Penn State women’s basketball (0-1) lost to Cleveland State (1-0) on Monday evening at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Ava Black led the Lady Lions with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, while Devyn Quigley added 12 points.

How It Happened

Cleveland State’s Sarah Hurley opened the scoring with a 3-pointer before Ava Black answered from deep to get Penn State on the board. Petra Božan added a 3-point play, while Savannah White contributed defensively with a block on Chloe Oliver in the paint.

White missed a jumper in the closing seconds, and Penn State couldn’t convert the offensive rebound before the buzzer. The Lady Lions ended the first quarter with a 10-9 lead.

Alexa Hocevar split a pair of free throws to tie the game before Macie Taylor’s second-chance 3-pointer put Cleveland State ahead. Božan answered with a putback before Black added two free throws to keep Penn State within reach.

Skylar Durley provided a defensive spark with two steals, while Cristen Carter converted an offensive rebound into a layup to give the Lady Lions a 16-15 edge.

The teams continued to trade baskets before Cleveland State gained some separation late in the half. With Penn State leading 20-19, Oliver found Taylor for a go-ahead 3-pointer, and Annika Corcoran followed with another triple.

Kamrah Banks split two free throws, and Durley knocked down a pull-up jumper off a Banks assist to keep the Lady Lions close. Taylor added a basket in the paint in the closing seconds of the half.

The third quarter started with a travel on Cleveland State. Quigley responded with a 3-point shot, but the Vikings responded quickly after with a 2-point basket. Enjulina Gonzalez tied the game for the Lady Lions early in the third.

Black’s pull-up jumper was no good, and Božan got the rebound but turned it over on a steal by Paula Pique. Gonzalez was called for a personal foul.

Gonzalez’s pull-up jumper was cash followed off a dime from Black. Taylor’s layup was blocked by Božan. Cleveland State kept possession.

Black’s 3-point shot connected after White found her open at the top of the arc. Taylor got some of the points right back after a driving layup, and Penn State trailed 38-35 with 5:37 remaining in the third.

Paula Pique delivered a textbook cut, which gave her an open basket. Penn State responded shortly after that with a layup by Durley. Carter delivered a huge block on Hocevar, which led to a Quigley jumper.

Quigley added a second-chance basket to trim the deficit to 44-43 late in the quarter. After another Quigley attempt from deep went wide, White grabbed the offensive rebound and drew a shooting foul. Penn State tied the game at 44 before the quarter ended.

Black opened the fourth with a 3-pointer to give Penn State a 47-44 lead, but Cleveland State answered from beyond the arc to tie it again.

Hurley gave Cleveland State the lead back with 8:10 remaining after a huge 3-point shot.

White tried a trey to tie the game, but the attempt was too strong.

Cleveland State failed to capitalize on a turnover by Black, and Penn State drew a foul on the other end. The Lady Lions split the ensuing free throws to tie the game at 52.

Hocevar gave the green and gold the lead with 2:45 remaining in the game after a beautiful pass came from Oliver. Božan missed a jumper and Pique hauled in the rebound.

Quigley’s jumper didn’t fall. Božan got the rebound and was fouled on the attempt. She split her free throws, and Penn State trailed by three points with 1:05 remaining.

Gonzalez sank two free throws with 48 seconds remaining to cut Cleveland State’s lead to 58-55. Durley then forced a held ball, and the possession arrow gave Penn State another opportunity to tie the game in the closing seconds.

Penn State’s chance to tie the game ended with a five-second violation on Gonzalez with 23 seconds remaining. Forced to foul to stop the clock, the Lady Lions lost Gonzalez after she picked up her fifth personal.

An offensive foul on Oliver gave Penn State another chance, but Quigley’s potential game-tying 3-pointer missed. Cleveland State regained possession with 15 seconds remaining.

After a challenge by Tanisha Wright with zero timeouts, Penn State faced a technical foul.

Taylor sank both free throws with 15 seconds remaining to extend Cleveland State’s lead to 60-55. The Vikings added two more at the line before Quigley knocked down a late 3-pointer to cut Penn State’s deficit to 62-58.

Black buried a near-logo 3-pointer off a Durley assist to cut the deficit to one. Penn State then fouled again to stop the clock.

Cleveland State missed both free throws. The Lady Lions moved the ball up the court for the win, but Quigley’s last-second shot didn’t fall.

Takeaways

• Ava Black had a solid first half with 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.
• The Lady Lions trailed at halftime 27-25 after shooting 1-13 from behind the arc.
• Penn State was abysmal shooting the ball tonight. The Lady Lions shot 31% from the field and 22% from three.

What’s Next?

The Lady Lions travel to Cincinnati, Ohio, to face the Cincinnati Bearcats at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 7. The game will stream on ESPN+. 

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