PHILADELPHIA – On a hot-shooting afternoon, the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team surged past Stetson 81-41 on Saturday at The Palestra.
Penn shot lights out from three-point range, drilling 14 shots from beyond the arc while forcing 27 turnovers on the opposite end of the floor – both totals are the most under Coach Mike McLaughlin.
Freshman Kayla Padilla led the way once more with 24 points, her fifth game eclipsing the 20-point threshold while Phoebe Sterba hit three long balls to finish with 15 points. Emily Anderson joined the duo in double figures with 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting.
PENN NEWS AND NOTES
*Penn is now 31-0 under Mike McLaughlin when making at least 10 three-pointers in a game.
*The Quakers kept Stetson to just 41 points, the sixth time they've kept their opponent under 50 points. Penn is 94-5 under McLaughlin went holding teams to that number.
*Stetson turned the ball over 27 times, the most under McLaughlin.
*The 14 made three pointers are also the most in the McLaughlin era.
*Stetson's four points in the second are the fewest that Penn has allowed in a quarter this season. The Hatters didn't score until 1:27 remained in the quarter.
*Penn has kept opponents at 10 or less points in a quarter 15 times this year.
*When scoring more than 80 points, Penn is 19-1 under McLaughlin.
*Kayla Padilla eclipsed 20 points for the fifth time of the eight-game season, racking up 24 points on 9-for-12 shooting and 6-for-7 from three.
*Emily Anderson reached double figures for the second time this season, scoring 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting.
*Phoebe Sterba made three more three pointers, finishing with 15 points, four rebounds and two assists.
*Kendall Grasela dished out nine assists, hitting at least that number for the third time this season.
*Michae Jones buried a career high-matching two three pointers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Toward the middle of the first quarter, Penn raced out to a 10-2 run, propelled by sharpshooting from beyond the arc. While trailing 9-8 after five early points from Kayla Padilla, Phoebe Sterba drilled the second of her three first-quarter treys, springing the run. On the next possession, Padilla took a pass from Kendall Grasela for a fastbreak layup before Michae Jones splashed her first of two long balls. Sterba's fastbreak bucket raised the lead to double digits at 21-11 and then Padilla added another three before the end of the first to take a 24-13 advantage.
The Quakers made six three-pointers in the first quarter and forced an impressive 11 turnovers from Stetson in the opening period.
Penn hit Stetson with a mountainous flurry in the second quarter, blitzing the Hatters for a 20-4 period. Stetson's four points are the fewest that the Quakers have allowed in a quarter all season. Two free throws from Sterba sandwiched a Padilla three to get things moving and then Emily Anderson laid in a turning lefty basket with 4:20 left in the half to expanding the advantage to 32-12 before Sterba converted a layup, Padilla launched another long ball and Grasela made both of her free throws.
Penn's 15-0 run to start the second quarter busted the lead open to 39-13 before Stetson made its first basket with just 1:27 remaining in the half. Padilla drilled yet another three, her fifth of the half and Tori Crawford made a layup to head into the break up 44-17. Through the first 20 minutes, the Red and Blue forced 20 turnovers.
In the first two minutes of the third, Sterba hit yet another three to push the lead to 30 at 49-19. After a Hatter bucket, Padilla drilled her sixth three of the afternoon to raise it over 30 once again. Penn eventually put together another burst, scoring 10 straight to open up the lead to 62-25. Within that run, Padilla lofted a nice runner in the lane and then Crawford spun quickly for another bucket. Penn led 66-27 after three quarters.
The Red and Blue closed the contest with fourth-quarter threes from Crawford, Mia Lakstigala and Katie Kinum while freshmen Mandy McGurk and Silke Milliman added buckets in an 81-41 win.
UP NEXT?
After three games in five days, the Quakers take a breath until Friday, Dec. 20 when they host Drexel at The Palestra at 11:30 a.m.
#FightOnPenn
