The Lady Lions opened their season on Monday evening at Rec Hall with a commanding 83‑55 victory over Bucknell, powered by standout performances from center Gracie Merkle and guard Kiyomi McMiller.

McMiller led Penn State in scoring with 27 points, adding six rebounds and six assists in 38 minutes, impressing Lady Lions head coach Carolyn Kieger.

“I was super proud of her first game. Six assists to two turnovers is something we’ve been spending a ton of time on, and four steals and six rebounds,” Kieger said. “I loved her stat sheet last night. We know she can put the ball in the bucket.”

Kieger also highlighted McMiller’s all-around effort, emphasizing her defensive presence.

“On the defensive end, you saw her pick up [from] 94 feet. She led the team in deflections, not only in steals, but in total deflections as well,” Kieger said. “A lot of activity in her being a tone-setter. I thought she was a great teammate and celebrated her teammates well. I thought it was a really good, complete start for her.”

The Lady Lions, with a clear size advantage over the Bison, controlled the interior behind their star center. Merkle dominated inside, scoring 24 points as Penn State capitalized on the mismatch to earn 54 points in the paint.

Last season, Penn State’s offensive identity centered around three-point shooting, but in their opener, the Lady Lions connected on just four from beyond the arc. Kieger emphasized the importance of exploiting mismatches.

“When you have a huge advantage like that, you obviously want to exploit the mismatch. I thought our team did a good job hunting that,” she said. “The three-ball didn’t fall, but we want a healthy balance of inside and outside play. So, I think it’ll depend on the match-up.”

Bucknell’s tallest starter stood at 6-foot-2, while Merkle measures 6-foot-6. Penn State outrebounded the Bison by six, grabbing 32 defensive boards, with Merkle anchoring the low post. Forward Amiya Evans led the team with seven rebounds off the bench.

Kieger said the team’s depth will be a key factor this season, noting that, “This team is going to be 12 players deep, and it’s going to be somebody’s moment every game. What we care about is the score, the team, and the team points, and it’s going to be balanced,” she said. “We’re going to share the wealth a lot this season. You want a well-balanced scoring machine.”

Although Penn State dominated Bucknell by 28 points, Kieger said the team still has room to improve its on-court communication.

“I think our communication on the defensive end needs to get better,” she said. “You know, just commanding and directing a little bit more when we’re out there. Find a vocal leader out on the floor, echo play calls, and echo actions.”

The Lady Lions are set to face a revamped Cincinnati Bearcats squad at 6 p.m. Friday, November 7, at Rec Hall.