Penn State women’s basketball (6-3, 0-1 Big Ten) got dismantled by Arizona State (11-0, 0-0 Big 12) 74-60 on Tuesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center in the first-ever matchup between the two teams.

After a strong first quarter, the Lady Lions fell apart in the second and were never able to recover.

How It Happened

Gracie Merkle won the tip to get the game started. The two teams exchanged steals, with Penn State’s Moriah Murray getting the second of the two. Merkle scored the first points of the game with a layup, followed by a response with a mid-range jumper by Arizona State’s Marley Washenitz.

The teams exchanged layups before Merkle made her second layup of the game to give the Lady Lions an 8-4 lead. Missed threes by both teams followed, and substitutions on both sides were made soon after.

Shaelyn Steele would steal a Sun Devil inbounds pass and get the and-one the other way. The three-point play would give Penn State an 11-6 lead halfway through the first quarter.

Murray would hit the game’s first three after she was left open on a fast break. The first foul of the game was committed by Penn State’s Viktoria Ranisavljevic with 2:25 left in the first. Arizona State would cut into Penn State’s lead with a three from Gabby Elliot.

A missed Sun Devil three would mark the end of the first quarter with Penn State holding an 18-13 lead.

Arizona State started hot to begin the second quarter, forcing several Penn State turnovers and being more efficient offensively. Amaya Williams would tie the game for the Sun Devils with a made layup a little over three minutes into the quarter.

Deborah Davenport would give the visiting team the lead with a layup on a fast break following a missed three by Penn State. She would also hit a contested mid-range jumper to expand her team’s lead.

Following another three by Arizona State, Merkle would leave the game with an injury. She would go to the locker room before returning to the lineup just before halftime.

A couple more jumpers by Arizona State gave them an 11-point lead at the half.

The Sun Devils would open the second half with two quick buckets and four free throws, expanding their lead to 19. Penn State would open its scoring for the half with a three by Murray, but Arizona State would immediately respond with a three of its own.

The Lady Lions continued to struggle offensively, going on an almost four-minute dry spell before Merkle ended it with a three-point play following a make from the paint. Still, the Sun Devils were able to take a 21-point lead into the final quarter.

Kiyomi McMiller would open scoring in the fourth with a made layup. Shayla Smith would hit her second three of the game soon after, cutting the Arizona State lead to 16. However, Arizona State would respond on the ensuing possession with a jumper by Elliot.

Smith continued to stay hot as the quarter progressed, making a layup on a fastbreak, then hitting a mid-range jumper on the next possession after a Sun Devil turnover. The Lady Lions applied pressure late to claw at the Arizona State lead, but were unsuccessful in the end, and the Sun Devils made their way out of State College with a 14-point victory.

Takeaways

• The second quarter proved to be the turning point in this one. The Lady Lions were outscored 20-4 in this quarter after establishing a lead in the first.
• Penn State was uncharacteristically poor from the field. The seventh most efficient shooting team in the nation only shot 35% compared to the Sun Devils 45%.
• Turning the ball over was a big issue for the Lady Lions. They turned it over 36 times, and it resulted in 28 points for Arizona State.

What’s Next?

The Lady Lions look to bounce back on Sunday, December 14, when they travel to South Carolina. Tip-off is at 3:30 p.m., and the game is set to be on ESPN.