UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The first look at the 2019-20 Penn State Women's Basketball team comes Friday when the Lady Lions hosts Kutztown in an exhibition game at the Bryce Jordan Center. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. and admission is free for all fans.
FOLLOW ALONG
Admission: Free
Live Stats: Live Stats
Game Notes: Penn State Notes
OPENING TIPS
- The Lady Lions return three of their top five scorers from a season ago, led by senior Siyeh Frazier who averaged 9.9 points per game in 2018-19.
- Head coach Carolyn Kieger enters her first season at the helm of the Lady Lions. Kieger came to Penn State in April after five years as the head coach of her alma mater, Marquette.
- Penn State officially opens on the season on Nov. 5 with a 4 p.m. road showdown at Towson.
THE 2019-20 SQUAD
- Penn State brings back a core of experienced players that will look to mix with six newcomers as Kieger enters her first season at the helm in 2019-20.
- Penn State returns three of its top five scorers from a season ago along with a total of seven letterwinners. Senior Siyeh Frazier is the returning leading scorer after averaging 9.9 points per game and a team-best 48 steals in 2018-19. Junior Kamaria McDaniel will be a key cog in the guard group after averaging 9.7 points per contest a season ago, while junior Alisia Smith is the leading returning forward with marks of 9.5 points and a team-best 7.1 rebounds per game in 2018-19.
- The sophomore class of Lauren Ebo and Bexley Wallace combined to play 826 minutes last year and will carry valuable experience into their second seasons.
- The 2019-20 roster is composed of three seniors (Frazier, Kayleigh Semion, Jaida Travascio-Green), three juniors (McDaniel, Smith, Nia Staples), two sophomores (Ebo, Wallace) and five freshmen (Mya Bembry, Anna Camden, Shay Hagans, Jayla James, Makenna Marisa).
A LOOK AT THE GOLDEN BEARS
- Kutztown is coming off a 2018-19 season that saw the Golden Bears go 19-12 overall and 14-6 in conference action. Kutztown advanced to the PSAC championship game, falling 72-57 to eventual champion Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
- The Golden Bears were voted first in the 2019-20 PSAC East Preseason Coaches' Poll. Kutztown put together a historic 2018-19 season, winning a share of the PSAC East title, the program's first since 1996.
- Kutztown returns three starters, including All-PSAC East first teamer Rylee Derr and second teamer Karen Lapkiewicz. Derr scored 526 total points, which ranks second all-time in program history for points in a season, and made a school-record 89 three-pointers last season. Lapkiewicz finished with career highs of 11.4 ppg and 4.1 rpg in 29.5 minutes per game. Brianna Tarabocchia is the third starter back, averaging 8.1 ppg and 5.0 rpg in 24.1 minutes per game.
- Kutztown's 253 made 3-pointers in 2018-19 were the most in a season.
- Head coach Janet Malouf, in her 26th season, holds a 372-323 overall record, fourth in PSAC history in career wins.
A NEW ERA BEGINS
- Penn State will enter its first season under head coach Carolyn Kieger in 2019-20. Kieger, a 2019 Naismith Women's Coach of the Year Award semifinalist, guided Marquette University to the top of the Big East Conference and three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances as the Golden Eagles' head coach.
- Kieger, a 2006 Marquette graduate, comes to Happy Valley after five years at the helm of her alma mater, posting a 99-64 overall record. During the past three seasons, Kieger led the Golden Eagles to sparkling 76-26 mark (43-11 in Big East), which included a pair of Big East regular-season championships and a Big East Tournament Championship. Marquette made three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in 20 years, advancing to the round of 32 the past two seasons.
AMONG THE NCAA'S ELITE
- The Lady Lions have collected 948 wins since the program's inception in 1965, an all-time win mark that ranks 20th in NCAA history.
- Penn State is one of only 19 schools with at least 25 NCAA Tournament appearances, joining Tennessee, Georgia, Stanford, Texas, UConn, Louisiana Tech, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Purdue, LSU, Maryland, Old Dominion, Iowa, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Rutgers, Virginia and NC State.
- Penn State has been to 25 NCAA Tournaments, 13 Sweet Sixteens, four Elite Eights and one Final Four.
ROOKIES READY TO ROAR
- Penn State's five-member freshman class is expected to contribute heavily this season.
- Mya Bembry comes to Happy Valley after graduating as West Orange High School's all-time leading scorer and rebounder with 1,718 career points and 1,068 career rebounds. She earned three-straight Essex County Player of the Year awards and was ranked as the No. 48 player at her position by College Girls Basketball Report.
- Anna Camden graduated as the all-time leading scorer at The Shipley School with 1,535 points after leading the team to back-to-back state championships. She was ranked as the No. 31 player at her position by College Girls Basketball Report.
- Shay Hagans, a lightning-fast guard from Manassas, Va., graduated as Osbourn Park's all-time leading scorer with 1,420 career points. She earned all-conference and Team MVP honors in all four years of her high school career.
- Jayla James helped perennial high school power Riverdale Baptist to an Independent School National Championship as a junior and a No. 3 ranking in the state of Maryland. She was ranked as the No. 22 player at her position by Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.
- Makenna Marisa scored 1,730 points throughout her four-year career at Peter's Township High School and was named the Pennsylvania 6A Player of the Year as a senior after leading her team to a state championship and perfect 30-0 record. She was ranked as the No. 17 player at her position by Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.
UP NEXT
- Penn State officially opens the season on Nov. 5 when the Lady Lions travel to Towson for a 4 p.m. tipoff.
- Penn State's home opener is slated for Nov. 10 against Rider inside the Bryce Jordan Center.