Northwestern University Athletics
Sunday, February 15
University Park, Pa.
3 p.m. CT
Northwestern
at
Penn State
Photo by: Mary Grace Grabill/Northwestern Athletics
Northwestern Set For Sunday Matinee At Penn State On BTN
2/14/2026 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
‘Cats knocked off Lady Lions last season at Welsh-Ryan Arena
EVANSTON, Ill. (February 14, 2026) – Currently in the midst of a stretch that sees it play three games across a six-day span, Northwestern (8-16, 2-11 B1G) heads east Sunday to take on Penn State inside Rec Hall in University Park, Pa. The 3 p.m. CT tilt will air on Big Ten Network, with Ed Cohen (play-by-play) and Genesis Bryant (analyst) on the call.
LAST TIME OUT
Northwestern got off to a red-hot start, shooting 61 percent in the first half as it carried a six-point lead into halftime, but could not complete its upset bid as it fell to No. 7 Michigan, 80-58, last Thursday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The 'Cats were led on the offensive end of the floor by the pairing of Caroline Lau and Grace Sullivan, who finished with 16 points apiece. Lau, who scored in double figures for the sixth time in her last eight outings, drilled a team-best three triples, her fourth game with three three-point field goals this season, in addition to dishing out six assists. Sullivan operated at a 5-of-10 clip from the field and finished a perfect 6-of-6 at the charity stripe en route to her 18th game in double figures of 2025-26.
Tayla Thomas also impressed, putting up 13 points and five rebounds. Thomas connected on a career-best two attempts from beyond the three-point arc.
On the defensive end of the floor, Northwestern limited Michigan to just 17 percent (2-of-12) from three-point land.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Like Northwestern, Penn State (8-17, 1-13 B1G) enters Sunday's matchup as part of a crowded battle to secure a berth to next month's Big Ten Tournament. Led by seventh-year head coach Carolyn Kieger, the Lady Lions hung tough early before ultimately succumbing on the road this past Thursday at No. 20 Maryland, 81-62.
Kieger's team boasts two of the conference's preeminent scoring threats in Kiyomi McMiller and Gracie Merkle. McMiller, who ranks fourth in the Big Ten in scoring at 20.6 points per game, has been on a tear of late, scoring 30-plus points in three straight games. During Big Ten Conference play, McMiller has averaged 22.7 points per game. Residing just behind McMiller in sixth (19.0 ppg) on the league's scoring chart, Merkle enters the weekend as the nation's leader in field goal percentage, shooting a red-hot 74.6 percent from the field. She also sits in the top five in the Big Ten in rebounding (4th; 8.3 rpg) and blocks (5th; 1.3 bpg).
Moriah Murray (9.5 ppg) provides the Lady Lions with a spark from deep, having knocked down a team-high 65 attempts from beyond the three-point arc this season.
SERIES STUFF
Northwestern and Penn State will meet for the 56th time on Sunday afternoon, a series in which the Lady Lions lead by a commanding 42-13 (.764) margin. Penn State has been just as dominant on its home court, where it has prevailed in 23 of its 27 meetings with Northwestern.
The 'Cats snapped a three-game skid to Penn State last season when, behind a game-high 20 points from Melannie Daley, Northwestern willed its way to a 69-63 victory at Welsh-Ryan Arena on February 9, 2025. Sullivan (14 points) and Casey Harter (10 points) also reached double figures for the Wildcats in the win.
UP NEXT
Northwestern wraps up a two-game road swing with a 5:30 p.m. CT clash at No. 13 Michigan State on Wednesday, February 18.
LAST TIME OUT
Northwestern got off to a red-hot start, shooting 61 percent in the first half as it carried a six-point lead into halftime, but could not complete its upset bid as it fell to No. 7 Michigan, 80-58, last Thursday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The 'Cats were led on the offensive end of the floor by the pairing of Caroline Lau and Grace Sullivan, who finished with 16 points apiece. Lau, who scored in double figures for the sixth time in her last eight outings, drilled a team-best three triples, her fourth game with three three-point field goals this season, in addition to dishing out six assists. Sullivan operated at a 5-of-10 clip from the field and finished a perfect 6-of-6 at the charity stripe en route to her 18th game in double figures of 2025-26.
Tayla Thomas also impressed, putting up 13 points and five rebounds. Thomas connected on a career-best two attempts from beyond the three-point arc.
On the defensive end of the floor, Northwestern limited Michigan to just 17 percent (2-of-12) from three-point land.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Like Northwestern, Penn State (8-17, 1-13 B1G) enters Sunday's matchup as part of a crowded battle to secure a berth to next month's Big Ten Tournament. Led by seventh-year head coach Carolyn Kieger, the Lady Lions hung tough early before ultimately succumbing on the road this past Thursday at No. 20 Maryland, 81-62.
Kieger's team boasts two of the conference's preeminent scoring threats in Kiyomi McMiller and Gracie Merkle. McMiller, who ranks fourth in the Big Ten in scoring at 20.6 points per game, has been on a tear of late, scoring 30-plus points in three straight games. During Big Ten Conference play, McMiller has averaged 22.7 points per game. Residing just behind McMiller in sixth (19.0 ppg) on the league's scoring chart, Merkle enters the weekend as the nation's leader in field goal percentage, shooting a red-hot 74.6 percent from the field. She also sits in the top five in the Big Ten in rebounding (4th; 8.3 rpg) and blocks (5th; 1.3 bpg).
Moriah Murray (9.5 ppg) provides the Lady Lions with a spark from deep, having knocked down a team-high 65 attempts from beyond the three-point arc this season.
SERIES STUFF
Northwestern and Penn State will meet for the 56th time on Sunday afternoon, a series in which the Lady Lions lead by a commanding 42-13 (.764) margin. Penn State has been just as dominant on its home court, where it has prevailed in 23 of its 27 meetings with Northwestern.
The 'Cats snapped a three-game skid to Penn State last season when, behind a game-high 20 points from Melannie Daley, Northwestern willed its way to a 69-63 victory at Welsh-Ryan Arena on February 9, 2025. Sullivan (14 points) and Casey Harter (10 points) also reached double figures for the Wildcats in the win.
UP NEXT
Northwestern wraps up a two-game road swing with a 5:30 p.m. CT clash at No. 13 Michigan State on Wednesday, February 18.
Players Mentioned
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