PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team concludes the 2023 portion of its season this weekend, taking on Maine and Gwynedd Mercy. Both games tip in The Palestra at 1 p.m.
 
GAME 12: PENN (6-5) vs MAINE (7-6)
Saturday, December 30, 2023 | 1:00 PM
Philadelphia, Pa. | The Palestra
Watch on ESPN+ ($) | Int'l Stream | Live Stats | History
 
GAME 13: PENN (6-5) vs GWYNEDD MERCY (7-5)
Sunday, December 31, 2023 | 1:00 PM
Philadelphia, Pa. | The Palestra
Watch on ESPN+ ($) | Int'l Stream | Live Stats
 
Promotional Schedule
• Maine on December 30

• Community Day: We encourage local community groups and schools to join us! To submit your group for free ticket opportunities, visit HERE

 
• Gwynedd Mercy on December 31

• Camper Reunion Day: Come hang out with your fellow Penn Women's Basketball campers! Campers, check your e-mails for a ticket offer!

 

• Penn Staff Day: All Penn Staff are eligible for discounted tickets. See the link in the HR newsletter!

 
The Maine Series
• Saturday's matchup against the Black Bears will mark the third time in program history, as the two programs are knotted at 1-1 in the all-time series.
 
• The first matchup was December 10, 2010 in The Palestra, seeing the Quakers take a 69-48 victory.
 
• The last time the two teams met was November 25, 2018 at the Navy Classic in Annapolis, with the Black Bears taking the one-point decision, 47-46.
 
• The Quakers were led offensively by 17 points from Eleah Parker and 12 from Katie Kinum. Parker also chipped in nine rebounds, going 8-for-12 from the field. 

• Penn dominated the battle of the boards, 46-29, including a career-high 12 rebounds from Ashley Russell from the guard spot. 

• Tori Crawford tied her career bests in points and rebounding, scoring nine with six boards. 
 
About the Black Bears
• Maine enters with a 7-6 record, coming off a split week at the Tulane Holiday tournament. They defeated Duquesne, 80-72, in the opening game before falling to the host the following day, 64-61.
 
• They have played one familiar opponent so far this season, earning a 58-48 win at La Salle back on November 9. Penn defeated the Explorers, 79-71, on November 29.
 
• The Black Bears have also earned an Ivy League win, topping Harvard at the beginning of December at home, 79-61. The Quakers take on the Crimson for the first time this season on January 20 in Cambridge.
 
• Maine averages 63.5 points per game at a .401 shooting clip, led by Anne Simon. Through 13 games, she is averaging 20 points on .469 shooting, while adding 7.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.4 steals.
 
• Defensively, the Black Bears look to Adrianna Smith who pulls in 10.6 boards, including 7.9 on the defensive end. She also leads the team with 0.7 blocks per contest.
 
• They are led by Amy Vachon in her seventh season as the head coach. She graduated from Maine in 2000 and has been a part of the staff for 13 years. She has guided the program to two NCAA tournament appearances, four America East regular season titles and two tournament trophies. The America East has tabbed her Coach of the Year four times since 2017.
 
The Gwynedd Mercy Series
• The two squads will square off for the 11th time in program history, dating to the first matchup in the 1970-71 season. Penn holds a 7-3 in the all-time series.
 
• The Quakers hosted the Griffins in The Palestra last year on December 30, taking the 95-38 decision.
 
• Penn played 17 players on Friday and 16 of them scored.
 
• The Quakers shot 54.2 percent from the floor (39-for-72) and cashed in on at least 25 points in three of the four frames.
 
• Four different players found double digits in scoring for the afternoon, led by Jordan Obi's 12. She added a game-high seven rebounds.
 
• Obi was joined by Stina Almqvist (11), Iyanna Rogers (10), and Sydnei Caldwell (10) in double figures. Rogers, who missed her freshman season due to injury, registered her first 10 collegiate points in the game, going 5-for-8 from the floor.
 
• In just 19 minutes of play, Kayla Padilla was on pace for a triple-double, knocking in nine points all on threes to go with six rebounds and a game-high six assists.
 
• Penn forced the Griffins into 18 turnovers, converting them into 22 points.
 
• The Quakers did much of their work in the paint, scoring 58 points inside including 25 off transition.
 
About the Griffins
• Gwynedd Mercy enters with a 7-5 record, falling in its last outing back on December 16 at William Paterson, 68-38.
 
• Averaging 67.6 points per game, the Griffins are led by Lynzie Eggers offensively with 17.3 points through 12 games. Ava Casale also averages double figures with 11.6.
 
• Natalie O'Neill is pulling in 10.3 rebounds per game, including 3.5 on the offensive end.
 
• Head Coach Keith Mondillo has been at the helm of the program since the 1995-96 season. He is also the Director of Athletics for Gwynedd Mercy.
 
Penn's Last Time Out
• The Quakers have rested up since their last outing, falling to Temple, 61-47, in the final Big 5 matchup of the season on December 10.
 
• Junior Stina Almqvist led all scorers with 18 points on 5-for-14 shooting, 3-for-7 from three, and 5-for-8 at the free-throw line.
 
• Freshman Mataya Gayle finished with 14 points (6-for-16), her sixth straight game in double figures.
 
• Senior captain Jordan Obi narrowly missed her third straight double-double, pulling in a game-high 10 rebounds to go with nine points.
 
• Freshman Ese Ogbevire came off the bench for four points, going a perfect 4-for-4 at the line.
 
• The game saw six lead changes and one tie.

 Stat Leaders
•Almqvist leads the Quakers in points (16.3) and assists (2.5). She sits third in the Ivy League in scoring and tied for 11th in assists.
 
• Obi leads Penn and is second in the Ivy League in blocks with 17. She also leads Penn in rebounding at 7.5 through 11 games, good enough for third in the league. Additionally, she is tied for fifth in the Ivy League in steals per game (1.8).
 
• Penn is fourth in points per game (66.9), fourth in field goal percentage (.416), and second in team free throw percentage (.752).
 
A Look Ahead
• The new year has the Quakers are on the road to face Columbia in their first Ivy League game of the season on January 6.
 
• Their first home Ivy matchup is Monday, January 15, hosting Cornell in The Palestra.