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LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University women's basketball will face Penn State, who received votes in the Associated Press Top 25, on the road Sunday, Dec. 17 at 1 p.m.
 
Saint Francis Quick Hits
Kendall Carruthers remains atop Saint Francis with 11.9 points per game, which ranks seventh in the Northeast Conference. Yanessa Boyd is second among active Red Flash players with 9.0 points per game. Both Boyd and Carruthers lead Saint Francis with five double-digit scoring efforts this season. After a single-game Saint Francis-high 13 rebounds at NJIT, Destini Ward is now third on the team and 14th in the NEC with 4.8 rebounds per game. Ward also leads Saint Francis with 1.7 steals and is third with 8.5 points per game. Marina Artero leads the team with 5.1 rebounds per game, followed by Julianna Gibson's 5.0.
 
Last Time Out
Saint Francis fell in its first of four straight road games 68-41 at NJIT. The Highlanders started the game with an 11-2 run in the first two minutes before Saint Francis cut into the deficit 11-8. NJIT slowly increased its lead to 18-12 at the end of the first quarter. In the second, NJIT outscored Saint Francis 11-4 and led 29-16 at the half. In the third quarter, NJIT grew its lead to 52-27 at the end of the frame behind a 23-11 run in the quarter. A 16-14 scoring advantage for NJIT in the fourth quarter clinched its 27-point victory.
 
Scouting Penn State
The Nittany Lions are 7-3 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten games this season. Penn State drew into the AP Top 25 rankings at No. 25 before its 83-65 loss to West Virginia and 94-84 overtime loss to then-No. 12 Ohio State. The Nittany Lions received three votes in the most recent poll, which is tied for 32nd in the country. Makenna Marisa leads the program with 17.2 points and 3.6 assists per game, while Shay Ciezki is second with 14.3 points per game. Ali Brigham and Leilani Kapinus both leads the team with 6.0 rebounds per game. Brigham is third on the team with 9.2 points per game. As a team, Penn State is tied for 19th in the country with 83.9 points per game and has scored at least 90 points four times.
 
All-Time vs. Penn State
Penn State holds a 7-1 overall record and 5-0 record at home over Saint Francis since the first meeting in 1994. Saint Francis' only victory came in 2006 with a 74-69 win at home. The most recent game was played in 2020, which was an 87-54 win for Penn State.
 
Around the NEC
Sacred Heart is atop the NEC standings at 5-6, followed by Merrimack at 3-8. Wagner and Fairleigh Dickinson each have two victories, while four other programs have one. Stonehill is still in search of its first win at 0-10. Six of the nine NEC teams will be in action over the weekend.
 
Next
Saint Francis travels to its final Power Five opponent of the season, Syracuse, on Thursday, Dec. 21 for a 10:30 a.m. tip-off.