PHILADELPHIA – Clinched!
The University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team punched its ticket to the Ivy League Tournament with a 74-60 defeat of Brown on Saturday night at The Palestra. Eleah Parker, Kayla Padilla and Phoebe Sterba combined for 57 points as Parker recorded her seventh double-double of the season and 25th of her career with a 24-point, 14-rebound game.
Sterba, one of four Quakers, along with Emily Anderson, Kendall Grasela and Liz Satter, honored in the pregame Senior Day ceremony, drilled five three pointers to finish with 15 points and six assists. Both Anderson and Grasela impacted the game in a variety of ways; Anderson didn't score, but snatched eight rebounds in 13 minutes while Grasela put in yet another quality performances, dishing out six assists to just one turnover in 35 minutes at point guard.
PENN NEWS AND NOTES
*Penn is headed to the Ivy League Tournament for the fourth consecutive season – all of them since the tournament's birth.
*Eleah Parker notched her 25th career double-double with 24 points and 14 rebounds. The performance serves as her seventh double-double in the last 12 games.
*Freshman Kayla Padilla, who entered the weekend as the league's scoring leader, poured in another 18 points.
*Michae Jones was an astonishing +19 in just 14 minutes off the bench with two points, two boards and a block.
*Entering the weekend, Penn has outscored opponents 430-226 in points off turnovers this season. Against Brown, the Quakers won that category 25-10.
*The Quakers reached 70 points for the sixth time this season and is 5-1 when doing so and 48-3 all-time under Mike McLaughlin.
*Penn entered the weekend 17th in assist/TO ratio, dishing off 15 helpers to 12 turnovers on Saturday.
*The Quakers are 10-2 at The Palestra this year.
*When scoring at least 60 points in regular season regulation games, Penn is 114-2 under McLaughlin.
HOW IT HAPPENED
A few empty possessions to open the game allowed Brown to build a 6-0 advantage in the first two minutes, but once Kayla Padilla drilled a straightaway three, the Quakers began to settle in. After another Brown field goal, Penn scored the next eight points, five of which came from Eleah Parker battling in and around the paint. After Parker's five, Padilla knocked down another long ball to give Penn its first lead of the night at 11-8. Another Padilla bucket and then an unconventional three-point play from Kennedy Suttle pushed the Quaker lead to 19-15 after the opening 10 minutes.
The first six points of the second quarter came courtesy of two three pointers from senior Phoebe Sterba, one of four honored in pregame senior day ceremonies. Behind Sterba's six points, Penn opened a double-digit advantage for the first time of the night at 25-15, but it lasted less than 30 seconds as the Bears countered with an offensive barrage, drilling back-to-back-to-back treys and then a layup to cap an 11-0 run and take the lead at 26-25.
The back and forth continued and Penn took Brown's best punch and answered with a layup from Parker and then a three from Padilla. The Quakers ended the half with Sterba's fourth three of the night and then consecutive buckets from Parker to take a five-point lead into the half at 37-32.
The second half belonged to Parker, who kicked off the third period with an easy basket. Penn actually opened up an eight-point lead at 43-35 with 7:30 left but once again, the Bears battled back to tie the contest at 43-43 with just over three to play. Penn never trailed in the second half, though, instantly getting back in front with another layup from Parker.
Initiated by that Parker basket, the Red and Blue scored seven straight points to go up 50-43 with 1:40 to play in the third before ending the quarter at 50-45. Penn and Brown traded baskets until Parker banked in another layup and then Sterba stepped back for her fifth three of the night to widen the lead to double digits. The rest of the way, the Bears could only get as close as nine and Penn closed out a 74-60 win. Parker scored seven in the fourth quarter and 13 total in the second half to finish with yet another monster 24-point, 14-board masterpiece.
UP NEXT?
The Quakers wrap up their regular season with a trip to Cornell and Columbia next weekend before entering the Ivy League Tournament.
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