UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – Iona women's basketball trailed by as many as 18, but fought back to within four midway through the third in a hard fought 80-67 loss at Penn State on Tuesday evening. Senior Marina Lizarazu scored a season-high 23 points on 8-for-18 shooting, and sophomore Alexis Lewis netted her sixth 20+ point scoring outing of the season in defeat.
Penn State opened the game hitting its first four shots, but Iona was able to withstand the early onslaught. At the first official timeout, both teams were hitting over 50% with the Lady Lions holding a slim 16-14 edge. Penn State closed the quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 25-16 lead after one.
Head Coach Billi Godsey was forced to call a timeout early in the second as Penn State used a 6-0 sprint to open its largest lead to that point. Things settled down for the Maroon & Gold when Lewis ended the streak with a field goal, and a pair of triples from the reigning MBWA Player of the Week and freshman Tilasha Okey-Williams brought Iona some momentum. The Gaels ended the first half scoring the final four points, cutting the Lady Lions lead to 14, 44-30.
The Lady Lions shot 53% in the first half, the highest percentage allowed by Iona in the first half this season. Lewis had 14 points in the first half to lead the Maroon & Gold. The Gaels used 12 second chance points to remain within striking distance. Senior Lindsey Spann led Penn State with 11 points, hitting three triples in the second quarter.
The third quarter began with the Gaels drawing multiple fouls, getting in the bonus with over six minutes remaining. Combining free opportunities and stringent defense, Iona went on a 13-0 run that cut the Penn State lead down to four points, 52-48. Four Lady Lions turnovers over a 2:25 stretch catapulted the bounce. Sophomore Philecia Atkins-Gilmore came off the bench during the third to own the three-point line, netting a pair of threes.
The Maroon & Gold streak came to a close with a layup by Spann, leading to an 8-0 run of its own that allowed Penn State to open back up a 12 points lead, 60-48. Over the final 2:47, Iona committed four turnovers and failed to score. Despite the desperate close, Iona hit 50% in the third quarter, and held the Lady Lions without a long-range conversion.
Lizarazu took it upon herself in the fourth to carry Iona in the fourth, scoring the team's first 11 points of the frame. Penn State bounced back from the Gaels' late runs, eventually closing out an 80-67 final. With the win, the Lady Lions remain undefeated at home, and extended its winning streak to six games.
Iona tied a season-high with nine three-point field goals, shooting 39.1%. The Gaels were outrebounded for the second consecutive game, 39-33. The offensive rebounds category fell in favor of the Maroon & Gold, finishing with 16 second chance opportunities that lead to 16 points.
In addition to her 23 points, Lizarazu finished with a season-high seven steals in addition to five assists and one rebound. She was matched up against the Lady Lions's leading scorer sophomore Teniya Page, and held her to 11 points. Page came into the game averaging over 20 points per game.
Penn State scored an Iona opponent-high 80 points as a team, and shot an opponent-best 52.5% from the floor. Spann finished with a team-high 16 points, with three other teammates in double-digits.
Iona is on break until Friday, Dec. 30 when it hosts Canisius at the Hynes Center.
