Slow Start Plagues Lady Lions in Loss to Purdue

Penn State (11-5, 1-3 Big Ten) traveled to West Lafayette, Ind. coming off its first Big Ten win of the season against Iowa. Purdue (11-6, 2-1 Big Ten) also grabbed its first Big Ten win in its last time out on the floor as the Boilermakers took down Michigan State. The Lady Lions had nothing to compete with the Boilermakers on the day as Purdue ran away with it early, 64-51.

How It Happened

The Lady Lions got off to a slow start in the opening few minutes at Mackey Arena, falling behind 11-4 at the first media timeout with shots just not falling on the offensive end and Purdue securing easy buckets with good ball movement. Turnovers plagued Penn State throughout the opening quarter with the Boilermakers leading 19-8 after heading into the second quarter.

The Boilermakers hit a three and scored on a fastbreak off of a turnover to force Penn State coach Coquese Washington to call timeout down 24-8. The Boilermakers couldn’t build on their lead in the following minutes, but the Lady Lions didn’t have the offensive firepower to cut into it. Whitted led Penn State into the locker room with eight points and four rebounds as it trailed Purdue 36-20 at halftime.

After scoring the opening points of the quarter, the Lady Lions were shut out for the next several minutes as Purdue pushed its lead to 20+. With four players in double figures, Purdue went into the fourth quarter with a 55-32 lead.

The Lady Lions managed to cut their deficit a bit in the final 10 minutes. Giving up just nine points in the final quarter, Penn State also was clicking for the first time during the game on the offensive end. Just one Lady Lion finished in double figures as Penn State dropped the third game in its last four 64-51.

Player Of The Game

Andreona Keys | Guard | Junior

The Atlanta native posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds as her team cruised by Penn State.

What’s Next

It doesn’t get any easier for the Lady Lions as they face No. 3 Maryland on the road. Wednesday’s game tips off at 6:30 p.m. and can be seen live on BTN Plus.