Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1531683
5 2 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: The Lady Lions pulled off their biggest upset in years when they stunned No. 9 Ohio State, 62-59, on Jan. 19 at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Buckeyes had been one of only three remaining unbeaten teams in the country, but four Penn State players scored in double figures to help the Lady Lions earn their first Big Ten win. Graduate guard Gabby Elliott scored a team-best 14 points, while redshirt sophomore center Gracie Merkle had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Jayla Oden added 13 points off the bench, and redshirt sophomore guard Moriah Mur- ray scored 12. Penn State registered its first win over an opponent ranked in the Associ- ated Press top 10 since it beat No. 8 Ohio State on Feb. 20, 2012. This year's clash with the Buckeyes was Penn State's third consecutive game against a top-10 opponent. During a visit to Los Angeles, the Lady Lions dropped games to No. 4 USC, 95-73, on Jan. 12 and No. 1 UCLA, 83- 67, on Jan. 15. Those results kept Penn State winless in Big Ten play, but the Lady Lions reversed their fortunes against the Buckeyes. "I'm really proud of the team," coach Carolyn Kieger said. "I'm happy they get to have this moment. Now, we need to lock back in and prepare for a tough next Big Ten opponent." That foe was No. 22 Michigan State, which was set to welcome PSU to the Breslin Center on Jan. 22. The Lady Lions were 10-9 overall and 1-7 in con- ference play heading into their trip to East Lansing. MEN'S ICE HOCKEY: Penn State swept a nonconference series against vis- iting Canisius Jan. 17-18, evening its overall record at 10-10-2. Sophomore forward Aiden Fink scored 3 goals in the opener, and his hat trick helped the Nittany Lions pull away for a 4-0 victory. In the finale, Penn State got first-period goals from freshman forward Keaton Peters, senior forward Ben Schoen and sophomore forward Matt DiMarsico and coasted to a 3-2 win. The Lions have struggled in Big Ten play this year, with a 1-9-2 conference record heading into a two-game series against Ohio State at Pegula Ice Arena Jan. 24-25. WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY: Ninth-ranked Penn State improved to 21-4-1 overall and 12-0 in the Atlantic Hockey America conference with a sweep of host Syracuse Jan. 17-18. Junior forward Katelyn Roberts scored the only goal of the game in Penn State's 1-0 overtime victory in the series opener. The following night, fresh- man forward Grace Outwater scored twice, and junior goalie Katie DeSa made 25 saves to lift the visitors to a 4-0 win. The Nittany Lions had won eight in a row heading into a two-game series at Lindenwood Jan. 24-25. MEN'S VOLLEYBALL: Penn State dropped its first four matches of the sea- son, all against ranked opponents. The Nittany Lions opened with road losses to No. 12 Loyola Chicago (3-1, Jan. 10) and No. 14 Lewis (3-0, Jan. 11). At the First Point Collegiate Challenge in Austin, Texas, the following week, they fell to No. 1 UCLA (3-0, Jan. 17) and No. 11 Stanford (3-1, Jan. 18). Redshirt senior outside hitter Will Kuhns was leading the team with 43 kills through four matches. The Nittany Lions were set to open their home slate Jan. 23 against Ohio State. It was the first match of a home-and-home nonconference series against the Buckeyes, with a visit to Columbus set for Jan. 26. WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD: Junior middle-distance standout Hayley Kitching turned in the third-fastest indoor 1,000-meter time in collegiate history when she finished in 2:39.86 at the Nittany Lion Challenge on Jan. 18. The collegiate record-holder, Danae Rivers, is a Penn State alumna, hav- ing finished in 2:38.58 in 2019. MEN'S GYMNASTICS: Penn State won its home opener, topping Army, 316.900-306.500, Jan. 18 at Rec Hall. Junior Matt Underhill finished first on rings with a 14.200, his best score since posting a 14.200 against Michigan last March. Penn State opened its season with a second-place performance at the Black Knight Invitational Jan. 10-11 in West Point, N.Y. Underhill won the rings title with a 13.700. WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS: The 16th-ranked Nittany Lions dropped their Big Ten opener, falling to No. 21 Minnesota, 196.325-195.700, on Jan. 18 in Minneapolis. Graduate Cassi Barbanente turned in a 9.85 score on the un- even bars, while junior Amani Herring scored 9.85 on the floor exercise. Penn State was 5-2 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten action heading into a dual meet against Rutgers Jan. 24 at Rec Hall. WOMEN'S TENNIS: Penn State improved to 2-0 with a 4-3 victory over visiting Old Dominion on Jan. 19. Freshman Maria Daciana Ciubotaru and senior Yvonne Zuffova won their singles matches to clinch the team victory for the Nittany Lions. The Lions opened their spring season with a 7-0 shutout of visiting Vil- lanova on Jan. 18. — Matt Herb W I N T E R S P O R T S N O T E B O O K Guard Moriah Murray scored 12 points in the Penn State women's basketball team's 62-59 upset of No. 9 Ohio State on Jan. 19. PSU dealt the Buckeyes their first loss of the season. PHOTO BY CALEB CRAIG/PENN STATE ATHLETICS