Indiana Women's Basketball to Take on Penn State in Season's First Big Ten Road Game

The Hoosiers will compete in their first conference road game of the season versus Penn State Thursday at 7 p.m. ET. Read about how to watch and the matchup details between the Big Ten opponents.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — On Thursday evening at 7 p.m. ET, the Indiana women's basketball team will tipoff against Penn State in its first Big Ten road game of the season. 

Penn state is 7-2 on the season with its two losses as the most recent in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge to Virginia and in its Big Ten home opener versus Minnesota. 

The Nittany Lions are led by senior guard Makenna Marisa who's averaging 18.7 points and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor. In Penn State's last game versus the Golden Gophers, Marisa scored 34 points in the 98-96 double overtime loss.

"She's one of the best," Indiana head coach Teri Moren said. "I don't even think in the Big. I think she's one of the best in the country as far as guard and her ability to score all three levels. She's a very difficult guard because she can do all those things."

Moren said if you lose Marisa while guarding her, she makes you pay. Moren anticipates every Hoosier guard will have a chance to defend her as the lineup is a revolving door without starting guard Grace Berger available.

"We've had a little bit of bad luck with kids getting dinged up, but we got business to take care of," Moren said.

Penn State redshirt sophomore guard Leilani Kapinus adds 10.2 points and 5.9 boards per contest as the Nittany Lions out-rebound their opponents 39.7 to 33.7 per game.

"They're a multi-defensive team," Moren said. "The biggest thing with that is we have to do a great job of recognizing when and what they're in and being able to execute. That's their way of trying to keep teams off balance. "

Not only is the team great at rebounding, but it also runs multiple defenses swapping between two-three, three-two, one-two-two, etc., Moren said. She added the Hoosiers' scouting report is tendency-based meaning Indiana will be prepared for a zone or man-to-man defense.

This week, the Hoosiers had more success as they tied the program's highest Associated Press Top 25 Poll ranking at No. 4 giving them a big target on their backs.

"We have an experienced group," Moren said. "They understand being ranked we're going to get everybody's best."

Plus the team was named the NCAA Team of the Week after staying undefeated in its season with most recent wins over North Carolina and Illinois.

The Hoosiers are led by senior forward Mackenzie Holmes who's averaging 20.9 points per game and seven boards. She's one of six Hoosiers averaging double scoring figures including junior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil who averages 10.2 points per game and is leading the Big Ten and is third in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio with +5.0, dishing out 45 assists to nine turnovers. 

In the series with the Nittany Lions, Indiana has won the past five including last season's 70-40 win inside the Hall. Indiana is just one win away from tying Moren's best start at 10-0.

Moren said pressure is a privilege and having an experienced, veteran group makes all the difference in staying locked in on the task at hand.

"What we try to tell our group is you got to keep the noise out, think about the next game," Moren said. 

How to Watch Indiana vs. Penn State

Who: No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers (9-0) (1-0) vs. Penn State (7-2) (0-1)

When: Thursday, Dec. 8 2022 — 7 p.m. ET

Where: Bryce Jordan Center — University Park, Pa.

Broadcast: B1G+

Radio: WHCC 105.1 FM

Related stories on Indiana women's basketball

• HOOSIERS MOVE UP TO NO. 4 The Hoosiers move up one spot in the AP Top 25 Poll tying the program's best ranking. The full list complete with records is included. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA WINS BIG TEN OPENER VS. ILLINOIS It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win as the Hoosiers got their first Big Ten victory of the season 65-61 over the Fighting Illini. Senior forward Mackenzie Holmes led the Hoosiers with 23 points while junior guard Sydney Parrish crashed the boards with 10 rebounds. CLICK HERE
• HOOSIERS START BIG TEN PLAY The Hoosiers will open Big Ten play at home on Sunday versus the Fighting Illini who are off to a 7-1 start on the season. Like the Hoosiers, Illinois is also fresh off of a Big Ten/ACC Challenge win and will look to snap the Hoosiers' 13 game winning streak over Illinois. CLICK HERE