Relentless Defense Drives Lady Lions to 82-73 Win Against Nebraska

Penn State's defense applied relentless pressure, forcing 18 turnovers while holding Nebraska to 37% shooting from the field as the Lady Lions picked up a crucial 82-73 victory over the Cornhuskers inside the Bryce Jordan Center on January 21, 2024.

The Blue & White picked up their signature win of the season to date on Sunday afternoon, improving to 13-5 overall and 4-3 in Big Ten play after securing their third straight league win. Penn State moved closer to evening the series with the Cornhuskers, moving to 9-11 all-time against Nebraska in a series dating back to 1993. PSU picked up its third win against Nebraska in the last six meetings and is unbeaten against Nebraska inside the BJC in the last three. In defeat, the Cornhuskers fell to 13-6 overall and 5-3 against conference challengers heading into a matchup against Iowa.

Penn State was a force to be reckoned with from the floor, scoring at a 47% rate from the field with a 29-for-62 finish. PSU drilled seven attempts from long range and hit 17-of-22 free throws en route to an impressive nine-point win. The Lady Lions were dominant in the paint, outpacing Nebraska by a 38-28 tally down low while simultaneously racking up an astonishing 21-6 differential in fastbreak points.

Graduate guard Ashley Owusu was dominant on both ends of the floor Sunday afternoon, scoring a season-high 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting and 2-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Owusu, a native of Woodbridge, Virginia, recorded her 76th career game in double figures, 23rd career game scoring 20-or-more as well as her third game in three opportunities with 10-or-more points this year. Sophomore guard Shay Ciezki returned to her spectacular form on the offensive end, finishing with 17 points on 4-for-7 shooting with a 3-for-6 clip from 3-point land and a 6-for-6 finish at the charity stripe.

Redshirt junior guard Leilani Kapinus was virtuosic as a two-way performer against the Huskers, dropping 13 points with a season-high five assists on the offensive end coupled with a quartet of rebounds, four steals and two blocks defensively. Graduate forward Chanaya Pinto finished with eight points and seven rebounds highlighted by three offensive boards, while senior forward Ali Brigham finshed with seven points and five boards. Senior+ guard Makenna Marisa poured in seven points of her own while graduate guard Tay Valladay and redshirt junior guard Alli Campbell each added five.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Quarter

Nebraska booked the opening score of the game with a physical layup down low and connected on a left-wing triple to take an early 5-0 lead. The Cornhuskers capitalized on a string of PSU turnovers to build up a 7-0 advantage nearly four minutes into the contest, but the Lady Lions managed to find their way onto the scoreboard with a long-range make from Marisa. Nebraska carried an early 7-3 lead into the first quarter media intermission. Out of the break, Campbell saved a ball along the baseline behind her back to find Ciezki for an easy lay-in, and Pinto tied the game up with a short jumper from the restricted area. Both teams traded buckets over the next few minutes, and a Nebraska 3-pointer answered by a Lady Lion triple on the left wing from Ciezki culminated in a deadlocked 12-12 ball game through 10 minutes of work.

Second Quarter

Owusu opened the second period of play with a stare down 3-pointer from the left wing in her defender's face, and Kapinus made it a quick 5-0 run with a steal-and-score to make it 17-12 a minute-and-a-half into the frame. Marisa connected with Owusu for an easy layup to make it a 7-0 start to the quarter, but the Huskers responded with a long-range make to keep things close. Stifling defense from the Blue & White afforded PSU's offense multiple opportunities to extend the lead, booking a quick 5-0 scoring run to take a 24-15 lead with five minutes to play in the second, its largest advantage of the game. Nebraska hit its second 3-pointer of the quarter, cutting Penn State's lead back to six points at the media timeout. Out of the break, Nebraska connected from long range yet again, but a Valladay make in the paint followed by a right corner 3-ball from Campbell stabilized things for the Lady Lions. Calm, collected play from the Lady Lions over the final two minutes of the frame, highlighted by a buzzer-beating left corner 3-pointer from Ciezki, resulted in a 36-26 PSU advantage at the halftime break.

Third Quarter

The Cornhuskers worked for a quick turnaround hook shot that found the bottom of the net, but a nearly identical attempt from Brigham preserved the 10-point PSU advantage. A brilliant drive from Valladay moved the Lady Lion lead to 10, and an Owusu 3-pointer punctuated a solid 7-0 PSU scoring run. After Nebraska earned a trip to the line and both squads exchanged a pair of field goals, Ciezki nailed a brilliant triple and Kapinus pulled up in the paint to put Penn State ahead by a 50-32 edge. The Cornhuskers nailed a pair from the charity stripe to cut the lead down to 16 at the media timeout. Both squads booked makes out of the break, but an and-one opportunity from Kapinus gave PSU a 56-38 lead with three minutes to go in the frame. Buckets fell both ways down the stretch of the third quarter, with Penn State ultimately able to expand its lead to 19 points ahead of the final quarter, 64-45.

Fourth Quarter

Brigham opened the fourth quarter up with a layup on a brilliant feed from Kapinus, but the Cornhuskers booked an 8-0 reply over the next two minutes to make things a bit more interesting. Leading by a 66-53 margin with 6:57 to go, Pinto booked a pair at the charity stripe and Kapinus earned a trip to the line herself on the next possession to move the Lady Lion edge back to 16. A pair of triples from extremely long range rang true for the Huskers, sparking an 8-0 scoring run that cut Penn State's advantage back to single digits. PSU slowed things down and scored a pair at the stripe, but the Cornhuskers continued to apply scoring pressure, cutting things back to a two-possession game with yet another triple. A gutsy stepback jumper from Owusu stabilized the Lady Lion attack, and an and-one layup from Brigham ultimately helped PSU close things out in the final minute, booking a pivotal 82-73 home win.

POSTGAME NOTES

Penn State is on a three-game win streak, all three conference games.

Three Lady Lions scored in double figures: Owusu had her third straight double-digit scoring outing with 20 points, Ciezki posted 17 points, her 14th 10-plus-point day and Kapinus' 13 points was her eighth double figure scoring performance.

Owusu posted her third performance scoring 18-plus points and grabbing five-plus rebounds.

Leilani Kapinus posted 13 points, four rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks.

Shay Ciezki shot 4-of-7 from the field, 3-of-6 from three-point range and 6-of-6 from the free throw lines.

Ali Campbell has hit at least one three-pointer in each of the last three consecutive games.

This was the Lady Lions' 13th 80-plus-point game of the season.

Penn State forced 18 Nebraska turnovers.

The Lady Lions outscored the Cornhuskers in the paint by a 38-28.

Penn State held Nebraska to 36.8% field goal shooting.

Ashley Owusu and Shay Ciezki surpassed double figures in the first half.

Shay Ciezki hit her second buzzer beating three-pointer at the half.

This was Penn State's 12th game leading at the half time break.