Lady Lions Open Gulf Coast Showcase Against St. John'sLady Lions Open Gulf Coast Showcase Against St. John's
Mark Selders

Leilani Kapinus

Lady Lions Open Gulf Coast Showcase Against St. John's

ESTERO, Fla. – The Penn State women's basketball team is set to open the Gulf Coast Showcase on Friday as it takes on St. John's. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. in Hertz Arena with a broadcast on FloHoops.

On Saturday, Penn State will meet either No. 13 Iowa State or Charlotte at a tipoff time to be determined. On Sunday, the Lady Lions will wrap up the invitational against Kent State, South Dakota State, UCLA or UMass at a tipoff time to be determined.

The Lady Lions, led by head coach Carolyn Kieger, are 3-1 this season after falling 67-64 in a close battle at Clemson last Sunday.

FOLLOW ALONG

OPENING TIP

  • Penn State meets St. John's for the first game of the three-day Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla.
  • The Lady Lions will take on No. 13 Iowa State or Charlotte on Saturday.
  • On the other side of the bracket are Kent State, South Dakota State, No. 19 UCLA and UMass.
  • Penn State will meet St. John's for the first matchup betwen the programs.
  • The Lady Lions fell 67-64 in a tight battle at Clemson last Sunday.
  • Makenna Marisa was named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week after her performances vs. Delaware State and Clemson last week.
  • Marisa collected a 30-point triple-double, with 11 assists and 10 steals, against Delaware State and followed with a 29-point, 8-assist performance at Clemson.
  • Through four games, Marisa leads the Big Ten in points per game (23.0) and assists per game (6.8) while sitting second in three-pointers per game (3.8) and third in steals (3.0).
  • Penn State ranks eighth in the country in scoring offense (88.0).
  • The Lady Lions also sit third in the nation in assists per game (22.0).
  • Penn State is averaging 9.5 three-pointers per game, good for 17th in the nation.

 
SCOUTING THE RED STORM

  • St. John's is led by Head Coach Joe Tartamella in his 10th season at the helm.
  • Tartamella has a career record of 173-115 and sits four wins away from becoming St. John's winningest coach.
  • The Red Storm is 3-1 coming off an 86-68 win over Yale.
  • Unique Drake led St. John's with 24 points, on 10-of-18 shooting, to lead four in double-figures.
  • Danielle Cosgrove tallied 18 points, while Kadaja Bailey had 14 and Camree Clegg had 13.
  • The Red Storm is averaging 77.8 points per game while hitting 9.2 three-pointers per contest.
  • St. John's defense is allowing 68.8 points per game.
  • Leilani Correa is leading the squad with 16.7 points per game, while Bailey is averaging 15.3.

 
AGAINST ST. JOHN'S

  • Penn State will meet St. John's for the first time in program history.
  • Penn State is 36-21 against current members of the Big East.
  • The Lady Lions' last matchup against a Big East opponent was a 74-72 win over Providence on November 8, 2018.

 
SCOUTING THE REST OF THE FIELD

  • Iowa State is 4-0 and ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll. The Cyclones rank second in the nation averaging 12.5 three-pointers per game. Ashley Joens averages 19.8 points to lead four averaging double-figures.
  • Charlotte is 1-3 on the season. Octavia Jett-Wilson leads the squad averaging 15.0 points per game.
  • UCLA sits 19th in the AP Poll with a 3-0 record. The Bruins hold fourth in the country with a 44.7 three-point percentage. Charisma Osborne leads the team with a 21.5 scoring average with IImar'I Thomas contributing 20.3 points per contest.
  • UMass is 5-0 this season. Sydney Taylor leads the team with 19.4 points per game.
  • South Dakota State is 2-3 this year. Paige Meyer paces the Jackrabbits with 12.0 points per contest.
  • Kent State owns a 3-0 record. The Golden Flashes are averaging 84.0 points per game, led by Casey Santoro's 15.0 average.

 
B1G HONOR

  • Junior Makenna Marisa was named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday.
  • It was Marisa's first career Big Ten weekly honor.
  • She recorded a triple-double in Penn State's 120-51 win over Delaware State on Tuesday and followed with a 29-point, eight-assist performance at Clemson on Sunday.
  • Marisa notched 30 points, on 12-of-16 shooting, 11 assists and 10 steals against the Hornets. Her points, assists and steals totals were all career highs.
  • Marisa's triple-double was Penn State's first since Suzie McConnell on January 3, 1988 (22 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists in a 74-63 win vs. Western Kentucky).
  • Marisa's triple-double is the 25th Points-Assists-Steals triple-double and 20th 30-point triple-double in NCAA Division I history.
  • It's also the third 30-point triple-double and second Points-Assists-Steals triple-double in Big Ten history.
  • Marisa had Penn State's 79th 30-point game and became the first Lady Lion with double-digit assists in a game since Dara Taylor (10 vs. Minnesota, 2014).
  • Marisa scored at least 19 points in all four games this season and has 20+ points in each of the last three games.

