PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team never clicked offensively in a 71-54 loss to Yale at The Palestra on Friday night.
The Quakers now fall into a three-way tie for second in the Ivy League with the Bulldogs and Columbia at 7-4 with three games to play. Harvard (5-5) remains two games back after its loss to the Lions.
PENN NEWS AND NOTES
*For the first time this season, no Quakers finished in double figures.
*Penn's 23 offensive rebounds are the second-most this season.
*When allowing 70 or more points, Penn falls to 8-31 under Coach McLaughlin.
*The Quakers almost double their opponents in points off turnovers (430-226 entering Friday), but were outscored 20-6 by Yale.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn fell behind 5-0 after Yale crashed the offensive glass for a couple second chances, but the Quakers answered with the next seven points in less than two minutes. Eleah Parker put the Red and Blue on the board and then Kayla Padilla banked in a runner plus the foul for a three-point play in transition to level the game. Tori Crawford pushed Penn in front for the first time with a right-handed scoop in the middle of the lane.
Just after the midway point of the first quarter, Penn and Yale combined to go 2-for-20 as both teams raised the defensive intensity. Phoebe Sterba broke the spell with a corner three to jump ahead once more at 10-8. Yale scored the final four points of the quarter to lead 12-10 after 10 minutes. Both teams struggled offensively, combining to shoot 7-for-36 through the first period.
Parker immediately equalized the score on Penn's first possession of the second quarter, feigning a screen and diving to the rim for an easy two off an assist from Padilla. After Parker's bucket, Penn went just about four minutes without a point, falling behind 17-12 before two free throws by Sterba. Emily Anderson added a free throw as well, but overall, Penn went 7:47 without a field goal falling behind 24-15 before Mia Lakstigala backed her way into the lane and scooped in a basket.
Penn's deficit grew to nine once again inside the final two minutes of the half, but a score from Crawford, a steal and then a layup for Kendall Grasela closed it to five. Yale responded with a long ball and then Sterba scored at the buzzer to end the half down 29-23.
Yale hit Penn hard with a third-quarter barrage, ripping off an 18-6 spurt through the first 6:30. Anderson accounted for four of the Red and Blue's six with back-to-baskets in the paint. With 2:45 left in the third, the Bulldogs expanded the advantage to 20 before ending the period up 56-39.
In the final 10, Penn moved as close as 13 with 4:37 to go, but the Bulldogs made enough to plays to leave The Palestra with a 71-54 victory.
UP NEXT?
Penn, now in a three-way tie for second, needs to rebound quickly Saturday night against Brown at The Palestra. The Quakers' four seniors – Emily Anderson, Kendall Grasela, Liz Satter and Phoebe Sterba – will be honored pregame.
#FightOnPenn
