PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team used a massive third quarter to pull away from Temple and secure their third Big 5 win of the season, 71-62, on Wednesday at The Palestra.
The 29-point explosion in the third matches the season high for points in a quarter, equaling the second-period total at Stetson on Dec. 31. Ashley Russell led the way for the Quakers, stuffing the stat sheet for 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while Princess Aghayere and Eleah Parker added 14 points each. Parker's 14-point, 10-board performance is her fifth double-double of the season and second in as many games.
PENN NEWS AND NOTES
*Penn finishes the season with a 3-1 mark in Big 5 play, finishing second overall among its city foes. Penn's three wins tie the 2015 and 2018 Big 5 championship teams for most wins in a season in program history.
*The win is Coach McLaughlin's 15th Big 5 victory, as the head man now owns more wins in the city series than all other previous Penn head coaches combined.
*Ashley Russell finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists with just a single turnover.
*Eleah Parker entered the night averaging 3.5 blocks per game, the second most in the country and added four more against the Owls. She has 46 individually this season.
*Penn limited Temple to just 35.8 percent from the field, and was third nationally in field goal percentage defense at 31.8 entering the game.
*Penn shot 47 percent from the field on the night. The Quakers are 8-0 when shooting at least 40 percent.
*Phoebe Sterba has converted at least two three pointers in 10 games this season, guiding the Quakers to an 8-2 record when doing so.
*Freshman Kennedy Suttle set a new personal best, scoring six points on 3-of-5 shooting.
*Penn's 29 third-quarter points match a season high, set on Dec. 31, 2018 at Stetson.
*Penn moves to 16-34 all-time against Temple, but has now taken two in a row from the Owls. The win is the first against Temple at home since 2015.
*The Red and Blue are 92-1 in its last 93 regular season games when eclipsing the 60-point mark.
*Penn has limited its opponents to 68 points or less in 104 of the last 109 games.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn threw the first punch, scoring on its first possession, and then forced two quick turnovers that led to a pair of layups and a 6-0 advantage just 1:04 into the night. The Quakers pushed that lead to seven at 11-4 following a Princess Aghayere three pointer, but the Owls battled back to 12-8 by hammering the offensive boards. Through six-and-a-half minutes, Temple led 8-3 in the rebounding department, with six of them coming on the offensive glass.
Just after Temple clawed within four, Penn used another 6-0 run, ignited by an Eleah Parker free throw, to create some separation once again. After Parker's conversion at the line, Kendall Grasela nailed a three and Parker bookended the run with a deep two-point jumper to push the lead to 17-8. Back-to-back Owl buckets cut it to 17-12, but Aghayere crashed the boards to create another chance and score with 10 seconds left in the first, holding a 19-12 lead for the Red and Blue.
Temple used a trio of treys from Marissa Mackins for a 9-2 run in the first 4:16 of the second quarter to level the score at 21-21. After over three-and-a-half minutes without a bucket, Penn turned to Aghayere for an easy layup to end the drought. A stop and a score from Ashley Russell made it a four-point game. Temple immediately answered with a second-chance bucket, but consecutive threes from Russell and Phoebe Sterba extended the Quaker lead to eight, at 31-23 with 2:38 remaining in the second quarter. At the halftime buzzer, Parker knocked down a mid-range jumper to give Penn a 35-27 lead.
To open the second half, Aghayere canned a three and then Parker finished a layup after a delightful dump off from Russell for the easy bucket and a 40-27 lead. Temple scored four in a row to close within nine, but Penn rattled off nine of the next 12 points, including a transition three from Sterba to expand the advantage to 16, at 52-36 with 3:41 left in the third. To close the third, Kennedy Suttle, who finished with a career-high six points, carved through the defense on a dribble drive for a bucket and then Michae Jones rattled home a tough runner at the buzzer to take a 64-46 cushion into the fourth period. Penn's third quarter consisted of 29 points, matching its season high from Stetson on Dec. 31.
The Owls scored the first five points of the fourth quarter, but a Russell jumper ended that spurt. Temple ultimately closed within nine, but the Quakers finished on top for their third Big 5 win of the season, outscoring the Owls 71-62.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Penn hosts local Division III opponent Haverford on Sunday, Jan. 27 at The Palestra. Tip is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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