ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The game was never certain, played within in a single-digit margin almost throughout, but the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team proved tough over Navy, defeating the Midshipmen 65-61 in the opening game of the Navy Classic. The win pushes Penn to 4-1 on the year. 

PENN NEWS AND NOTES
*The Quakers held a distinct advantage in the paint throughout the game on Saturday, and it was shown in the box score, as Penn featured two players in double figures: center Eleah Parker (15) and forward Princess Aghayere (14). Aghayere also collected 11 rebounds, a career-high, for the third double-double of her career. 

*The turnover battle ended even at 16-16, though Penn held the slight edge in points off turnovers at 18-14. 

*Parker's 15 points tie a season-best, also notching 15 in Penn's win over Saint Joseph's last week. 

*Sophomore Katie Kinum had her best game of the season, coming off the bench for eight points, including two 3-pointers. 

*Freshman Mia Lakstigala was key for Penn in the first half, particularly in the late stages of the second period, collecting seven points and eight steals to regain the lead after a surge from the Mids. 

*The victory is Penn's third-straight in the series with Navy, as the Quakers are now 5-5 all-time against the Mids. The win in Annapolis is the second-ever for Penn. 

*Penn has won 87 of its last 88 regular season games when scoring at least 60 points. 

*Both Penn and Navy made the WNIT last season. The Quakers are 2-1 so far this year against teams who made the postseason in 2018. 

*The Quakers are 4-1 for the first time since 2015.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn started strong, hitting its first two shots and holding Navy without a field goal for nearly the first three and a half minutes of the game. The Mids tried to force Parker away from the basket early, but the sophomore countered with a smooth midrange game, hitting two jumpers to lift Penn ahead 11-3. The Quakers would find themselves ahead nine after an and-one from Tori Crawford, in front of her hometown family and friends, but Navy closed the quarter on an 8-0 run, cutting the Penn lead down to 14-13 after 10 minutes of play. Penn was held scoreless for the final 2:48 of the period. 

From then on out, the game would predominately be played in spurts of attacks and counter attacks from both squads. Navy's 3-point shooting proved killer for the Penn defense, as the Mids took their first lead of the game at 19-18 after their fourth-straight 3-pointer. Despite shutting out Navy from the field for almost three minutes midway through the quarter, the two teams continued to go back and forth, answering layup with layup and 3-pointer with 3-pointer. It wasn't until late in the half, with Penn down 31-30, that the Quakers found the separation they desired.

Lakstigala forced two turnovers from the Mids, resulting in a 4-0 run for the Quakers. Another defensive stop gave the Quakers a chance for more points, this time from Aghayere who was money from the free throw line to give Penn a 36-31 lead at the break. 18 of Navy's 31 points came from behind the 3-point line, while Penn uncharacteristically struggled with turnovers, commiting 10. Penn's strength came down low, leading in paint points 22-8. 

The Quakers clearly heard the message to deny the outside jumper, and in turn looked to convert shots of their own, as Penn opened the second half with a 3-ball from Kinum, her first of the year. Navy wouldn't relent, despite the mix of outside looks and paint touches from Parker and Aghayere, keeping the game at 45-38, before the Quakers again looked to Kinum who connected on another long jumper for Penn's largest lead of the day at 10. The teams traded scoring droughts to wrap the third quarter, but Penn was able to fend off any Navy momentum, and ended the period up by eight, allowing zero 3-pointers from the Mids in the 10-minute stanza.

Looking to quickly close out the host team, Penn went back up 10 on free throws from Parker, but a 4-0 Navy run cut the lead to six, with momentum shifting back to the Mids. 4-0 runs would then go both ways, first on points from Russell and Aghayere for some Penn breathing room, before again Navy clawed back with another of its own, this time a 6-0 spurt to cut the deficit to four. In a big moment, the Red and Blue looked their senior captain Russell, who delivered a dagger 3-pointer to stymie the Navy run and put Penn back up, 61-54.

Another 4-0 Navy run cut things to a one-possession game, and Penn couldn't convert on offense, giving the Mids a chance to cut to one, or at worst, tie. Navy had an open three that sailed wide, and an open layup on the ensuing rebound that it missed, allowing Penn to collect. Michae Jones would earn a chance at the charity stripe, but missed both, before redeeming herself with a massive play on defense, stepping up to take a charge and force the Navy turnover with less than a minute remaining. 

Penn was able to ice the game with free throws, collecting two from Parker and another two from Jones, to give the Quakers an insurmountable lead of 65-58. When the game mattered most, the Penn defense locked down, forcing Navy to miss four of its final attempts from the floor with two turnovers in the final minute of play. 

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Quakers have one more game remaining at the Navy Classic, set to battle defending America East champion Maine in Annapolis on Sunday, Nov. 25 at 3:15 p.m.