UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State women's basketball handles Minnesota in 90-34 fashion with its final regular season win of the season to bring the Lady Lions to 18 wins overall. Kapinus' third 20-plus-point performance and a season high team assist total propelled Penn State to its dominant win while securing its largest margin of victory in a Big Ten game this season and lowest opponent point total since 2022. The Lady Lions honored their five seniors prior to tip off of the game, Makenna Marisa, Ashley Owusu, Tay Valladay, Chanaya Pinto and Ali Brigham.
Penn State, 18-11, 9-9, Big Ten held Minnesota, 15-14, 5-13 Big Ten, to just 34 points, its lowest opponent point total since holding Bryant to 33 points in 2022. The Lady Lions also held the Golden Gophers to 20% shooting from the field and 18.2% from three-point distance, two more lowest opponent totals of the season. As a team, PSU passed the ball at a high rate with a season high 28 assists while tripling up Minnesota in the pain 38-8. The Lady Lions also posted effective shooting from all ends of the court, posting 59.6% shooting from the field and 44.8% from three-point range.
Kapinus' near perfect shooting from the field allowed her to lead all scoring with 23 points on nine-of-10 shooting. Her only miss was followed by Kapinus grabbing her own rebound for a tip in layup. The Madison, Wisc. native also compiled nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. Owusu posted 15 points for her 13th game in double figures. The graduate guard shot five-of-eight from the field including three-of-four from three-point range, a season high while also adding six assists. Shay Ciezki also put up 15 points. Pinto rounded out the double-digit point scorers with 10 points. Ali Brigham had a solid defensive performance with six boards and six assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Makenna Marisa opened the scoring with a loud three-point basket on Penn State's opening drive. Neither team managed to convert until Owusu stepped to the line and sank a pair of free throws. A pair of solid assists led to four more points for the Lady Lions to bolster their run to 9-0 into the first timeout. Marisa found Owusu and Owusu found Kapinus in the paint.
Minnesota notched its first points over four minutes into the game with a shot beyond the arc. Penn State pushed its lead to 10 points using an electric feed from Alli Campbell to Ali Brigham before allowing the Golden Gophers to add to the board again with one free point. Brigham continued to work at the post pushing her way to find Owusu in front of the basket for two more points. Shay Ciezki lit up the Bryce Jordan Center with a three pointer right before the sound of the final horn of the first quarter bringing the score to 18-6.
Second Quarter
PSU scored five straight points out of the quarter break including a second corner three from Ciezki to balloon the Lady Lions lead to 23-6, forcing Minnesota to use a timeout. Four consecutive points from Chanaya Pinto extended her team's lead to 27-6. Penn State tallied a 15-0 run using three pointers from Owusu and Ciezki before the Gophers ignited a seven-point surge of their own. Three-straight shots beyond the arc from Campbell, Jayla Oden and Owusu silenced the visitor's momentum and brought the halftime score to 44-16.
Third Quarter
The Lady Lions picked up where they left off in the first half, scoring eight-straight points to open the second stanza, creating a 36-point margin. Minnesota finally had a response with a pair of two-point jumpers and a point from the charity stripe. Kapinus sparked the PSU offense with the ninth three pointer of the day and a steal and score coming out of the media timeout to ignite a 14-0 run for the home team with contributions from Owusu and Pinto but led by Kapinus with nine. A trip to the charity stripe allowed the Gophers to snap the surge but a silencing three from Moriah Murray concluded the quarter at a 69-23 edge for Penn State.
Fourth Quarter
Minnesota got the first points out of the break with a shot from beyond the arc but after some back-and-forth action with no points scored, Murray nailed another three to bring the intensity back with PSU. The team went on to score 15 more unanswered points while racking in assist after assist to lead them to their highest assist total of the season. Murray closed the game with her third three-pointer of the day to make the final score 90-34, Penn State's largest margin of victory in a Big Ten game since 2000.
POSTGAME NOTES
Penn State vs. Minnesota
March 3, 2024
Bryce Jordan Center (University Park, Pa.)
- The Lady Lions honored five seniors prior to tip off tonight, Makenna Marisa, Ashley Owusu, Tay Valladay, Chanaya Pinto and Ali Brigham.
- Penn State recorded its lowest opponent point total since 2022 when it held Bryant to 33 points.
- Four Lady Lions scored in double figures for the second consecutive game. Kapinus had 23, Owusu had 15, Ciezki had 15 and Pinto had 10.
- Marisa surpassed 500 career assists with her four on the outing.
- Kapinus shot 9-of-10 from the field and totaled nine boards for her third 20-plus-point performance.
- Owusu posted 5-of-8 shooting from the field including 3-of-4 from long range.
- Penn State produced its 11th 55% or better shooting performance from the field and second consecutive.
- The Lady Lions posted their most assists of the season with 28 total.
- Penn State held Minnesota to its lowest opponent halftime total of the team, with the Gophers posting just 16 points after 20 minutes of play. This is the lowest opponent half time total since 2018 when the Lady Lions held Fordham to 11 points in the second half.
- The Lady Lions totaled eight threes and 16 assists in just the first half.
Head Coach Carolyn Kieger Postgame Press Conference
Leilani Kapinus and Makenna Marisa Postgame Press Conference
UP NEXT
The Lady Lions await their fate in the 2024 TIAA Big Ten Tournament beginning on Wednesday, March 6 and extending through Sunday, March 10.
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