PSU Lady Lions Remain Undefeated at Home with Dominant 97-47 Win over Radford
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA- Penn State women’s basketball cruises to a 97-54 win against Radford, marking the Lady Lions seventh win of the season as they remain undefeated at home. The RV women’s basketball team used double-digit scoring from five different players including three starters and two subs, to propel the offense to its second 50-point-plus margin of victory of the campaign.
Senior+ Makenna Marisa led all scoring and led the Penn State charge for the third time this season with 24 points. The McMurray, Pa. native earned her 92nd double-digit scoring outing of her career and continues her streak of scoring at least 10 points in every game this season. Her 10-of-15 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc led the Lady Lions to their season high field goal percentage of 56.9%. Marisa also recorded five assists, four rebounds and two steals.
Leilani Kapinus was effective on both sides of the ball, leading the team in rebounding for the fifth time this season, along with Ali Brigham who both grabbed eight. The duo each had three offensive and five defensive boards. Kapinus also cracked double figures for the second time this season using 15 points with 6-of-9 shooting and contributed to four other scoring drives for Penn State with four assists. Her three blocks and two steals added to the effective fast break point movement for the Lady Lions.
Sophomore guard Shay Ciezki scored 15 points, marking her seventh double figure outing of the season. Graduate student Tay Valladay and freshman Moriah Murray both posted 11 points and committed no turnovers. Valladay also added five assists.
Penn State’s strong defensive presence on the press forced 29 Radford turnovers and the Lady Lions converted a season high 37 points off those errors. The Penn State subs soared to their highest bench point total of the season at 37, illustrating the depth PSU has in scoring. The Lady Lions’ scoring ability was on full display this evening shooting at a 56.9% clip from the field, their highest percentage of the season thus far.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Ali Brigham sunk the first basket of the game after rebounding the initial shot from Marisa. The Lady Lions partook in a 9-0 run to open the game, led by Marisa and Brigham. Penn State held Radford from putting a point on the board for six minutes of the opening period.
A steal for Chanaya Pinto in the front court on the Radford defense trying to pass the half-line continued the Lady Lion scoring streak and a jumper from Marisa extended the advantage to 17 points before the Highlanders could find a single point. Radford only managed to score at the free throw line, sinking one of its two shots from the charity stripe.
The Highlanders attempted to gain momentum with two more points and a steal on defense, but Grace Hall responded, grabbing the ball off a Radford pass. The sophomore turned defense into offense and took the ball straight to the net to pass it out to Murray waiting in the wing who sank a three-point shot to extend the lead to 22-3.
Penn State compiled a 32-point first quarter performance with a 32-6 score line after 10 minutes.
Second Quarter
Marisa accounted for four of Penn State’s early second quarter points. Ciezki got in the action with an and one lay-up and a three-point basket at the 5:55 mark in the quarter. Kapinus ignited a late offensive surge for PSU with a loud shot from behind the arc. Radford answered with two points on the fast break, but Marisa silenced with a layup of her own. Kapinus got involved in the back court, forcing a Highlander turnover to convert two points on the fast break. Another bad pass from the blue and red allowed Ciezki to collect a steal on defense and add to the Lady Lions fast break point total of 21 in the first half.
Penn State ballooned its lead to as much as 35 points in the final seconds of the first half, marking the biggest lead of the half for the Lady Lions.
Third Quarter
The blue & white got the scoring started for the third quarter in a row following a second chance effort for Brigham off an offensive rebound from Kapinus. Radford fought to stay in it, answering with two straight baskets to decrease the deficit to 57-26 with 7:07 on the clock.
A 12-2 scoring run for Penn State shifted the momentum back to the Lady Lions and extended their advantage to 40 points before the Highlanders could manage a point. A quick basket for Radford was immediately quieted by a triple from Marisa as the clock ran under one minute to catapult the Lady Lions’ lead to a 41 margin. A three-point-play for the Highlanders brought the score line to 72-34 with three quarters in the books.
Fourth Quarter
Radford got on the board first in the fourth period with a pair of free throws but a basket from deep out of the hands of Jayla Oden was the answer. The Highlanders snapped back with a bucket but Ciezki was persistent from the three-point line, sinking an immediate answer. The Lady Lions and Highlanders exchanged three-point baskets at the three minute mark, with Murray having the triple in response to sink her third-three pointer of the night.
A 9-2 run led by Oden closed out an impressive Penn State 97-47 win.
POSTGAME NOTES vs. Radford – Nov. 29, 2023
Penn State vs Radford
11/29/2023
Bryce Jordan Center (University Park, PA.)
Attendance: 1,830
Three Lady Lions scored in double figures in the first half, Marisa (14), Valladay (11) and Kapinus (11) after a 17-0 run to open the game. Five ended in double figures by the end of the contest: Marisa (24), Ciezki (15), Kapinus (15), Valladay (11), Murray (11).
Penn State forced 17 turnovers in just the first half.
The Lady Lions won the first quarter 32-6. Radford’s six points are the lowest allowed by Penn State in a quarter all season.
The Lady Lions compiled 35 bench points throughout the night.
Penn State capitalized on good defense and opponent mistakes, scoring 37 points off opponent turnovers, the highest total in that category of the season.
This is PSU’s second, 50-point-plus margin of victory of the season.
The Lady Lions tallied 26 assists, the most of the season in a single game.
The team grabbed 12 offensive rebounds, producing 19 second-chance points.
Penn State shot 56.9% from the field compared to Radford’s 35.3%, adding to the Lady Lions’ effectiveness holding opponents to just 38.9% shooting this season.
Shay Ciezki pushed her streak to four consecutive games with over 10 points, totaling 15 in the contest. Ciezki has scored double digits in seven of eight games so far this season.
Grace Hall blocked four shots, a team-high, while Chanaya Pinto led the team in steals with three.
UP NEXT
The Lady Lions head west to take on West Virginia on Monday, Dec. 4. Tip off against the Mountaineers is set for 6 p.m.
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