STATE COLLEGE — Despite four double figure scorers, Penn State fell to Nebraska, 101-83 in its Big Ten opener inside the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday afternoon. The Nittany Lions fall to 6-2, 0-1 Big Ten while the Cornhuskers improve to 9-0, 1-0, remaining unbeaten in the 2025-26 campaign.

Despite a Penn State 38-34 lead at the halftime break, Nebraska climbed back from the deficit to close out the victory.

Redshirt junior center Gracie Merkle and sophomore guard Kiyomi McMiller guided PSU with a pair of 20-plus-point performances. Merkle posted 23 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field in her eighth consecutive double figure scoring outing. McMiller recorded 22 points, with all but two coming in the second half, in addition to six rebounds and five assists for her eighth double-digit performance.

Redshirt junior guard Moriah Murray added 18 points including 12 from three-point range. Freshman guard Tèa Clèante eclipsed double figures for the first time since November 16 against St. Joseph’s, finishing with 12 points, three rebounds and four assists.

Penn State produced 54.2% shooting from the field, marking the fifth time this season the team recorded 50-plus-percent shooting. PSU dominated the paint by a 46-38 margin and out rebounded Nebraska by a 29-26 clip.

Nebraska opened the final quarter with five-straight points to build a double-digit advantage. A steal-and-score three-point play for Viktoria Ranisavljevic chipped at the deficit, but the Cornhuskers had a response on their next offensive possession. The teams traded points, but the advantage stayed with Nebraska despite a shot from beyond the arc for Cleante to cut the Cornhuskers’ lead to 74-68. While Cleante cashed in a layup, a Nebraska three-pointer stretched the lead to seven.

The Cornhuskers then made their next three shots from beyond the arc as part of a 9-4 run, forcing another Penn State timeout with 4:12 remaining and the Nittany Lions trailing, 86-74. Both teams scored on their next possession, with McMiller’s jumper giving her 20 points on the afternoon. Nebraska scored 12 of the next 14 points and didn’t look back, forcing Penn State into its last timeout with 1:14 remaining in the contest.

The visitors added one more three-pointer before a Merkle layup and a Vitoria Santana three-pointer at the buzzer capped the scoring, giving Penn State its second loss of the season.

After missed offensive opportunities for both squads to begin the second half, Nebraska drained a shot from long range to close the gap. Four consecutive points for the Nittany Lions extended their lead to 42-37, but a set of free throws allowed the Cornhuskers to decrease the deficit. The squads traded points, but PSU still preserved its advantage despite a threatening shot from long range for the visitors.

More opportunities from the charity stripe allowed the Cornhuskers to recapture the lead at 46-45 with just under six minutes remaining in the third quarter, but the same situation in favor of the Nittany Lions sent the lead back their way. The teams continued to pass the lead back and forth until Nebraska pulled ahead by 51-49 at the four-minute mark.

McMiller and Murray added back-to-back points to grab the lead back, but the Cornhuskers continued to have an answer. A three-point shot ignited a 6-0 run for the visitors, allowing them to open their lead to 61-56. While McMiller concluded a 16-point third quarter with a layup, Nebraska missed its final shot and held a 65-60 edge entering the final frame. stanza.

Nebraska 101, Penn State 83

NEBRASKA (9-0, 1-0 BIG TEN)

Petra Bozan 8-12 1-2 17, Jessica Petrie 4-9 2-3 10, Hailey Weaver 2-4 1-2 6, Callin Hake 0-3 3-4 3, Britt Prince 6-12 6-6 20, Eliza Maupin 1-4 0-0 2, Logan NIssley 4-6 2-2 14, Amiah Hargrove 10-14 2-2 26, Kennadie Williams 1-2 0-0 3, Claire Johnson 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 36-68 17-21 101.

PENN STATE (6-2, 0-1 BIG TEN)

Gracie Merkle 11-13 1-1 23, Moriah Murray 5-12 2-2 16, Viktoria Ranisavljevic 1-4 1-1 3, Tea Cleante 5-11 0-0 12, Kiyomi McMiller 8-15 6-8 22, Vitoria Santana 2-3 0-0 5, Shaelyn Steele 0-0 0-0 0, Rachael Okokoh 0-0 0-0 0, Amiyah Evans 0-0 2-2 2, Shayla Smith 0-1 0-0 0, Nyla McFadden 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-59 12-14 83.

Nebraska 22 12 31 36 — 101

Penn State 13 25 22 23 — 83

3-point goals: Nebraska 12-29 (Nissley 4-6, Hargrove 4-5, Prince 2-4, Weaver 1-2, Williams 1-2, Johnson 0-1, Maupin 0-1, Hake 0-2, Petrie 0-3, Bozan 0-3), PSU 7-16 (Murray 4-9, Cleante 2-3, Santana 1-1, McMiller 0-1, Ranisavljevic 0-2). Fouled out: Nebraska-none; PSU-none. Rebounds: Nebraska 26 (Nissley 5), PSU 29 (McMiller 6). Assists: Nebraska 26 (Hake 8), PSU 17 (McMiller 5). Technical fouls: Nebraska-none; PSU-none. Total fouls: Nebraska 15, PSU 22. A: 1,619.