PHILADELPHIA - Find a way. It wasn't always pretty, and it wasn't always clean, but the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team found a way to defeat Dartmouth at home on Saturday night, 56-52. Honoring its seniors in its final home game, the Quakers improved to 20-5 on the year and remained atop the Ivy League at 10-2.
PENN NEWS AND NOTES
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Princess Aghayere was key yet again for Penn, as the senior scored 22 points on 8-of-13 from the field, including three 3-pointers. Aghayere has ventured into double figures in 12 of her last 13 games.
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Eleah Parker scored in double figures for the 21st-straight game, netting 19 points and eight rebounds in 33 minutes of play.
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Katie Kinum scored a 3-pointer for the second time in as many Ivy games for Penn, and it was a timely one, with Penn down one in the fourth quarter.
*The Quakers shot 44 percent from the floor, holding Dartmouth to a 33 percent shooting clip. Penn is 14-0 this season when shooting at least 40 percent.
*Penn started all four members of its senior class, and
Kristen Daley made the most of her season-high 13 minutes, scoring the game's opening bucket and a three in the first quarter for five points.
*Dartmouth's offense was fueled by points off turnovers in the first half, scoring 14 of its 24 off Penn miscues. Penn shut that down in the second half, as the Big Green scored only four points off Penn turnovers.
*The Quakers have reached the 20-win plateau for the seventh time in program history, and sixth time under head coach
Mike McLaughlin.
*With the win, Penn cuts into the all-time series against Dartmouth, with the Big Green leading 43-38. The Quakers have won 10 straight Dartmouth and 16 of the last 17, not losing at home to the Big Green since 2010.
HOW IT HAPPENED
There was no separation between either team in the first half, as Penn found all its offense from Aghayere and Daley. A Daley jumper kickstarted things on senior night, and the guard hit a three in the corner to sandwich four-straight from Aghayere, helping Penn find a 9-4 lead.
A midrange jumper from Aghayere put Penn up 11-4, but Dartmouth would come back, scoring two 3-pointers as part of an 8-0 run to retake the lead at 12-11.
Aghayere scored her ninth of the quarter with a three, and the opening period ended knotted 14-14.
The Big Green surged out to a four-point edge to start the second half, as Penn stalled on offense, but the Quakers went to Parker, and she delivered. Four straight from the sophomore tied the game at 22, before free throws from
Michae Jones put Penn back on top, 24-22.
The teams traded baskets to end the period, with Penn holding a slim 26-24 lead.
Back-and-forth would continue to be the theme in the third quarter, as Dartmouth went to Paula Lenart for its first three buckets of the half, while Penn found success with Aghayere and Parker. The Quakers found the separation they were looking for with a 3-pointer from Aghayere trailing the play, giving Penn a 36-30 advantage.
The lead would swell to nine with four more points from Parker, but Dartmouth got a key bucket to end the period on a buzzer-beating three, putting Penn on top 42-36 with 10 to go.
Similar to Friday's game, the fourth quarter was a struggle for Penn offensively, as the Quakers went five minutes without a basket, allowing Dartmouth to storm back on an 8-0 run to take the lead.
Kinum delivered a clutch three in the corner to stymie the Dartmouth run, and after avoiding a transition bucket from the Big Green, Russell drove to the basket and finished to vault Penn back ahead, 48-44.
Another timely three from Aghayere helped Penn, this time putting the Red and Blue up five, but after a missed opportunity from
Tori Crawford on offense, Isalys Quinones of Dartmouth drew the Big Green back within one, 51-50.
Jones, Friday night's hero, missed two free throws for Penn, allowing Dartmouth a chance to take the lead, but Quinones turned it over. This time, Penn would not be denied, finding Parker on the slip and score to make it 53-50.
Another forced turnover from the Quakers with 37 seconds to play would seal the deal, as suffocating defense led to a shot clock violation and the win for Penn.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Quakers will round out the regular season next weekend, traveling to Yale and Brown.
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