RICHMOND, Va. (Interstat) — Penn State pulled away in the second half to defeat VCU 78-66 in a nonconference women’s basketball game Saturday at The Diamond. The Lady Lions used a strong first and third quarter, scoring 23 points in each, to secure the victory. Gracie Merkle led Penn State with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Moriah Murray scored a team-high 18 points. Daija Preston paced VCU with 17 points and seven rebounds. Penn State improved to 7-4. VCU fell to 4-9. An announced crowd of 553 attended the neutral-site game.

RICHMOND, Va. (Interstat) — Penn State used a dominant first quarter and capitalized on a torrent of Virginia Commonwealth turnovers to secure a 78-66 victory in a nonconference women’s basketball game Saturday at The Diamond. The Lady Lions, improving to 7-4, set the tone early by forcing eight VCU turnovers in the opening period, converting those miscues into a 23-14 lead. That early cushion proved vital as the Rams (4-9) battled to stay within striking distance but could never fully recover from their initial offensive disarray. Penn State’s offense operated with consistent efficiency, led by a balanced scoring attack. Moriah Murray, a guard from Dunmore, Pennsylvania, paced the Lady Lions with 18 points, including four three-pointers. She was complemented by the backcourt duo of Kiyomi McMiller, who added 17 points and eight rebounds, and Tea Cleante, who orchestrated the offense with 15 points and eight assists while also contributing four steals. The most important stretch of the game came late in the third quarter, just as VCU had mounted a significant challenge. The Rams, after trailing by as many as 16 points, used a 12-4 run to close the gap to 50-45 with 3:56 remaining in the period. The surge was fueled by Daija Preston, who scored six points during the run, and a defensive effort that forced several Penn State mistakes. However, the Lady Lions responded immediately and decisively. Cleante found Murray for a three-pointer on the ensuing possession to halt the momentum. After a VCU miss, Cleante assisted on another three-pointer, this time by McMiller. Following a Rams turnover, Cleante connected with Murray for yet another three-pointer, capping a 9-0 run in just over a minute of play. That explosive sequence pushed the lead back to 59-45 and effectively extinguished VCU’s comeback hopes, as Penn State maintained a double-digit advantage for nearly the entirety of the fourth quarter. VCU was led by Preston, who scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Tanya Tkachenko, a forward from Berdiansk, Ukraine, added 16 points and six rebounds for the Rams. Their efforts, however, were undermined by 23 team turnovers, which Penn State converted into 24 points. The Lady Lions also controlled the glass, outrebounding VCU 49-41 and securing 15 offensive rebounds that led to 15 second-chance points. Penn State’s interior presence was bolstered by Gracie Merkle, a 6-foot-6 center from Mount Washington, Kentucky, who recorded a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Maggie Mendelson contributed eight points and seven rebounds off the bench for the Lady Lions. Statistically, Penn State shot 39% from the field and 31% from three-point range, while VCU finished at 43% overall and 33% from beyond the arc. The Rams’ offensive rating of 79.8 on 83 possessions underscored their struggles with ball security and shot creation against Penn State’s active defense, which registered 12 steals. The game, played in front of 553 fans, was part of a two-game trip to Virginia for Penn State, who face Richmond on Sunday. VCU, which has lost five of its last six games, concludes its nonconference schedule at Saint Joseph’s on Dec. 31.

Preview: VCU Rams at Penn State Lady Lions RICHMOND, Va. (Interstat) — Two teams looking to build momentum before conference play begins will meet Saturday when the Penn State Lady Lions face the VCU Rams in a nonconference women’s basketball game at The Diamond. The Lady Lions (6-4) enter having lost three straight, all against power-conference opponents, including a 95-55 defeat at then-South Carolina on Dec. 14. Penn State’s offense will run through guard Kiyomi McMiller, who has been a consistent bright spot. She averages 19.2 points and 5.1 assists per game and has scored at least 19 points in five of her last six contests, including a 22-point performance against the Gamecocks. VCU (4-7) snapped a five-game losing streak with a 69-63 home win over American on Tuesday. The Rams will rely on guard Laia Crespin Pastor, who played a season-high 35 minutes in that victory, contributing seven points and six assists. Her playmaking will be critical against Penn State’s pressure. Penn State holds a record and strength-of-schedule advantage, but its recent skid highlights defensive struggles, allowing an average of 90 points during the three losses. VCU, meanwhile, has struggled offensively on the road, failing to reach 70 points in any of its seven losses. This game is a homecoming of sorts for Penn State, which plays its second consecutive game in Virginia before a quick turnaround at Richmond on Sunday. VCU continues a stretch of four straight home games. The matchup at The Diamond, the minor league baseball stadium configured for basketball, offers a unique neutral-site environment. Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Key Matchup: Penn State’s high-scoring guard Kiyomi McMiller against a VCU defense that allows 69.5 points per game. The Rams must contain McMiller’s penetration and scoring to have a chance. Series Note: This is a rare meeting between the programs. Both seek a quality win to bolster their resumes before entering the bulk of their conference schedules in January.