PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania (19-7, 10-3 Ivy) women's basketball team shot out early, but had to fend off second-quarter surge from a game Yale squad, holding on for a 64-52 victory at The Palestra. With the win, Penn clinches its spot in the two-vs.-three semifinal of the Ivy League Tournament, and still has a shot at sharing a regular season title with one left to play. 

PENN NEWS AND NOTES
*It was a frontcourt heavy night for the Quakers, as Michelle Nwokedi and Eleah Parker combined for 29 points and 30 rebounds, leading to 28 points in the paint for the Red and Blue. Both finished with double-doubles, the 38th of her career for Nwokedi and the sixth for Parker.

*Nwokedi posted 15 points and a season-high 16 rebounds, moving up to No. 2 all-time at Penn with 1,002 career boards. Nwokedi is one of just two players in program history, joining Diana Caramanico, with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. She's also now one of six to do so in Ivy League history. 

*Parker finished with an even 14 points and 14 rebounds. Both Parker and Nwokedi swatted three shots on the night.

*Anna Ross joined the frontcourt duo in double figures, posting 10 points with three assists, despite earning three fouls before halftime. The senior captain finished 6-for-7 from the free throw line, a season-high in makes from the charity stripe. 

*Penn outrebounded Yale 52-34, tying its largest margin against an Ivy League opponent this year.

*Penn's 3-point specialists, Phoebe Sterba and Lauren Whitlatch, totaled nine and five points respectively. Junior guard Ashley Russell chipped in seven with three assists.

*Excluding Yale's second-quarter surge, Penn outscored the Bulldogs 55-31 the rest of the game combined. 

*The Quakers improve to 43-39 all-time against the Bulldogs and complete the season sweep. Penn has now won nine of its last 10 games against Yale, including five-straight at The Palestra.

*The Quakers got whistled for 19 fouls on the night, their most in an Ivy League game this season. Penn featured five players with three personal fouls. That led to 16 made free throws from the Bulldogs, tying a season-high for any Penn opponent. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Similar to Penn's last game at Dartmouth, the Quakers shot out of the gates early, flying out to a 17-1 advantage not even seven minutes into the game. Penn asserted its dominance on the boards from the opening whistle, as Nwokedi connected on two putbacks to start the scoring, and the Red and Blue would continue to be the aggressor throughout the first 10 minutes, earning multiple trips to the free throw line. Defensively, Penn was able to shut down Yale, as the Bulldogs struggled to even get shots up, with many contested on blocks or forced turnovers. At the end of one, it was 22-8 in favor of the home team, and Yale had hit just one field goal on the night.

The Bulldogs were able to flip the script in the second quarter however, playing with renewed energy to claw back into the game. After early layups from Nwokedi and Parker, Yale went on a 12-0 run to the Penn lead down to just two points at 28-26, using improved touch around the rim and aggressive drives to the bucket. Despite the shift in momentum, Penn never relinquished the lead, always holding the Bulldogs at arms length and heading into the locker room up 31-29 following a 3-pointer from Roxy Barahman to end the half.

Penn reasserted its dominance to start the third quarter, locking down on defense while earning production again from the charity stripe for tough points against the gritty Bulldogs. While Penn's offense continued to find flow, the Quaker defense was stifling holding Yale without a field goal for the final 7:57 of the period. Sterba capped the scoring in the frame with her second 3-pointer, giving Penn a 10-point edge with 10 to play.

While the Quaker threatened to extend the lead, the Bulldogs refused to give up, cutting Penn's advantage down to five on two occasions during the fourth quarter before the Red and Blue iced the victory. After earning three fouls in the first half alone, Ross stiffened up on defense and featured the key play of the final minutes, driving down the lane and finishing on a putback of her own miss, collecting an and-one opportunity in the process to stymie Yale's hopes at a comeback. 

QUOTING COACH
"We made made a couple shots early, we got up and down the floor, we defended them well.. I think we had a terrific first quarter. We were the aggressor, we dictated the tempo. They did a heck of a job in the second quarter. They controlled us, they went to the bench, they outworked us a bit in that quarter ... I thought we grinded it out. Third and fourth quarter we did enough on the offensive end, and we really rebounded the ball. Eleah and Michelle dominated the glass which was a big help."

WHAT'S NEXT?
Senior Day is on the horizon for the Quakers, as Penn welcomes Brown to The Palestra for the final regular season of the contest. The Red and Blue will honor Beth Brzozowski, Michelle Nwokedi, Anna Ross and Lauren Whitlatch prior to tipoff.