Penn State's hot start powers win over Gophers

Minnesota lost its first game without Mara Braun in the lineup.

The Gophers women’s basketball team began life without Mara Braun Wednesday night, and it showed that it might be a difficult road ahead.

Penn State got off to a fast start in an 80-64 win over the Gophers at Williams Arena. It was Minnesota’s first game since Braun was ruled out indefinitely with a foot injury.

The Nittany Lions (16-5, 7-3 Big Ten) got seven points from Leilani Kapinus in the first quarter as they jumped out to a 23-12 lead. The Gophers (14-7, 4-6) hung tough after that, at one point narrowing the deficit to 27-20. The U only outscored by five points after the first quarter, it just couldn’t find a way to close the gap.

Penn State had a balanced offensive attack with four players finishing in double figures. Shay Ciezki led the Nittany Lions with 18 points, Ashley Owusu had 17, 11 rebounds and six assists, Kapinus scored 16 and Makenna Marisa added 13.

The Gophers, for their part, also had four players finish in double figures, with Janay Sanders — who got her first start for Minnesota in place of Braun — and Sophie Hart scoring 13 apiece, while Amaya Battle and Grace Grocholski each had 12. Battle also added seven rebounds and five assists.

But the U was just 2 of 16 from 3-point range while Penn State hit 11 from beyond the arc, including four in the first quarter. The Gophers couldn't overcome the early hole.