 
OFFENSE RANKS AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS

  • Penn State's offensive numbers sit among the best in the nation and Big Ten early in the season.
  • The Lady Lions sit eighth in the country averaging 88.0 points per game.
  • Penn State ranks third in the nation and second in the conference averaging 22.0 assists per game.
  • The Lady Lions have at least 20 assists in three games this season.
  • The Lady Lions are 16th in the country with a 49.1 field-goal percentage.
  • Penn State leads the Big Ten in three-point field goals per game (9.5) and holds third in three-point field goal percentage (41.3). PSU leads the Big Ten in steals per game (13.5).
  • Makenna Marisa ranks first in the Big Ten in scoring (24.5 ppg), good for fifth in the country.
  • Marisa also leads the Big Ten in assists per game (6.8), ranking 12th in the nation, and holds third in total assists (27).
  • She's also second in the conference, ninth in the country, averaging 3.75 three-pointers per game and holds third in steals per game (3.0).

 
MULTIPLE CONTRIBUTORS

  • Penn State has three players averaging double-figures this season, led by Marisa's 24.5 points per game.
  • Ali Brigham is averaging 13.8 points per contest and has reached the 20-point mark against LIU (20) and Rider (23).
  • Niya Beverley is scoring 12.5 points per game and had double-figures against Rider (20) and Delaware State (17).
  • Three more are averaging at least six points per contest, including Anna Camden (9.3), Tova Sabel (6.8) and Kelly Jekot (6.3).
  • Penn State has also balanced out its minutes with 10 Lady Lions averaging at least 12 minutes per game.

 
RECORD-SETTING NIGHT VS. DELAWARE STATE

  • Penn State achieved multiple records and milestones in its Delaware State game.
  • The Lady Lions set a record for their most points in a game with 120, topping the previous record of 118, accomplished three times, last against Morgan state in 1993.
  • The 120 points are the third-most by a Big Ten team.
  • Penn State matched the program record for made field goals with 50, tying 50 vs. Morgan State in 1993.
  • The 50 field goals are tied for the third-most in Big Ten history.
  • The Lady Lions tallied a program-record 37 assists, which also matched the Big Ten record set by Maryland in 2017 (vs. Loyola (Md.)).
  • Penn State's 25 steals are the most in a game at the Bryce Jordan Center and are tied for eighth-most by a Big Ten team.
  • The Lady Lions reached the 100-point mark for the 50th time in program history and had five players in double-figures (Makenna Marisa 30, Niya Beverley 17, Tova Sabel 17, Anna Camden 14, Shay Hagans 12).
  • The Lady Lions scored 56 points in the first half and 64 in the second half.
  • Penn State finished the game shooting 56.2 percent and was above 50 percent in each quarter.

 
NON-CONFERENCE SLATE

  • Penn State opened its 11-game non-conference slate against LIU.
  • The Lady Lions' first three contests will be played at the Bryce Jordan Center against LIU (11/9), Rider (11/11) and Delaware State (11/16).
  • Penn State's non-con continues at Clemson on Sunday, November 21. The Tigers reached the 2021 WNIT Second Round.
  • The Lady Lions then travel to the Gulf Coast Showcase in Florida. Penn State will open the tournament against St. John's on November 26.
  • On November 27, Penn State will face either Iowa State or Charlotte in the Gulf Coast Showcase. Iowa State was a 2021 NCAA Tournament team, while Charlotte was a 2021 WNIT participant.
  • Penn State takes on Boston College in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Thursday, December 2.
  • The non-conference schedule closes out with home games against Youngstown State (12/12) and Towson (12/22) and a road matchup at Duquesne (12/18).

 
STRENGTH OF THE BIG TEN

  • The AP Poll features five Big Ten teams: No. 2 Maryland, No. 4 Indiana, No. 8 Iowa, No. 12 Michigan and No. 21 Ohio State. Michigan State is among teams receiving votes.
  • Penn State opens Big Ten play at Indiana on December 6.
  • The Lady Lions played 10 ranked opponents in 2020-21, the most among Big Ten schools, and earned a 69-67 win over No. 15 Ohio State on February 24, 2021.

 
UP NEXT

  • Penn State meets Boston College in Chestnut Hill for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Thursday, December 2. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. on the ACC Network.