot visit to the charity stripe. She sunk both.

Walker retained the ball after almost having it stolen from her by Douglass, kicking it out to Santana out wide. Santana worked her way through the paint and found Merkle, who flushed the clutch layup to pull within one. Wisconsin scored a layup, followed by a rare Merkle miss from right under the rim. Douglass drained a three going the other way as Wisconsin took a six-point lead with 1:03 remaining in the contest.

Elliott drew a foul but only sunk one of her two foul shots. Walker muscled her way for an and-one with 30 seconds remaining to pull within three.

FIRE US UP TAY

00:29 Q4 | 71-67 Wisconsin#LionMentality x @talayahhh1 pic.twitter.com/iS5N4ia8Kk

— Penn State Women's Basketball (@PennStateWBB) February 16, 2025

Porter drained two foul shots in the final 20 seconds to put the dagger in for the Badgers.

Takeaways

• Santana’s playing time just keeps going up. The junior guard played a season-high 33 minutes today while dropping a season-high nine points. She was the Lady Lions’ most efficient shooter from beyond the arc on the day, going 3-5 and cashing in when Penn State needed it in crunch time.
• Merkle dropped her most points since Penn State’s November 27 win against Drexel with 28 against the Badgers. Merkle dominated on both sides of the floor tonight, totaling 12 boards and a monstrous block in addition.
• The Lady Lions showcased a lot of heart on defense throughout the entire matchup. After being called out by head coach Carolyn Kieger after the Washington loss for the lack of effort and passion on the defensive side of the ball, Penn State registered a gritty performance back at home against the Badgers. The defense held Wisconsin to no field goals in four minutes to start off the fourth quarter.

What’s Next?

Penn State travels to Ann Arbor to battle Michigan at noon on Saturday, February 22, at the Crisler Center. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.