Penn State Women's Basketball Seeks Another Rec Hall Upset
Can the Penn State women's basketball team capitalize on Wednesday night's Rec Hall success and pull off an even bigger Big Ten upset? We'll find out Thursday when the Lady Lions host No. 2 Ohio State in the second round of a homecoming twin bill at Penn State's Rec Hall. The game tips at 6 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
On Wednesday, the Penn State men's basketball team pulled off an outrageous upset of No. 12 Illinois, overcoming a seven-point deficit with 35 seconds remaining. Zach Hicks was fouled shooting a go-ahead 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds left, calmly made all three free throws to lift the Lions over Illinois 90-89. Illinois coach Brad Underwood, whose teams have lost four straight to Penn State, wistfully longed for the Bryce Jordan Center after the game.
"Tremendous atmosphere, great environment. Wish we were back in the other place," Underwood said after the game.
The Nittany Lions ended a three-game losing streak with their upset victory over the Illini. Now, the Lady Lions seek to halt their five-game slide against the Big Ten's hottest team. Ohio State (22-3) has yet to lose in 2024, bringing a 12-game win streak to Rec Hall. The Buckeyes beat then-No. 2 Iowa (100-92 in overtime) and then-No. 10 Indiana in that stretch and have won six straight road games.
Ohio State, which already has clinched a double-bye in the Big Ten tournament, leads the conference in four statistical categories, ranks second in scoring defense and is fourth in scoring offense. This is a huge challenge for a Penn State program that followed a six-game Big Ten win streak (its longest in a decade) with five consecutive losses. Maybe Rec Hall can help.
The Penn State women have not played in Rec Hall since leaving for the Bryce Jordan Center in 1996. The Lady Lions have a prolific history there, beginning Jan. 7, 1978, when they won their first game at Rec Hall. Against? Ohio State.
Penn State went 28-0 against Big Ten opponents in Rec Hall after joining the conference in 1992 and is 44-1 overall against Big Ten teams in the building. Penn State compiled a winning percentage of 85.7 percent in the building (203-34) and produced four undefeated home seasons there. Penn State has won six NCAA Tournament games at Rec Hall, including two in 1994 when they reached the Elite Eight.
This season, coach Carolyn Kieger's team went 7-1 in January, winning six straight games, to push itself into the upper-third of the Big Ten. At one point, Penn State was 7-3 in the Big Ten and building a strong resume toward its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 years. However, the Lady Lions haven't won yet in February, losing five straight after also losing one of their top players to injury.
Guard Tay Valladay sustained a season-ending injury against Minnesota on Jan. 31, the last game Penn State won. Since then, the Lady Lions (16-10) fell at home to Michigan, lost road games at Iowa and Wisconsin and dropped a 15-point decision to Maryland. Penn State still is positioned for an NCAA Tournament run (ESPN's bracketology has the team seeded 10th), but the margin of error is closing. The Lady Lions need to end the losing streak before heading to the Big Ten Tournament.
How to watch Penn State vs. Ohio State women's basketball
Big Ten Network will broadcast tonight's Penn State vs. Ohio State women's basketball beginning at 6 p.m. ET from Rec Hall. Streamers can check out FuboTV (start your free trial).
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