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.
