Box Score NEW YORK - Back in the win column for the University of Pennsylvania (16-6, 7-2 Ivy) women's basketball team, as the Quakers made the drive up the New York and dismantled the Columbia 75-39, earning a season-sweep of the Lions. Penn holds firm in second place in the Ivy League with the victory.

PENN NEWS AND NOTES
*The Quakers were led by three players in double-figures, as both Phoebe Sterba and Ashley Russell finished with 14 points. Sterba's contribution marks a season-high for the sophomore, who went 5-for-8 from the field and 4-of-7 from 3-point land. Friday marks the second time in Sterba's career she has led the team in scoring.

*Russell finished in double figures for the eighth time this breakout season for the junior. Russell also finished with five rebounds, two assists and two steals on the night.

*Senior Michelle Nwokedi finished just one point shy of a double-double, posting nine with 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. With her nine points, the senior captain moved into fifth all-time at Penn in scoring with 1,393 for her career. 

*Nwokedi finished with one 3-pointer, the sixth game this year the Texas-native has hit a shot from deep. Penn is 6-0 in those contests.

*Anna Ross posted 12 points on an efficient 5-for-7 night from the floor, while dishing four assists.

*Penn finished with 12 3-pointers on the night, the ninth time this season the Quakers have notched 10+ made shots from behind-the-arc. Penn is 9-0 in those games.

*Penn's win over Columbia is the 14th-straight in the series for the Quakers, who move to 47-18 all-time against the Lions. 

*The Red and Blue have won eight-straight times in games following an Ivy League loss. 

*Columbia posted just 15 points in the second half, tying the season-low for any Penn opponent in the final 20 minutes. It marked the lowest total by a Penn opponent in Ivy League play since Yale posted 14 points in the second half on Feb. 13, 2015. 

*The win is the biggest in Ivy League play since a 79-43 win against Columbia on Jan. 28, 2000. Penn has now notched multiple 30+ point victories in Ivy League play for the first time in program history. 

*Penn held the Ivy League's leading scorer, Camille Zimmerman, to 12 points with seven rebounds on 3-for-16 shooting from the floor. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn's defense established itself early in the Big Apple, as the Quakers jumped out to a 9-3 lead behind the combination of Russell and Eleah Parker, while holding the Lions without a field goal for over four minutes during the heart of the opening period. Columbia scoring droughts would prove to be a key part of the game as the contest progressed, but the first quarter saw the home team hang around as Penn got into foul trouble. The Quakers held an 18-10 advantage at the end of one, behind four different players knocking down a 3-pointer, a sign of good things to come.

The barrage of three's would continue into the second period, as Sterba went on a personal 9-0 run with three-straight from deep, extending Penn's lead out to 24-10. Both teams would then see some struggles on offense, going scoreless before the Lions responded with a 7-0 run to cut the deficit 26-22. At the end of the half, the Red and Blue found themselves ahead just by four, 28-24.

The second half belonged to Penn, as the Quakers darted out of the locker room on a 9-0 burst to reassert their dominance on the court. Penn played notably more aggressive on both offense and defense, using precision cuts, shots and passes from Ross to lead the way. The Quakers locked down the Lions, holding Columbia scoreless for the opening five-plus minutes of the quarter. At the end of three, it was a 53-33 Penn lead after the Red and Blue won the period 25-9.

Similar to the start of the third quarter, Penn jumped ahead quickly in the final 10 minutes, using a 7-0 run to stop any thought of a Columbia comeback. A 3-pointer from Ross started the scoring, as Penn would rise up to 12 3-pointers on the night, the final one from Deja Jackson off the bench. 

QUOTING COACH
"I thought we played really well for 40 minutes, especially well in the second half. Defensively, I thought we were as good as we could be in the second half, and we turned that defense into offense and made shots. Hit a couple timely three's. Post play was really good ... We did a good job managing the game. Loved our motion, our movement. Really good day for us."

WHAT'S NEXT?
Part two of Penn's Ivy League New York road swing continues on Saturday, Feb. 17, with a 4 p.m. tipoff against Cornell in Ithaca.