Penn vs. Binghamton Box Score (PDF)

PHILADELPHIA – Playing for the first time at home this season, the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team fell 61-48 to Binghamton on Wednesday night inside The Palestra. The Quakers move to 0-2 on the early season, while Binghamton improves to 1-2.

Inside the Numbers
Michelle Nwokedi led the way for the Quakers, piling up 17 points and 10 rebounds. The junior also put together three assists, three blocks and two steals. Sydney Stipanovich was the only other Quaker to reach double figures, as the senior put in 14 points and 16 rebounds for her 30th career double-double. She also added four blocks. As a team, the Quakers shot just 29 percent (17-of-59) from the floor and turned the ball over 22 times.

Imani Watkins scored a game-high 26 for Binghamton, as the Bearcats made 9-of-26 from three-point land. Jasmine Sina also had a big night for the visitors with 17 points.

How it Happened
Long range supplied the offense early on for both teams, as the first five field goals of the game came from behind the three-point line. Binghamton knocked down three of them and held a 9-6 lead at the first media timeout. The first bucket other than a trey didn't come until the 1:38 mark of the first quarter, as a pair of Bearcats' free throws sparked a 6-0 run for Binghamton to create a 15-6 lead. Anna Ross halted the spurt and ended an 8:47 scoreless drought with a lay-in as the buzzer sounded on the quarter.

Binghamton's red-hot shooting continued into the second quarter, with Watkins knocking down a pair of early three-pointers to extend the visitors' lead to 21-10. Penn stayed strong, however, as Lauren Whitlatch knocked in her second three of the game and Nwokedi cut the lead to six on a pair of occasions. Nwokedi struck again with Binghamton holding a 34-17 lead. The junior put together a personal 5-0 run to end the first half and cut the advantage to 12 at the break.

Nwokedi's personal run continued into the third quarter, but so did Binghamton's offense. The Bearcats' lead ballooned to 43-24 thanks to a 9-0 run—sparked by another three-pointer from Sina. At one point, Nwokedi scored 11-straight points for the Quakers but it wasn't enough to stem the tide. A Watkins three provided Binghamton's largest lead of the game at 48-28, and the Bearcats took a 51-34 lead into the fourth quarter. Stipanovich scored the final four points of the third quarter for Penn.

The Quakers were unable to cut into Binghamton's lead in the final frame, as the edge didn't get lower than 13 points the rest of the way. Stipanovich and Nwokedi combined eight points in the fourth, while Deja Jackson and Kasey Chambers each knocked in three pointers.  

Up Next
The Quakers hit the road to New England this weekend, visiting the University of Rhode Island on Friday night at 7 p.m.

#FightOnPenn