PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — In a game where they were heavy underdogs according to advanced metrics, the Penn State Lady Lions used a dominant second-half performance to remain undefeated, pulling away from the Saint Joseph’s Hawks for an 89-77 victory in a non-conference women’s basketball matchup Sunday at Hagan Arena.

The contest was a tale of two halves, with the first featuring a blistering offensive pace from both teams. Saint Joseph’s, playing in front of a home crowd of 1,522, came out firing and held a narrow 45-47 lead at halftime. The Hawks’ offense was fueled by a first-half shooting display from guard Gabby Casey, who had 18 of her 24 points before the break, and the dynamic play of fellow guard Aleah Snead.

Penn State, however, flipped the script entirely after halftime. The Lady Lions tightened their defense, holding the Hawks to just 13 points in the third quarter. That defensive stand allowed them to erase the halftime deficit and build a commanding lead they would not relinquish.

The cornerstone of Penn State’s victory was its formidable interior presence, led by center Gracie Merkle. The 6-foot-6 sophomore from Mount Washington, Kentucky, was a force on both ends of the court, recording a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds. She also added three assists and two blocks, controlling the paint and providing a reliable target for her guards.

Merkle’s dominance was reflected in the team’s overall statistics, as Penn State outscored Saint Joseph’s 42 to 20 in the paint.

Complementing Merkle’s inside game was the backcourt duo of Tea Cleante and Kiyomi McMiller. Cleante, a guard from Laxou, France, poured in 23 points in 38 minutes of action, connecting on several crucial three-pointers that helped stretch the Saint Joseph’s defense. McMiller, from Silver Spring, Maryland, also notched a double-double with a versatile stat line of 15 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, orchestrating the offense and contributing across the board.

Guard Moriah Murray, from Dunmore, Pennsylvania, facilitated the offense masterfully, dishing out a team-high six assists to go along with eight rebounds.

For Saint Joseph’s, the one-two punch of Casey and Snead provided the bulk of the offense. Casey finished with 24 points, four assists, and three rebounds, while the Philadelphia native Snead tallied 21 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Despite their efforts, the Hawks could not sustain their first-half efficiency against Penn State’s intensified defensive pressure in the second half.

A key factor in the game was Penn State’s ability to capitalize on mistakes. The Lady Lions scored 26 points off turnovers, consistently turning Saint Joseph’s miscues into points on the other end.

With the win, Penn State improved its record to a perfect 4-0 to start the season, continuing a strong opening month that included victories over Coppin State, Cincinnati, and Bucknell. The loss was the first of the season for Saint Joseph’s, dropping them to 3-1 after previous wins over Cincinnati, Maine, and West Chester.

The victory was particularly notable given the pregame projections from Interstat’s ELO system, which gave Saint Joseph’s a 79.80 percent probability of winning on their home floor.

Penn State will look to continue its unbeaten streak in its next contest, a neutral-site game against Princeton in Nassau, The Bahamas, on Saturday. Saint Joseph’s will aim to rebound on the road at Columbia on Thursday.