For as good as Iowa women’s basketball has been in recent memory, the Penn State women’s team, perhaps surprisingly, has historically played the Hawkeyes close. In 38 total meetings between the two programs since 1999, Penn State and Iowa have each won 19 times. Iowa’s recent dominance has led to eight straight wins against the Lady Lions, but before that, the matchup was dominated by Penn State. Penn State will look for a road win in Iowa City when the women’s basketball team looks to snap its eight-game losing streak to Iowa on Thursday evening.
With Caitlin Clark in the fold, Iowa is ranked No. 2 in the USA TODAY’s Coaches Poll and AP Top 25. The Hawkeyes also sit in first place in the Big Ten, with the Lady Lions three games back with a 7-4 conference record. Penn State was riding high on a six-game win streak before Michigan got them last Saturday in University Park.
Penn State is led by senior guard Makena Marisa, who averages 15.1 points per game and has scored in double figures the past four games. Former Maryland Terrapin and Virginia Tech transfer Ashley Owusu has only played in seven games this season due to injury but has averaged 18.3 points per game in her limited time on the court. Those two, along with Leilani Kapinus (10.8 ppg), will be the Penn State guards getting the chance to slow down Clark, and their defense will be a huge facet to watch.
The Lady Lions are 8-10 in Iowa City against the Hawkeyes and haven’t won away from home since January 2016. Their star players will have to show up, especially defensively, to slow down Clark, who averages 32.4 points per game.
Here is how to watch the game Saturday afternoon.
Penn State at Iowa Women’s Basketball