Preview: Northwestern Wildcats at Penn State Lady Lions STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking to halt prolonged slides will meet Sunday when the Northwestern Wildcats visit the Penn State Lady Lions in a Big Ten women’s basketball matchup. The game at Bryce Jordan Center pits Northwestern (8-16) against Penn State (8-17), with both programs mired in extended losing streaks. The Wildcats enter on a seven-game skid, while the Lady Lions have dropped eight of their last nine contests. Northwestern is coming off an 80-58 home loss to Michigan on Thursday. The Wildcats have struggled offensively during their losing streak, failing to reach 75 points in any of the seven games. Their last win was a 66-61 victory over Wisconsin on Jan. 15. Penn State fell 81-62 at Maryland on Thursday. The Lady Lions’ lone recent bright spot was an 85-82 overtime road win at Purdue on Feb. 4. The matchup will feature a compelling duel at guard between Northwestern’s Caroline Lau and Penn State’s Kiyomi McMiller. Lau has been a consistent facilitator for the Wildcats, averaging 9.7 points and 6.8 assists over her last six games. In Northwestern’s loss to Michigan, she scored 16 points with six assists. McMiller has been a prolific scorer for Penn State, averaging 27.3 points over her last three outings. She erupted for 37 points and eight rebounds in a loss to Michigan State on Feb. 7 and followed with 30 points in the defeat at Maryland. Other key contributors include Northwestern’s Grace Sullivan and Tayla Thomas, who combined for 29 points against Michigan. For Penn State, Gracie Merkle provides an interior presence, coming off a 13-point, two-block performance against the Terrapins. Historically, Penn State holds a significant advantage in the series. In their first meeting this season on Jan. 29, the Lady Lions defeated the Wildcats 78-60 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. McMiller led all scorers with 24 points in that contest. Sunday’s game offers a critical opportunity for either team to build momentum before the final stretch of the conference schedule. Northwestern visits Michigan State on Wednesday, while Penn State travels to Rutgers next Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. EST at Bryce Jordan Center.