MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – The University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team clashed with No. 23 Marquette on Sunday afternoon, falling 87-52 to the undefeated Golden Eagles.
 
The Quakers move to 5-3 for the season while Marquette extends its unblemished record to 8-0, the best start in program history.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*For the second time this season, freshman Mataya Gayle put together a 20-plus game, finishing with a game-high 23 points. She set a season-best 25 points at Siena in November. For the game, she shot 9-for-22 from the floor and a perfect 4-for-4 from the line. Additionally, she had a team-high three steals.
 
*Senior captain Jordan Obi knocked in 17 points with five rebounds and a game-high three blocks. She's up to 16 blocks for the season, most in the Ivy League.
 
*Junior Stina Almqvist had a team-high four assists, while senior captain Floor Toonders pulled in a team-high seven rebounds in her second game back.
 
How It Happened
Penn set the tone early against the nationally ranked Golden Eagles, staying neck-and-neck through much of the first quarter. Obi and Gayle put on the early offense for the Quakers, scoring the first 14 points in the frame, including an and-one finish by Obi and a jumper and three by Gayle to give Penn a 14-13 advantage by the 2:45 mark.
 
However, the lead swayed back to Marquette after it closed out the rest of the quarter on a 9-2 run. Gayle found Toonders on the closing possession, but the Golden Eagles took a 22-16 lead into the first break.
 
The Quakers found themselves trailing by double digits through most of the second, but Gayle kept Penn in striking distance with six points of her own in the quarter. Trailing 37-24 at the half, Gayle and Obi combined for 22 of the 24 points to lead the Quakers.
 
Although Obi kicked off the second half with a layup to attempt a momentum swing, Marquette responded with a 32-9 quarter to push ahead the rest of the way.
 
In the fourth, the Quakers continued to grind. For over four minutes, they held the Golden Eagles scoreless while piecing together an 11-0 run. Obi had five of the points, Gayle chipped in four, and Almqvist added her first points of the evening with a layup.
 
Up Next
The Quakers fly back to Philly for another Big 5 matchup on Tuesday night, making the short trek to Villanova. Start time is set for 7 p.m., in Finneran Pavilion.