NEW YORK, N.Y. – A fourth-quarter push was enough on Wednesday night for Columbia to push past the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team, 61-56, as the Quakers slip to 2-3 in Ivy League play.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Senior captain Mia Lakstigala tied a career high with 18 points to lead the Quakers, including scoring all 12 points for Penn in the first quarter. She drilled four three-pointers at a 50-percent clip.
 
*Junior captain Kayla Padilla added 14 points, while sophomore Jordan Obi added 10 from in the paint.
 
*Senior captain Kennedy Suttle commanded the defensive end with a game-high 13 rebounds and game-high three steals.
 
*Penn led the game for over 28 minutes, building up as large as an 11-point lead late in the second quarter.
 
*At the free throw line, the Quakers shot 80 percent (12-for-15), while Columbia went 5-for-12 at 41.7 percent.
 
*In the first half, Penn held the Lions scoreless for two large gaps of time: 5:35 in the first quarter, and 7:20 in the second quarter.
 
How It Happened
Columbia was the first to put points up in the game, scoring over a minute into the game by the hands of Abbey Hsu, the league's second-leading scorer at just over 16 points per game. However, the basket was the last for Lions for over 5:30 minutes while the Quakers hit a 7-0 run. All seven points came from Lakstigala including back-to-back three-pointers to open the scoring for Penn.
 

Mia Lakstigala with all six points for the Quakers at the first media timeout! Back-to-back threes by the senior captain has Penn out 6-2 against the Lions!#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/qwRXWKzp5R

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) January 26, 2022

 
The senior remained hot for the rest of the quarter, while the Quaker defense kept the Lions off the scoreboard. By the break, Lakstigala scored all 12 points for Penn, and Columbia only rattled in three field goals for six points.
 
In the second, five points by Hsu was split by Padilla's first basket off the game. Hsu's second basket was a three to draw the Lions within three, 14-11, but again, the Quakers locked down defensively to keep Columbia scoreless for over seven minutes. In that stretch, Penn built up its largest lead of the by the 1:56 mark when Obi drove to the bucket for a layup, 22-11.
 
Before the half, Padilla crafted up another tough finish at the basket and the Lions scored twice, but Penn carried a 24-16 lead into the locker room.
 

Kayla Padilla coming to life! Six points late in the second quarter for the junior has the Quakers up eight, 24-16!#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/DPbWCUAVY7

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) January 26, 2022

 
A lot more scoring happened at the start of the third, as the gap got thinner between the two squads. A late three-pointer dagger by Lakstigala kept the Quakers out front, but the Lions trailed by just two, 41-39, headed to the final frame.
 
The beginning of the fourth was all Columbia, hitting back-to-back buckets to take their first lead since 2-0 in the first two minutes of the game. With 1:36 left in the game, they built their largest lead of the game at 10, however, the Quakers didn't go away.
 
In the final 30 seconds, Padilla dropped in two free throws, a jump ball was called, and Lakstigala drilled her fourth three-pointer of the game with 19 seconds left to put Penn within three, 59-56. Unfortunately, time ran out on Penn when Columbia hit 2-for-2 at the free throw line to seal up the decision.
 
Up Next
The Quakers return to The Palestra on Saturday for another league matchup, hosting Harvard at 2 p.m.