La Salle-Penn Box Score (PDF)
PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania's women's basketball team fell
to 3-4 this season with a 58-56 overtime loss to La Salle on Wednesday night at
The Palestra.
Inside
the Numbers
Michelle Nwokedi led the way for
the Quakers, pouring in a game-high 24 points to go along with nine rebounds.
Kasey Chambers was also in double figures for the Quakers with 10 points,
including three-of-five from long range. Lauren Whitlatch followed with nine
points, while Sydney Stipanovich put in eight.
The Quakers won the turnover
battle, 20-4, signifying a season-low for the Red and Blue. Penn shot just 27
percent from the floor (21-of-77), including a clip of 7-of-23 (30.4 percent)
from beyond the arc.
Amy Griffin paced the La Salle
offense with 22 points, while Jasmine Alston dished out 10 assists. Shalina
Miller knocked in 4-of-8 from long range, including the game-winner with one
second left in overtime.
How
it Happened
A red-hot start from La Salle
negated an excellent effort from Nwokedi in the first quarter. Nwokedi—who came
into the game as Penn's leading scorer—put in the Quakers' first eight points
of the game, but a 7-of-11 start from the Explorers yielded a 16-8 lead for the
visitors. Whitlatch became the Penn's second contributor with a three-pointer
at the 1:51 mark, which cut the advantage to 16-11. A jumper from Griffin with
15 ticks on the clock put the Explorers up 18-11 after the first frame.
The Quakers responded in a big
way in the second. After La Salle built up its largest advantage of the game at
20-11, Penn rattled off 12-consecutive points, including a steal and lay-in
from Anna Ross to put Penn in the lead for the first time at 21-20. Nwokedi
capped off the stretch with a jumper to give the Red and Blue a 23-20 edge
midway through the second quarter. Penn maintained the lead into halftime as
Stipanovich and Nwokedi each put in buckets, and the Quakers went into the
locker room with a three-point advantage, 27-24.
The Red and Blue continued their
momentum into the second half, utilizing the long ball to build up a
double-digit advantage. Back-to-back three-pointers from Chambers, followed by
one from Whitlatch, yielded a 36-26 edge at the 4:43 mark of the third.
Whitlatch would once again hit from long range to produce Penn's largest lead
of the game, 40-26, with 1:30 remaining in the quarter. A trio of Sofilia
Ngwafang free throws put the margin at 40-29 heading into the final frame.
La Salle's slight run to end the
third quarter stretched into the fourth, as baskets from Griffin, Ngwafang and
Miller cut the Penn lead to 40-35 with 6:26 left. Miller struck again with a
long ball to cut further into the edge, 42-38, with 5:34 remaining. Penn would
answer back, however, and once again it was the defense leading the way.
Stipanovich forced the turnover and finished off a lay-up in transition, as
Penn led 45-38 at the 4:20 mark. As they did all night, the Explorers fought
back with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 45-45 with 38 ticks on the clock.
Nwokedi put the Quakers back ahead with a baseline lay-up, but a jumper from
Griffin with seven seconds left sent the game into overtime.
Undeterred by La Salle's late run
in regulation, the Quakers scored the first six points of overtime and began
the extra period on an 8-1 run. A free throw by Stipanovich sparked things,
while seven-straight from Nwokedi produced a 55-48 lead. Another La Salle run,
this time 7-1, trimmed the Penn lead to just one with just 38 seconds left.
After Penn was unable to convert on its ensuing possession, Miller knocked in
her fourth three-pointer of the game to give La Salle a two-point lead with
just one second on the clock.
The Quakers were unable attempt a
final shot with just a half a second remaining in the game.
Up
Next
The Quakers will hit the road
this Saturday to take on the Richmond Spiders. Tip-off from the Robins Center
is set for 2 p.m.
#FightOnPenn
