Campbell nets 13 for PSU
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UNIVERSITY PARK -- Bellwood-Antis graduate Alli Campbell scored her first points as a Lady Lion Friday night in Penn State's 77-49 victory over Fairfield at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Campbell, who took only two shots and didn't score in Penn State's opening 67-61 victory over Norfolk State on Wednesday, scored 13 points Friday on 5-of-7 shooting and made three 3-pointers -- though her first make of her Penn State career was with her foot on the line in the corner.
"I do find myself down in the corner a lot," said Campbell on the Penn State Radio Network postgame show. "I have been working extra getting some corner shots up. I have to work on getting my toe off the line to make sure all of those shots are 3-pointers."
Campbell played 19 minutes, up from 11 in the opener.
"I have been waiting for two years to get back on the court and play with a team like this," Campbell said. "It's just so much fun. We have been working since the summer, and it's fun to see that work pay off tonight and bounce back from a rough one on Wednesday. It's great to see so many familiar faces in the stands. I have seen a lot of my high school teammates and coaches. Central PA is really showing out, and it's special."
Alexa Williamson scored a game-high 16 points, and Makenna Marisa added 14 points and 10 assists.
Campbell played the most minutes of any non-starter for Penn State.
"There is no ceiling (for Campbell)," said Penn State assistant coach Sharnee Zoll-Norman on the postgame show. "She's as versatile as they come. Obviously, she's got some great height. Her ability to shoot the ball will have people running out at her. She has a great pull-up and can finish at the rim. As she gets a little bit stronger and starts to trust her body, she can post people up. She has a fadeaway. The kid can do it all. Minutes and getting back on the floor and having confidence in herself (is all she needs)."
Campbell missed the entire 2021-2022 season with an injury after transferring from Notre Dame following her freshman year.
"The first game was very hard last year, just watching and knowing that I couldn't be out there with them," Campbell said. "Rehab taught me a lot. I'm not a patient person, so it taught me patience and made me that much hungrier to get back on that court this year and keep on working. It was hard watching last year, but I learned a lot from the sideline, and now I'm able to apply that on the court."
One of Campbell's childhood heroes, Maggie Lucas, joined the Penn State coaching staff this offseason and has helped Blair County's all-time leading scorer develop her game as she worked her way back to 100 percent.
"When I heard she was joining our staff, it was one of the best days," Campbell said. "I was here in sixth grade, I had season tickets, and I was watching her play when she was here. It's so cool to see that come full circle and now she's coaching me. I have learned so much from her and learned about her work ethic. It's great to have her on the sidelines. She's always giving me tips."
Penn State picked up 17 steals Friday while improving to 2-0. Leilani Kapinus had 11 points, nine steals and eight rebounds to narrowly miss a triple-double.
Campbell played in six games as a freshman at Notre Dame and scored a combined total of 13 points, so her performance Friday doubled her career point total.
"I took the long way home," Campbell said. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but Penn State right now. There's so many people I know in the stands, and it's so special. I'm just ready to win some games here at Penn State and bring this team back to the top of the Big Ten."
FAIRFIELD (49): Nicoletti-Leite 5-12 3-4 14, Cavanaugh 6-10 1-2 13, Brown 3-7 0-0 8, Rubino 0-10 2-4 2, Hernangomez 1-5 0-0 2, Beach 2-4 0-1 5, Martin 2-3 0-0 4, Daleba 0-1 1-4 1, Eng 0-0 0-0 0, Polansky 0-1 0-0 0, Tatarian 0-0 0-0 0, Tirado 0-0 0-0 0, Peek 0-0 0-0 0. Totals -- 19-53 7-15 49.
PENN STATE (77): Williamson 7-10 2-3 16, Marisa 5-10 4-5 14, Kapinus 5-8 1-1 11, Ciezki 3-10 0-0 7, Camden 0-1 0-0 0, Campbell 5-7 0-0 13, Thompson 2-5 2-2 6, Brigham 2-4 0-0 4, Cash 2-2 0-1 4, Pinto 0-1 2-2 2, Dia 0-1 0-0 0, Tensaie 0-0 0-0 0, Thomas 0-0 0-0 0. Totals -- 31-59 11-14 77.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Fairfield 8 13 18 10 -- 49
Penn State 21 12 20 24 -- 77
3-point goals: Fairfield 4-17 (Brown 2-5, Beach 1-2, Nicoletti-Leite 1-6, Rubino 0-4); Penn State 4-12 (Campbell 3-5, Ciezki 1-7). Assists: Fairfield 12 (Nicoletti-Leite 3); Penn State 18 (Marisa 10). Rebounds: Fairfield 26 (Hernangomez 6); Penn State 35 (Kapinus 8).
Records: Fairfield (1-1); Penn State (2-0).