Penn vs. Harvard Box Score (PDF)

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. – CHAMPS! For the first time in program history, the University of Pennsylvania (19-7, 12-1) can call themselves back-to-back Ivy League Champions following their 64-46 win over Harvard (20-7, 8-6) on Saturday night in Cambridge, Mass.

With tonight's victory, Penn has assured themselves the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Ivy League tournament set to take place March 11-12 at The Palestra. The conference championship is the third in four years for the Red and Blue under the guidance of head coach Mike McLaughlin, who on Friday in fitting fashion became the all-time winningest coach in Quaker history.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

The Quakers never trailed in a contest where they dominated from start to finish. Michelle Nwokedi once again led the way and tallied her 13^th double-double of the season with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Sydney Stipanovich (10, 5) and Anna Ross (13, 4) were both in double-digits.

Penn shot 39% from the field (24-of-61) and 37% from three point range compared to 29% from Harvard for the game. The Quakers also led in the paint, 22-14, and outrebounded their foes 48-36.  

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Quakers came out firing at the start and jumped out to a 12-5 lead off the hot hands of Stipanovich, Ross, and Nwokedi. The trio combined to shoot 56% from the field by the media timeout, but Harvard hung tough to stay within striking distance. By the end of the frame, a pull-up triple from Katie Benzan kept it a one possession contest with Penn leading 16-14.

Harvard had an answer for nearly every Penn advance early in the second, and by the 5:29 tick had clawed back from a seven point deficit to tie the game at 22-all. The Quakers answered with a 12-2 run of their own to push ahead 34-24, while the stingy Red and Blue defense held Harvard scoreless for 5:01 to end the half. The Penn trio once again led the way, totaling 15 of the Quakers 18 points in the stanza.

After seeing the Penn lead grow by as much as 13 in the third quarter, Harvard cut the deficit to five with 3:42 to go in the frame, but they would never get closer than two possessions from there on out. The Quakers took a 52-40 lead into the final stanza and increased that output to a game-high 19, 59-40, with 4:46 on the clock. The Quakers cruised the rest of the way as they posted a final of 64-46 over Harvard to earn the No. 1 seed for the tournament and their second-straight Ivy title.

UP NEXT

The Quakers are on short rest this week and will return to action when they host Princeton on Tuesday, March 7 for the final game of the 2016-17 regular season. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. at The Palestra.

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