PHILADELPHIA – Three Quakers put together double-digit scoring efforts on Saturday including a career-high 28 points from freshman Mataya Gayle, guiding the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team to a 72-69 victory over Maine in The Palestra.
 
Penn improves to 7-5 for the season with one non-conference game left before Ivy League play, while the Black Bears slide to 7-7.

Our @espnplus crew caught up with freshman Mataya Gayle after the game!#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/lCKLOaZbFq

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) December 30, 2023

 
Quaker Notemeal
*Gayle's 28 points came from 10-for-20 shooting from the floor with two threes, while going a consistent 6-for-8 at the line. She added a game-high three steals, three assists and seven rebounds.
 
*The freshman point guard, who has started in all 12 games this year, has shot .500 or better in three outings this year while eclipsing at least 20 points three times. She has scored in double figures in all but three games, averaging 15.6 points, a mark that leads all Ivy League freshmen and ranks sixth among all conference players.
 
*Senior captain Jordan Obi chipped in 15 points to go with five rebounds and two blocks. Her two blocks moved her to 19 for the season, tied for the lead in the Ivy League. Obi also ranks third in the Ivy League in rebounds per game (7.3).

2Q 5:11 | Maine 26, Penn 22

There's a reason Jordan Obi leads the @ivyleague in blocks... Already two vicious ones in this game and it's not even halftime!#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/8VofUvOabZ

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) December 30, 2023

 
*Junior Stina Almqvist added 14 points, four rebounds, and two assists. The Kinna, Sweden native still leads the team in scoring at 16.1 points per game, shooting .416 from the floor and .806 from the line.
 
*Senior captain Floor Toonders led the team in rebounding for the day, pulling in eight to go with six points.
 
*Off the bench, freshman Abby Sharpe and sophomore Saniah Caldwell combined for nine points including a Sharpe buzzer beater to cap off the first quarter.
 
*The game saw 20 lead changes and eight ties. Maine held the lead for over 23 minutes, while the Quakers led for nearly 14 minutes.
 
*Penn shot 40 percent from the floor (24-for-60), and 85 percent from the line (17-for-20).
 
*The Quakers had a 34-33 edge in the rebound game, including a 12-8 lead on the offensive end.
 
How It Happened
The Black Bears pushed ahead through the first four minutes of the game, getting out to their largest lead of the game of nine at 16-7 to force Penn into its first timeout of the day.
 
It proved resourceful for head coach Mike McLaughlin, as his team responded the rest of the frame with an 8-2 run while not allowing the Bears to score another field goal in almost six minutes. Sharpe capped off the quarter with a buzzer-beater three from the left wing to draw Penn within one of Maine, 18-17.

End 1Q | Maine 18, Penn 17

Quakers hit an 8-2 stretch after the timeout to close the gap to one, capping it off with this Sharpe buzzer beater!#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/3KGcbDf03x

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) December 30, 2023

 
Gayle gave the Quakers back the lead on the first bucket of the second quarter, her first points of the game, spurring the back-and-forth battle for the rest of the day. Like the quarter started, it ended with Gayle driving in for a layup to send the Quakers into the locker room trailing by just two, 30-28.
 
A high-scoring third quarter saw both teams put in 21 points, including 13 more by Gayle for the Quakers. For the frame, she went a perfect 5-for-5 with a three and 2-for-2 at the line, playing all 10 minutes.

End 3Q | Maine 51, Penn 49

Big scoring quarter for both teams, each dropping 21 pts. Gayle leading all scorers with 19pts, 13 in the third alone.#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/1Vy8i4BW05

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) December 30, 2023

 
Penn responded with 23 more points in the final quarter, eight of which sealed the game at the free throw line down the stretch. With 2:44 left, the Quakers swayed the scoreboard for the final time when Obi drilled a three to give Penn a 64-63 advantage. However, it didn't go without work to hold onto it.
 
Obi shortly after a pair of free throws by Caldwell, pushed the Quakers ahead by three to force the game into fouls and free throws after a clutch turnaround jumper on the baseline with 22 seconds left in regulation.

4Q :22.5 | Penn 68, Maine 65

JORDAN OBI! She can do it all... just sayin'#FightOnPenn pic.twitter.com/VDdhQ2L52x

— Penn WBB (@PennWBB) December 30, 2023

 
In the final 15 seconds, Gayle put the final touch on the game, going 4-for-6 at the line.
 
Up Next
The Quakers are back in action on Sunday to wrap up the 2023 portion of the schedule, hosting Gwynedd Mercy at The Palestra. Tip is set for 1 p.m.