PHILADELPHIA - Powering forward in the postseason! The University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team shot out early and never looked back, dispatching the Patriot League co-champion American Eagles on Friday night in the opening round of the WNIT, 65-45. The win advances the Quakers to the second round of the tournament for the third time in as many appearances and pushes Penn to 24-6 on the year.

PENN NEWS AND NOTES
*Ashley Russell, Eleah Parker and Phoebe Sterba paced the Quakers offensively. Russell finished with 18 points, including a career-high tying four 3-pointers, while grabbing four rebounds and dishing five assists.

*Parker tallied her 11th double-double of the season, posting 16 points with a career-high tying 17 rebounds. Defensively, the sophomore swatted two blocks, moving her single-season total to 94. 

*Sterba finished with three 3-pointers, recording 15 points and nabbing six rebounds.

*Penn controlled the backboard, winning the rebounding battle 42-28.

*The Quakers shot 42 percent from the floor, improving to 17-0 this season when shooting at least 40 percent.

*Penn finished with nine made 3-pointers, improving to 16-0 this season when making at least six shots from distance. 

*Penn's 24 victories this season ties a program record of 24 wins set in 2015-16.

*The postseason victory is Penn's fifth all-time and third in the WNIT. The Quakers have made it out of the first round each year they've appeared in the WNIT.

*The Quakers improve to 3-5 all-time against American and break a four-game win streak by the Eagles in the series. Penn has won six straight against teams from the Patriot League.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Powered by buckets from three different Quakers, and stifling pressure on the other end of the floor that included three blocks, Penn raced out to an early 9-2 lead with 4:51 to play in the opening period. Penn hammered the offensive glass early, pulling down six rebounds before the first media timeout leading to plenty of second-chance opportunities.

Eleah Parker led the surge with six first-quarter points, outscoring the Eagles herself as the Quaker defense continued to suffocate American. After the fopening 10 minutes, Penn outrebounded American 13-8, forced four turnovers, including two shot clock violations, and led 16-5.

Penn scored the first 10 to start the second quarter, starting with Kendall Grasela's baseline drive and floater. On the next possession, Phoebe Sterba kicked out a pass to Ashley Russell for a three from the wing and then Parker converted a layup from the left side on a transition opportunity to push the lead to 18 at 23-5 with 8:39 to play in the half. The advantage rose above 20 after Princess Aghayere canned a three, her second bucket of the first half.

Katie Kinum jumped into the action with straightaway three – Penn shot 6-for-10 from distance in the first half – to make it 35-14 with under four minutes to play. The next bucket resulted in a corner three for Russell after Grasela created space with a nifty behind-the-back dribble and then kick when multiple defenders compressed.

American fought back with the first seven points of the third quarter, but out of a timeout, a flurry of quick passes moved the defense enough for a corner three for Sterba, halting the quick 7-0 burst from the Eagles. Aghayere hit a jumper, Parker banked in a turnaround layup and Sterba buried a floater from the baseline to balloon the lead back to 20 with 5:29 left in the third.

After an American bucket, Russell rifled an overhead pass to a backdoor-cutting Sterba for the quick catch and finish. She hit another three before the end of the third quarter and Russell knocked down a pair at the line to give Penn a 54-35 cushion heading to the fourth.

The Eagles scored the first five in the fourth quarter, but then dipped into a scoreless drought that lasted four minutes. Penn, similarly, went through rough patches on the offensive end. The Quakers scored the next three points, but after the midway point of the quarter, those were the only points scored. Russell rattled home a three with 4:16 left and Sterba made two at the charity stripe to help secure the 64-45 win.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Quakers will face a short turnaround, set to battle Providence in the second round of the WNIT on Sunday, March 24 in Rhode Island at 4 p.m.