POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The 2022-23 season tipped off on Thursday night for the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team, as the Quakers held off Marist, 65-61, behind a 31-point effort by senior captain Kayla Padilla.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*It's the fourth straight season-opening win under head coach Mike McLaughlin.
 
*Padilla's scoring frenzy marks the third time in her career with 30-plus points. She eclipsed the number twice last season: a career-high 36 against Memphis and 31 points at home against Saint Joseph's.
 
*Her 31 points came off 13-for-23 shooting. Her 13 field goals are the first double-digit makes for Penn since December 10, 2021, when she knocked in 11 at Stony Brook.
 
*Senior captain Mandy McGurk also hit double figures in scoring, dropping in 10 points including 7-for-8 at the line in the closing minutes of the game to seal the victory.
 
*Junior Floor Toonders made her Quaker debut, pulling in a career-high 14 rebounds to go with six points and two assists.
 
*Sophomore Stina Almqvist added eight points and eight rebounds, while drawing a charge in a critical late game moment.
 
*Off the bench, Lizzy Groetsch and Sydnei Caldwell combined for 10 points, eight of which came at the free throw line
 
*Under McLaughlin's tutelage, the Quakers are 162-18 when scoring at least 60 points.
 
How It Happened
Defense was the name of the game early, as the first basket didn't come for two and a half minutes into the contest. Fortunately, that first bucket came from the Quakers when Toonders sent a perfect bounce pass down the lane to a slipping Almqvist for the first basket of the season.
 

1Q 7:30 | Penn 2, Marist 0

First bucket of the season! Toonders finds Almqvist on the slip!#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/d5E3hFWJkB

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) November 11, 2022

 
However, the Red Foxes hit the scoring streak in the first quarter, scoring 13 straight points to take a lead that held until the 4:03 mark of the second quarter. With 2:11 remaining in the first quarter, Penn started to find its scoring stride, starting up a 16-5 stretch. Padilla scored 11 of those points, including a buzzer beater at the end of the first and seven straight points to tie it up at 18-18.
 

End 1Q | Marist 13, Penn 7

Quakers find some scoring at the backend of the first and capped it off with a Padilla buzzer beater!#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/aWmPLGilHh

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) November 11, 2022

 
In the final two minutes before the half, Marist tried to slow down the Quaker run with five points to reclaim the advantage, but Padilla answered again. She hit a floater and followed it with an and-one finish down the lane to tie it up against at 23-23. In the last minute, Toonders knocked in a free throw then found Padilla for a three ball to give Penn a 27-23 lead at the break.
 

2Q 1:42 | Penn 23, Marist 23

Tied ball game! Padilla with the and-one finish (although the officials had to correct the call)!#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/sVG5CRDv3O

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) November 11, 2022

 
Her floater kicked off a 12-0 stretch for Penn which looped into the second half. Naturally, the start of the third resulted in another and-one finish by Padilla to put her at 22 points and Penn's largest lead of the game, 30-23.
 
The Red Foxes never went away down the stretch, but Penn remained solid at the charity stripe, including five free throws by Caldwell, Groetsch and Toonders combined across two minutes in the third.
 
The Quakers never surrendered the lead the rest of the way, although Marist would get as close as two in the fourth. Nevertheless, Penn stepped up in the critical moments when needed to maintain the advantage. With a three-point lead midway through the fourth, Groetsch hit a free throw and McGurk drilled a corner three to push a seven-point lead.
 

4Q 5:00 | Penn 52, Marist 45

Mandy McGurk from the corner!!!#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/lxTP2zJzno

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) November 11, 2022

 
In the final 30 seconds, Marist was still battling down six, but Almqvist had different plan on Penn's defensive front. Stepping in the lane on a Red Fox drive, she took the charge to ignite the Quakers to gut out the win.
 

4Q :33 | Penn 62, Marist 56

Stina Almqvist with a huge defensive play!!! Draws the charge! Penn ball!#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/kF1VU5WQzt

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) November 11, 2022

 
McGurk put the final touches on the game in the closing minute, hitting seven free throws to seal up the four-point victory.
 
Up Next
The Quakers hop a flight this weekend for a trip to Illinois, set to square off with Northwestern out of the Big Ten on Sunday, November 13. Tip is set for 1 p.m., EST.