Coach Washington and Lady Lion Student-Athletes postgame quotes
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Preseason Atlantic 10 favorite Duquesne used a strong second half to defeat the Penn State women's basketball team 64-58 in non-conference action Wednesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Sophomore Kamaria McDaniel finished with a team-best 18 points to lead a trio of Lady Lions in double figures. Senior Teniya Page stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Junior Siyeh Frazier added 10 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Lady Lions jumped out to an early 6-1 lead, but Duquesne scored the next five points to knot the score at 6-6 at the 5:18 mark of the first quarter. The back-and-forth term ended with Penn State holding onto a one-point lead at 15-14.
- Five points from Page helped the Lady Lions tally six of the second quarter's first seven points to put Penn State up 21-15 with 7:30 to play in the opening half, but Duquesne responded with an 8-2 run over the next 1:29 to knot the score at 23 with 5:24 left on the clock.
- Four points from freshman Lauren Ebo and two from McDaniel had Penn State ahead 29-26 before the Dukes converted a last-second layup to pull within 29-28 at the break.
- Duquesne opened the second half on an 11-6 run to put Penn State in a 39-35 hole just under four minutes into the third quarter.
- The Dukes' lead reached as much as seven at 44-37 before an offensive put-back from Ebo was followed by a layup from Alisia Smith that pulled Penn State back within 44-41, but Duquesne scored four of the final five points to take a 48-42 into the final quarter.
- The Lady Lions trimmed the Duquesne lead down to three in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter after buckets from McDaniel and Ebo. Penn State wasn't able to get closer, however, as the Dukes made timely baskets down the stretch en route to the 64-58 win.
KEY NOTES
- Page has scored in double-digits in all nine games this season.
- Page's seven assists are a season high.
- McDaniel registered her fifth double-digit scoring effort and her second-highest scoring game of the season with 18 points.
- McDaniel also tied her season high with three steals.
- Smith led the Lady Lions with seven rebounds, marking the seventh time this season that she's led the team in rebounds.
- Ebo had her second-highest scoring game of the season with eight points.
STAT STANDOUTS
- Penn State shot 48.1 percent (13-for-27) from the floor in the first half compared to its 31.4 percent (11-for-35) second-half clip.
- The Lady Lions were just 3-for-18 (16.7 percent) from three-point range.
- Duquesne held a 39-36 rebounds edge and 12-5 advantage in second-chance points.
COACH'S TAKE
Head Coach Coquese Washington
- "We struggled to find a rhythm offensively tonight. That proved to be problematic. We didn't shoot the ball from the three-point line as well as we have in the last couple of games. That was also problematic."
- "We have to find a rhythm on the offense by Sunday. That's the thing that's missing right now. We just don't quite have our rhythm offensively."
- Full transcript
UP NEXT
- The Lady Lions remain home Sunday to host St. Bonaventure at 2 p.m. inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
- Kayleigh Semion will be honored on her Senior Day prior to and throughout the contest.
- It will be Penn State's Toys For Tots game. Other holiday promotions will include free pre-game photos with Santa and a reading of "The Night Before Christmas" by Santa on the court at halftime.