LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. - Separation in the second quarter and grit in the fourth quarter helped lead the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team past Siena in its season opener on Saturday afternoon, as the Quakers held off the Saints, 58-51. With the win, Penn is 1-0 for the first time since 2011. 

PENN NEWS AND NOTES
*Junior Phoebe Sterba led the way offensively for the Quakers with a career-high 16 points on four 3-pointers. She also chipped in for four rebounds.

*Speaking of rebounds, Penn won the battle of the boards 44-38, including 17 offensive rebounds that helped lead to 15 second-chance points. 

*Sophomore Eleah Parker joined Sterba in double figures with 12 on 6-for-10 shooting, adding five rebounds, three blocks, two steals and an assist.

*Senior captain Ashley Russell came in clutch late for the Quakers with five-straight free throws after Siena had claimed a one-point lead, and she also led the team with seven rebounds.

*The win is Penn's first in a season opener since 2011 and the Quakers' first season-opening victory on the road since 2007. 

*Kennedy Suttle and Mia Lakstigala checked in for their first collegiate minutes against the Saints. The duo combined for seven points and six rebounds, while Lakstigala swiped three steals. 

*Sophomore Michae Jones featured a career performance in the win, playing 23 minutes and finishing with five points, four rebounds and six assists. 

*Penn improves to 2-1 all-time against the Saints in the first meeting between the two programs since 2001. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a new look starting lineup for the Red and Blue after losing three starters from last year due to graduation. While Ashley Russell and Eleah Parker stepped into familiar roles, Katie Kinum, Kendall Grasela and Princess Aghayere all started their first career games on Saturday. It was a relatively slow start on offense for Penn, as the Quakers didn't see their first points of the season until nearly three minutes into the game on a nifty jumper from Parker, who displayed her range in the process. 

Things remained even throughout most of the first quarter, before Penn asserted itself in the final minutes, using Parker inside and answers on the outside from the likes of Sterba and Suttle to take a 14-9 lead after 10 minutes.

It ended up being a 13-0 run for the Quakers, who surged ahead 20-9 quickly into the second period behind more success from deep, again from Sterba, while Jones also joined the scoring party. Sophomore Tori Crawford got in the game, hitting two-straight layups for Penn, but Siena retaliated with a 7-0 run, to cut what was once a 12 point lead down to five. Penn would get a layup from Aghayere in the final minute of the period to enter the halftime break ahead 26-19.

The Saints continued to threaten Penn's lead, scoring eight of the half's first 10 points, but the Quakers continued to go to their bread and butter when they needed a basket: Parker on the block. Parker's success helped find room for shooters on the outside, this time in the form of Lakstigala, who squared up for her career points to give Penn some more breathing room at 33-27. 

It was then Sterba's turn to heat up again, as the Ohio native hit two-straight 3-pointers on assists from Jones to push the lead back to eight. The Saints were able to cut it back to a one possession contest in the waning moments of the third quarter, before Sterba again countered for the road team, laying a ball up and in and giving Penn a four-point edge heading into the final period of play.

Free throws were all the points Penn could muster to start the fourth, before Crawford tallied her seventh point of the night for the first field goal of the quarter. With Penn up eight, looking to ice the game, the Saints would not go quietly, responding with a 5-0 run to again push the game to just a one possession situation. The run would extend to 9-0 behind fast play from the home team, getting a raucous crowd inside the Alumni Recreation Center involved as the Saints took the lead at 48-47.

With things unraveling, the veteran on the floor in Russell stepped up. The Massachusetts ran the floor to block a fast-break layup opportunity from Siena and was fouled on the rebound, giving Penn a one-point edge after her two free throws. The following defensive possession, Russell stepped in for a steal and got fouled yet again, going 1-for-2 from the charity stripe but the offensive rebounded was collected by Aghayere. Russell then missed a three, collected her own miss, and was fouled yet again, putting a stamp on a personal 5-0 run to prod Penn's offense as the Quakers retook a 52-48 lead. 

It wasn't all smooth sailing from there though. Free throws of their own got the Saints right back in it, eeking closer at 52-51. Aghayere came up big again for the Red and Blue, collecting the offensive rebound off a quick jumper from Sterba and sinking the smooth hook shot from the right block. Penn needed a stop on defense, and it got it, as Jones stepped in for the steal and promptly got fouled and hit two free throws to extend the Penn advantage and deflate the hopes of the Saints. Siena would have several more looks on offense, but nothing hit, and Sterba wrapped the game from the charity stripe, putting a cherry on top of Penn's season opening road win.   

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Quakers have a short turnaround against the nation's best, set to battle No.1 Notre Dame on Monday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. in South Bend, Ind.