Penn State women’s basketball (2-0) started the season with back-to-back wins, as the Lady Lions took down Drexel, 84-70, on Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Sophomore guard Jaida Travascio-Green put on a show, scoring a career-high 31 points on the way to the second victory of the weekend for the Penn State.
How It Happened
Penn State was able to use its size and athleticism to the squad’s advantage in the opening portion of the game. Three blocks from the Lady Lions kept the Dragons’ offense at bay long enough for Penn State to go on a 12-0 run in the final minutes of the first quarter to take a 25-12 lead.
Forward De’Janae Boykin had a double-double by the end of the first half with 12 points and 11 boards, while Travascio-Green led both teams in scoring with 13 and an incredible four blocks just in the first half. Freshman Sam Breen showed great floor running potential, grabbing a rebound and sending a strong pass up for a near instant layup. The Lady Lions kept their lead, going up 43-31 at the half.
Penn State kept humming along into the second half. Travascio-Green started to find her rhythm from beyond the arc, burying two threes near the start of the quarter. Coach Coquese Washington’s forwards also kept up with their interior pressure, nabbing many second chance layups and offensive rebounds. Ten blocks in total for Penn State kept the Dragons out of the block, forcing Drexel to stay toward the perimeter. Thanks to their defense keeping Drexel to a 29 percent field goal percentage, the Lady Lions rolled to a 64-47 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Drexel started to get hot in the closing minutes of the game, bringing to score to within 9. Much like in Friday’s win against Siena, the Lady Lions were able to keep the surging Dragons at bay. A huge three from Kamaria McDaniel near the one-minute mark with the shot clock almost out gave the Lions their double-digit lead back. The Lady Lions cruised home, earning an 84-70 victory after another three from Travascio-Green in the closing seconds.
Player Of The Match
Jaida Travascio-Green | Senior | Guard
31 points and 7 for 16 on three pointers? Travascio-Green has had no problem scoring so far this season and the sharpshooter showed her defensive skill against Drexel, blocking five shots and grabbing five rebounds.
What’s Next?
The Lady Lions get their first road test of the season against Marshall at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
