PHILADELPHIA – In a scrappy, defensive battle, the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team snatched its first Big 5 win of the season with a 55-45 defeat of Saint Joseph's at Hagan Arena on Wednesday night.
Freshman Kayla Padilla eclipsed the 20-point mark for the second time in her four-game career with 22 points, but the Quakers won the game on the defensive end down the stretch. Penn held the Hawks scoreless for the final 5:07 to improve to 4-0.
PENN NEWS AND NOTES
*Penn continues its best start in program history, moving to 4-0.
*The win is the Quakers' third straight against the Hawks and are now 5-40 all-time against Saint Joseph's, but 4-2 over the last six meetings.
*Penn won its fourth consecutive Big 5 road game, a program record. The win over Saint Joe's is Penn's seventh in its last nine Big 5 games, the best stretch in program history.
*The Red and Blue has not allowed more than 51 points in a game this season.
*Penn is now 90-5 when giving up less than 50 points in a game under Coach Mike McLaughlin.
*The Quakers closed the game by keeping Saint Joe's scoreless over the final 5:07.
*Phoebe Sterba matched her career high with four assists.
*Kayla Padilla eclipsed 20 points for the second time in her four-game career, racking up 22 points.
*Tori Crawford kept pressure on the Hawks defense especially in the second half and matched a career high with four made free throws. She finished with a season-high eight points and grabbed five boards.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn's first bucket came on Kennedy Suttle's aggressiveness on the offensive glass, ripping down a Kayla Padilla miss before kicking it back to the freshman guard for a corner three to take a 3-2 lead. Suttle disrupted the Hawks on the next possession then converted a layup on the other end to make it 5-2.
Phoebe Sterba drilled a three to push the lead to 8-4 then, on the next possession, Eleah Parker slipped a pass to a double-clutching Suttle for another basket during a frantic start.
At the first media timeout, just above the four-minute mark in the first quarter, Penn led 13-11 behind seven points from Suttle, fresh off her first career double-double. The Hawks leveled things at 13-13 with 3:10 remaining but Padilla promptly stepped into a straightaway three to snatch the lead back away. Kendall Grasela hit a jumper to complete the mini-run at the end of the quarter to lead 18-13.
The Quakers kept Saint Joe's at arm's length through the early portion of the second period as Parker began to assert herself on the offensive end. She made a pair of field goals right around the rim; her second pushed the lead to 23-19 with 6:50 left in the half.
Both teams went through a bit of a draught until the Hawks trimmed the lead to two with 2:30 left, ending a stretch of 4:20 without either team scoring. Once again, Padilla had an answer. The freshman hit a jumper, her and Grasela forced a turnover in the backcourt and then she finished another basket, assisted by Sterba, her fourth of the game matching a career high. Parker scored the next points, rattling in a mid-range jumper and then Padilla hit another shot in the final 10 seconds of the half, capping an 8-2 spurt to end the half up 31-23.
Saint Joe's dug in to start the second half, outscoring Penn 5-2 through the first two minutes to claw back within five at 33-28. The Hawks closed within two at 33-31 as Penn suffered through nearly four minutes without a point.
Tori Crawford halted the run, bullying her way to the rim and drawing a foul. She knocked down both from the line, then on a slick inbounds play, Parker converted a layup. After the basket, the Quakers raised the intensity again as the Hawks couldn't get the ball across in time. Michae Jones banged in a runner to extend the lead to eight at 39-31 with just under three minutes to play. To close the period, Crawford finished a terrific stint with a hoop and the harm to up the advantage to nine at 42-33.
Padilla opened the fourth with another score then, after a Hawks bucket, Crawford finished off a sweet bit of high-low action with Parker to make it a 10-point game with just under nine minutes left.
With a five-point edge nearing the five-minute mark, Padilla dribbled into the lane and fought through some contact for a three-point play.
Saint Joe's just wouldn't go away, though. The Hawks closed again to five, but Penn gathered two offensive rebounds before Padilla scored her 21st and 22nd points of the night, making it 52-45.
Penn closed the game out on the defensive end, putting the clamps to SJU and keeping the Hawks scoreless over the final 5:07, sealing a 55-45 win at Hagan Arena.
UP NEXT?
Penn takes a week off before traveling to Durham, N.C. on Friday, Nov. 29 for a dance with Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
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