Marisa Shines in Dominant Team Win Over Delaware State
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State’s pestering defense helps the the Lady Lions improve to 3-0 on the season with a 120-51 win over the Delaware State Hornets.
Penn State’s 69-point win marks the largest margin of victory in Lady Lions history, trumping the previous high of 56.
Leading for the entire length of the contest, the Lady Lions broke the Penn State women’s basketball record for most points in a game with 120, as well as the record for most assists in a game with 37.
The blue and white played fast and aggressive on both sides of the ball all night long, forcing 37 total turnovers and blocking three shots.
Throughout the night, the Lady Lions showcased their ability to turn defense into offense, racking up 58 points off of turnovers.
As a team, Penn State shot an efficient 56.2% from the field and 44.8% from three.
Junior guard Makenna Marisa had the best game of her young career, tallying the first triple-double by a Lady Lion since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1992.
“I knew she was going to get a triple-double soon, I just didn’t know it was going to be with steals,” said coach Carolyn Kieger on Marisa’s electric performance.
Marisa accredited her hot streak to her teammates.
“I love my teammates. They got me going this game,” Marisa said. “I give them all the credit.”
Marisa had a career-high in points, assists and steals, tallying 30 points, 11 asists and 10 steals. To add to her memorable game, Marisa also broke the record for most steals in a game by a Lady Lion.
Adding to the festivities, Tova Sabel, the sophomore guard from Sweden, tallied a career-high 16 points as well.
Coach Kieger touched on Sabel’s unwavering work ethic.
“Tova had a phenomenal summer,” Kieger said. “When the rest of the team went home, she stayed.”
Despite leading by a wide margin, the Lady Lions kept their foot on the gas pedal for the entirety of the game, showcasing their tough mentality.
“We’ve been talking a lot about that, in terms of having that lion mentality. Attacking 100%, 24/7, it doesn’t matter. The score is always zero to zero,” Kieger said.
Coach Kieger will aim to keep the team focused after their dominant win, seeing as the Lady Lions have some tough road games ahead of them.
“We have a gauntlet of a stretch coming up, so we need to be locked in,” Kieger said. “Tonight was about Penn State. It was about getting better.”
The Lady Lions will be on the road for their upcoming matchup against Clemson this Sunday, Nov. 21.
Darian Capobianco is a first-year majoring in journalism. To contact him, email dpc5734@psu.edu.
