Women’s Basketball Drops Tough Battle at Illinois – Penn State

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Penn State dropped a resilient road contest at rv Illinois, despite leading after the first and third quarters. In a game of six lead changes and three tie scores, Penn State’s toughness and Gracie Merkle’s double double fell short with a 67-55 final score. The Lady Lions drop to 10-15, 1-13 Big Ten while the Fighting Illini improve to 20-5, 10-4 Big Ten.

The Gracie Merkle and Gabby Elliott combination continued its dominance, with both scoring in double figures for the fifth consecutive game. Merkle produced her second-straight double double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Elliott’s 16 points led PSU on the offensive end for the seventh time this season. As a team, the Lady Lions were consistent in outscoring their opponents in the paint, putting up 34 points to Illinois’ 24. They also dominated the glass, grabbing rebounds at a 43-34 clip.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Quarter

Despite winning the opening tip off, the Lady Lions were not the first to put points on the board. Illinois sank two free throws for the first points of the game. Neither team could convert on their next two trips down the court until Merkle got the scoring going for PSU with a layup at the rim. The Illini had a response on a fastbreak immediately following and completed the three-point play after a Penn State foul. Merkle added two more for the Lady Lions, but the home team drained their first three of the day on a second chance opportunity. Gabby Elliott found her first points of the game on the next possession, but Illinois had a three pointer as an answer making the score 11-6. A couple of missed opportunities for both squads were broken up by two points from Merkle. Illinois put up a bucket just before the media timeout to extend its lead. Following the break in action, PSU put up two points to Illinois’ four. A 7-0 run led by Moriah Murray tied the game at 17-17 with under a minute remaining. Despite a single free throw from the Illini, PSU had the last answer with a shot from beyond the arc from Gabby Elliott to give the Lady Lions a 20-18 advantage after the first quarter.

Second Quarter

The Fighting Illini put up points on the first possession in the next stanza and got a stop on the defensive end to pull ahead using a three ball on the next trip down the court. Merkle put up two points to send the lead back with the Lady Lions. Despite a stop on defense, PSU could not convert on its next possession. A foul drawn by the Illini sent them back to…