Lady Lions Host 19th Annual Pink Zone GameLady Lions Host 19th Annual Pink Zone Game
Mark Selders

Lady Lions Host 19th Annual Pink Zone Game

Women’s basketball set to host Wisconsin on Sunday, Feb. 16

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State women’s basketball is set to host Wisconsin in its 19th annual Pink Zone game. The Lady Lions will square off against the Badgers, as they did in the first-ever Pink Zone game in 2007, on Sunday, Feb. 16. Tip time inside the Bryce Jordan Center is set for 1 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION

vs. Wisconsin

  • Date: Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
  • Location: University Park, Pa. | Venue: Bryce Jordan Center
  • Live Stats | Watch: B1G+ | Notes | Radio
  • Admission: Ticketed

PINK ZONE

  • The Lady Lions became the first division I program in the country to wear pink uniforms in support of breast cancer awareness on Feb. 4, 2007.
  • Penn State’s Pink Zone game began in 2007 when the Big Ten granted Penn State women’s basketball one game for a community outreach effort. The Lady Lions hosted and defeated the Wisconsin Badgers and raised more than $20,000 through t-shirt and ticket sales.
  • PA Pink Zone has honored over 5,200 survivors in Penn State throughout its 19 years of existence.
  • $3.2 million has been raised in the fight against breast cancer since 2017.

LAST TIME OUT

  • Penn State dropped a tough battle at rv Illinois on Thursday. Despite leading going into the final quarter, late runs from the Illini were the difference in the game, making the final score 67-55.
  • Both Gabby Elliott and Gracie Merkle scored in double figures for the fifth-straight game.
  • Merkle produced her 11th double double of the season and second in a row with 15 points and 10 boards.
  • Elliott led PSU in scoring for the seventh time this season with 16 points to go with five rebounds and two assists.
  • Throughout the back-and-forth contest, there were six lead changes and three tie scores.
  • Penn State led after the first and third quarters.
  • The Lady Lions were dominant in the paint, outscoring Illinois 34-24.
  • PSU also won the rebound battle for the 17th time this season, grabbing 43 boards to the Fighting Illini’s 34.

LAST TIME AGAINST WISCONSIN

  • Penn State faced Wisconsin twice in the 2023-24 season, once in the regular season and once in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
  • The Badgers won their 2023-24 Pink Zone game on Feb. 11, 69-64. A third quarter collapse from the Lady Lions led to the loss.
  • PSU came back and defeated the Badgers 80-56 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament to advance to the quarterfinals.
  • Four Lady Lions scored in double figures: Kylie Lavelle (14), Ashley Owusu (13), Makenna Marisa (10) and Leilani Kapinus (10).

SCOUTING THE BADGERS

  • Wisconsin is 11-14, 2-12 in the Big Ten this season with conference wins over Rutgers and Michigan. The team is currently on a four-game slide.
  • Serah Williams leads the Badgers in scoring averaging 19.0 points per game which makes her the third leading scorer in the conference. Her total of 477 points this season ranks her second in the Big Ten and 20th in the nation. She is also 10th in the country and second in the conference in blocks (58). Williams is dominant on the glass, averaging 10.4 rebounds per game which is second in the conference.
  • Carter McCray also averages double figure scoring with 10.0 points per game.
  • As a team, Wisconsin leads the Big Ten in fouls per game (14.0).
  • The Badgers finished the 2023-24 season 15-17, 6-12 in the Big Ten after advancing to the Great 8 round of the WNIT and ending their season with a loss to Butler.

PENN STATE – WISCONSIN SERIES

  • Penn State leads the all-time series by a 36-18 margin with the Lady Lions winning the most recent game in the first round of the 2024 Big Ten Tournament.
  • PSU is 21-3 in games played in Happy Valley.
  • The Lady Lions’ sixth largest crowd in the Bryce Jordan Center came against Wisconsin in 2014 with 12,585 fans in attendance and their seventh largest in 2003 with 12,473 fans.
  • The single-game individual three pointers record came in a game against Wisconsin on March, 3, 2002 when Kelly Mazzante drained nine three pointers.
  • The teams have played two overtime games in 1999 and 2009.

LADY LIONS IN THE RANKS

  • Merkle ranks 13th in the Big Ten in total points (376). She also sits 16th in the B1G in points per game (15.0). Merkle is fifth in the country in field goal percentage (66.0) and first in the conference. Her 11 double-doubles ranks her fifth in the Big Ten.
  • Moriah Murray is 17th in the country in three pointers (67) and ranks first in the Big Ten in that category. She also sits first in the conference in three pointers per game (2.68) and first in three-point attempts (170), ranking 28th and 26th nationally in those respective categories.
  • Alli Campbell is ranked seventh in the conference in assists per game (4.2) and ninth in the conference in assists (97).
  • Penn State is 20th in the nation in total assists (440) and sits 24th in assists per game (17.6). The team is fourth in the conference in total assists and ranks fourth in assists per game.