RICHMOND, Va. (Interstat) — Penn State pulled away in the second half to defeat VCU 78-66 in a nonconference women’s basketball game Saturday at The Diamond. The Lady Lions used a strong first and third quarter, scoring 23 points in each, to secure the victory.

Gracie Merkle led Penn State with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Moriah Murray scored a team-high 18 points. Daija Preston paced VCU with 17 points and seven rebounds.

Penn State improved to 7-4. VCU fell to 4-9. An announced crowd of 553 attended the neutral-site game.