CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team traveled up to Massachusetts on Saturday for the final Ivy League game of the first half of the conference season, falling to Harvard, 84-60.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Senior captain Mandy McGurk led all Penn scorers with 27 points on 8-for-19 shooting and three from beyond the arc, while adding 8-for-10 at the line. She fell one point shy of a career high in points, a mark she set in the Ivy opener at home against Brown.
 
*Senior captain Kayla Padilla added 10 points and five rebounds.
 
*Junior Jordan Obi had a well-rounded game with nine points, team-high six rebounds, team-high five assists, and a block.
 
*Junior Floor Toonders tied with Obi on boards, adding a team-high six rebounds.
 
How It Happened
The Crimson got out to a hot start, hitting their first three buckets for an early 8-0 lead. However, McGurk responded with the first seven points for the Quakers to get Penn within three, 10-7. By the first media timeout, McGurk drilled another three to draw the game even, 15-15, with 4:07 left in the frame.
 

1Q 4:07 | Penn 15, Harvard 15

McGurk is FEELIN' IT! The senior captain has 10 of the 15 points for the Quakers, as Penn is shooting 55.6 percent from the floor (5-for-9).#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/IbaKR157tu

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) January 28, 2023

 
The lead sway four more times in the closing four minutes of the quarter, trading baskets with Penn making the final one before the break. With under 10 seconds left in the frame, the Quakers pushed the ball up the floor and moved it around the arc until it got into the hands of Simone Sawyer in the corner, who drilled the buzzer beater three to give Penn a 20-18 advantage.
 

End 1Q | Penn 20, Harvard 18

Sawyer drills the buzzer beater in the corner!! Quakers up two through the first frame. McGurk leading all scorers with 12 points. #FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/3BwksubGav

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) January 28, 2023

 
A 22-11 second frame had the Crimson push back out to a lead that held through to the half, with McGurk and Obi scoring all 11 for the Quakers. At the half, McGurk led all scorers with 19 points on 6-for-11 shooting, 3-for-5 from deep.
 
The Crimson heated up again in the third, winning the quarter, 23-18, to build on their advantage that held the rest of the way. Penn chipped away at the deficit by the end of the third quarter, hitting a 5-0 stretch that involved two free throws from McGurk and a steal from McGurk that transitioned to a three by Padilla to close out the quarter.
 

End 3Q | Harvard 63, Penn 49

Quakers get a much-needed push at the end of the frame, including this last play... McGurk with the steal and Padilla capitalizes on the three! Looking for a big final quarter!#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/Avx3k2coVQ

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) January 28, 2023

 
The Quakers trailed by 14 entering the final frame and McGurk trimmed that down to 12 with a driving layup. However, the offense remained the same for Harvard through the fourth to take the decision.
 
Up Next
The Quakers remain on the road for an Ivy League weekend next week, taking on Columbia on Friday before clashing with Cornell on Saturday in New York. The game in NYC is set for 6 p.m.