PRINCETON, N.J. - The first course of Ivy League play for the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team proved to be scrumptious, as the Quakers battled past defending champion Princeton 66-60 Saturday afternoon in a back-and-forth thriller. The victory pushes Penn's win streak to five games, as the Red and Blue now sit 9-2 overall and 1-0 in the Ancient Eight.
PENN NEWS AND NOTES
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Phoebe Sterba led the way with a career-high 21 points, going 5-for-7 from behind the 3-point line in 39 minutes of play. The junior also added three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
*Sterba was joined in double figures with strong performances in the post from Penn, including 14 points from
Eleah Parker and 12 from
Princess Aghayere.
*Aghayere was a force for the Red and Blue, particularly in the first half, notching her fourth career double-double (second this season) with 12 rebounds.
*Parker, the nation's second-leading shot blocker, again displayed her ability on defense with five blocks to go with her seven rebounds and two steals. She now averages 3.5 blocks per game and has 100 blocks in her career.
*The 27 points scored in the fourth quarter by the Quakers are their most ever in a single period against the Tigers.
*Penn dominated the frontcourt against the Tigers, winning the battle for points in the paint, 32-18. The Quakers are 8-1 this season when winning that statistical category.
*Penn improves to 5-18 all-time when trailing after three quarters of play.
*The Quakers' 9-2 record matches the 2015-16 squad for the best start through 11 games in program history.
*Penn's 66 points scored against the Tigers are its most against Princeton since an 80-64 win in 2014.
*The win is Penn's 30th all-time over the Tigers, and breaks a three-game winning streak for Princeton against the Quakers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game's first four points went to Princeton, but the Quakers responded with back-to-back layups from Parker inside to tie the game. The game then became a battle from beyond the arc, started by Princeton's Gabrielle Rush before three in a row from Penn, including two from
Phoebe Sterba to give Penn a 13-7 lead.
The Quakers would push for a 12-0 run, making the score 16-7, while holding the Tigers scoreless for over five minutes of action. Early shots and imposing defense were the keys to the first quarter for Penn, who sat with an 18-11 lead after 10 minutes of play.
A 5-0 run from Princeton led to a quick timeout from Coach McLaughlin to reset the offense, and Penn again found Sterba outside for some breathing room at 23-16. Three-straight 3-pointers from the Tigers would spurn Penn defensively, but Aghayere helped keep the Quakers afloat, hitting her second shot from beyond the arc of the game, and collecting offensive rebounds and putbacks to pace the visitors.
The stars of each team, Parker and Bella Alarie, both connected on offense to end the half, with Penn holding a 33-28 lead over the Tigers.
Both teams struggled on offense to start the third quarter, as Penn was unable to find any points until the 6:36 mark of the period. The Tigers clawed back, finding themselves down just one on multiple occasions, before finally vaulting ahead 38-37. A driving layup from Grasela as the shot clock expired bailed out the Quakers on offense, but it was Princeton's Alarie who scored the final six points of the period to put the home team ahead 44-39 with 10 minutes to play. Penn was outscored 16-6 in the quarter.
A 3-pointer from Sterba 17 seconds into the fourth quarter proved to be a huge momentum play for the Quakers, who quickly drew back to 44-42. Penn had a chance to tie with free throws from Aghayere, but the senior missed both. Luckily for the Quakers, neither team could immediately corral the loose rebound before it ended up in the hands of Parker open in the paint to make the score 44-44.
Free throws either way and a drive from Carlie Littlefield pushed Princeton back ahead, 48-45, before
Tori Crawford finished through contact to draw Penn close again, 48-47.
Each team turned it over once, with the Tigers missing a shot of their own, before Sterba connected for the play of the game: a 3-pointer to put Penn ahead 50-48. Sterba's shot set the tone for Penn's offense, featuring a made pull-up jumper from
Michae Jones for a 52-49 lead.
The Tigers weren't going away however, as a 3-pointer from Rush drew Princeton even at 52-52. A turnover from Penn looked dangerous for the Quakers, but Penn got a defensive stop and went running, as Grasela found Jones in transition for a 54-52 advantage. The ensuing possession saw Sterba read the passing lane on defense, and the junior streaked to the basket and hit the layup to give Penn a four-point edge, forcing a Princeton timeout.
More points from Parker inside following a defensive stop gave Penn a 58-52 advantage with just over two minutes to play, but again, the Tigers hung around.
Up 61-54 with 54 seconds left following three free throws from Grasela and Russell, the odds were in the favor of the Quakers for the win, but two missed shots from the charity stripe opened the door for Princeton. The Tigers hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to four with 35 seconds left, before forcing a turnover in the backcourt with their full court press. Another 3-pointer connected, much to the delight of the home crowd, and Penn clung to a 61-60 advantage with 25 seconds left.
Grasela, immediately fouled out of the timeout, went 1-for-2 from the line, and Parker collected a monumental rebound from a Littlefield miss on the other end. The Quakers would convert four more free throws, all from Sterba, to end the game, locking down Princeton for the win.
QUOTING COACH
"Loved the way we played in the first half... We were the aggressor. But it was a great basketball game, they were coming at us as hard as we were going at them. I thought Kendall was really terrific the whole game, and both of our post players were really, really good together."
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Quakers will take a three-game break from Ivy League play, set to round out the non-conference portion of their schedule. A home game vs. Big 5 rival Villanova awaits Penn on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.
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