The St. John’s Women’s Basketball grapples with a two-game losing streak after succumbing to undefeated Penn State Lady Lions, 53-69, in the Big East vs. Big Ten matchup on Nov. 16. This setback comes on the heels of a prior loss to Monmouth on Nov. 10. 

The starting lineup, featuring Amber Brown, Unique Drake, Jailah Donald, Jillian Archer and Ber’Nyah Mayo, initiated the game with a robust full-court press against the Lady Lions. The score remained 2-2 for the majority of the closely contested first quarter until Penn State’s junior guard Jayla Oden broke the drought. Redshirt senior guard Unique Drake responded with a layup, contributing to her third double-digit performance this season. 

The Red Storm demonstrated key offensive plays in the second quarter, with sophomore guard Skye Owen making multiple three-pointers and leading the team’s scoring with eight points. Graduate forward Jillian Archer played a crucial role in the paint, securing five rebounds in the first half. Despite the team shooting 39% from the field, Penn State gradually narrowed the gap, putting pressure on the Johnnies. The Johnnies ended the first half maintaining a slim 26-23 lead. 

Penn State’s playmaking prowess opened up a small lead in the third quarter, going on a 7-0 run that stretched their lead to as large as eight points. This quarter saw the Johnnies enduring challenging moments, committing two consecutive turnovers amidst an overall 16. After a three-pointer from Penn State’s graduate guard Tay Valladay, the Johnnies were down 39-46 at the end of the third quarter. 

The game’s last quarter saw the Red Storm fighting to close the eight-point lead. A three-pointer and a pair of jumpers from Drake coupled with Mayo’s key plays on both sides helped the score advance to 46-50. In the remainder of the quarter, the Lady Lions went on an 8-0 lead and never looked back, leaving the Johnnies with their second loss in a row. 

In a post-game press conference, head coach Joe Tartamella credited the loss to a lack of scoring and turnovers. 

“[That’s] what happens when you slow down, you play more one-on-one or get late in the clock and try to get to the rim, and we didn’t make good decisions all the time,” Tartamella said. “Even though the score is what it is, it probably wasn’t as indicative as what the game was.”

“I told them in the locker room that if we can continue down that path and do more of what we did tonight, we will be in much better shape,” he continued. 

Mayo, a senior guard, led the team in scoring with 16 points. The UMass transfer also showcased a rough defensive side, with three steals and two blocks in Thursday’s game—a season-high for her. 

“I’ve challenged her to be a better defender. She’s more magnified now because of the minutes she’s playing,” Tartamella said about Mayo. “I think she did a nice job in what we were trying to do and also got lost in a couple of sets when they hit a three and she needed to be there.”

The Johnnies hope to break their losing streak when they face Manhattan College (2-1) at Carnesecca Arena on Nov. 19.