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Syracuse is adding a game against Penn State to its schedule, the team announced Wednesday morning. The Orange will host the Nittany Lions on Sunday at 2 p.m. 

The game will be SU’s first against a Power Five opponent. Syracuse’s season-opener was a win against Stony Brook on Nov. 29, and a game against Division II team Lincoln University (Pa.) is scheduled for Wednesday. 

Syracuse (1-0) and Penn State (2-0) have previously played 19 times, with PSU holding a 16-3 all-time advantage. But Syracuse has won two out of three games in the past 14 years under head coach Quentin Hillsman. 

Last season, Penn State finished last in the Big Ten after winning just one of 18 conference games. Overall, PSU finished 7-23, its worst record since 2014-15. 

Penn State’s top player from last season, Kamara McDaniel, transferred to Baylor for her senior season. Last year, McDaniel averaged nearly 20 points per game.

Through two games, graduate transfer Kelly Jekot has stepped into McDaniel’s guard spot and leads Lions scorers with an average of 17.5 points per game. Before transferring to Penn State, Jekot played three seasons at Villanova before sitting out last season due to injury. 

Syracuse now has 23 games on its schedule, three of which are against nonconference opponents. After Sunday’s game against Penn State, Syracuse is scheduled to play its first conference game Dec. 10 at Miami.

Published on December 2, 2020 at 12:03 pm

Contact Thomas: tgshults@syr.edu | @ThomasShults_