Penn State women’s basketball set to face Dunquese | Penn State Basketball News | psucollegian.com

Guard Gabby Elliott (0) passes the ball during the Penn State women's basketball game against Canisius on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024 in the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa. The Lady Lions beat the Golden Griffins 89-57.

The Lady Lions will look to continue their hot start and improve to 3-0 at 1 p.m. Sunday against Duquesne.

An all-around effort from Penn State led to a dominant 89-57 win over Canisius last Thursday. Twelve of the 13 players on Penn State’s roster took the floor, allowing fans to see the full extent of coach Carolyn Kieger’s new squad.

The blue and white applied pressure the moment the ball hit the hardwood and kept the Griffins caged, allowing them only six first quarter points.

Bellarmine transfer Grace Merkle led Penn State with 20 points and three blocks while shooting 69.2% from the field.

Cam Rust showed out with a double-double in just her second-career game with the Lady Lions, tallying 10 points and 10 rebounds. Rust wasn’t the only freshman who left her mark on the game as Talayah Walker finished with five points alongside a block and a steal.

Dunquese started its season off with a thrilling win over Princeton. After trailing entering the fourth quarter, the Dukes refused to back down and flipped a switch that allowed them to go on a 20-4 run and complete the comeback against the Tigers.

Megan McConnell put the team on her back, leading Duquesne with 24 points and five assists while shooting 50% from behind the arc.

The last time these two programs faced off was in 2021, where the Lady Lions managed to scrape by with a 68-60 win. Despite the close contest, Penn State historically has had Dunquesne’s number, leading the series 17-1.

The Dukes may have come up big in the clutch against Princeton, but face a much different challenge in Happy Valley.

Penn State has been highly effective scoring the ball from all three levels to start the season and has the defensive tools to give McConnell a hard time on the perimeter.

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