Lady Lions Drop Fourth Straight with 70-40 Loss to Indiana

Penn State was outscored 42-17 over the middle two quarters in its Big Ten opener as the Lady Lions dropped their fourth straight game, 70-40, on Monday at Indiana.

The Lady Lions slipped to 4-5 overall after starting the year 3-0. Penn State was coming off an 86-69 setback at Boston College on Dec. 2.

Against the Hoosiers, Penn State was outrebounded 80-57, shot just four foul shots and was outpointed 52-25 in the third quarter over the two games. Sophomore guard Makenna Marisa topped the Lady Lions with a 17.5-point average.

Marisa was Penn State’s only double-figure scorer against Indiana, finishing with a game-high 21 points. Penn State shot just 33.9% from the field and made only 2-of-16 from 3-point range versus the Hoosiers while turning the ball over 22 times. The Lady Lions’ last lead was on Marisa’s trey for an 11-9 advantage with 3:19 remaining in the first quarter before a 16-4 Hoosier run put Indiana ahead by 10 midway through the second quarter.

The Hoosiers, who placed all five starters in double figures led by Mackenzie Holmes’ 16, went up by as many as 36 halfway through the fourth.

Indiana outrebounded the Lady Lions 37-24 and shot 51%.

Penn State didn’t attempt a free throw.

Marisa made 10 of 22 shots and also topped the Lady Lions with five rebounds and three assists. Sophomore forward Ali Brigham registered eight points and four boards.

Brigham scored 18 points and Marisa collected 14 points and six assists against Boston College. Niya Beverley tossed in 10, while Leilani Kapinus contributed with eight points and six rebounds.

Penn State only trailed by five points at halftime but couldn’t get any closer in the second half. After Marisa’s three-point play at the 7:44 mark of the third quarter cut it the deficit to six, the Lady Lions had just five field goals over the next nine minutes, and Boston College stormed ahead, 73-50.

Penn State never led.

Boston College’s Cameron Swartz fired in a game-high 29 points. The Eagles’ Jaelyn Batts recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.