PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team capped off 2023 in the win column, taking an 89-34 decision over Gwynedd Mercy Sunday afternoon in The Palestra.
 
The win wrapped up non-conference play, as the Quakers roll into Ivy League play next weekend at Columbia with an 8-5 record.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Six Quakers scored in double figures, led by a pair of 14-point outings by senior captain Jordan Obi and freshman Mataya Gayle.
 
*Juniors Stina Almqvist and Iyana Rogers added 12 points each, while sophomore Simone Sawyer and freshman Abby Sharpe chipped in 10.
 
*As a team, the Quakers shot 48.6 percent from the floor.
 
*All active players for Penn saw at least eight minutes of time, seeing 12 of the 14 Quakers register points.
 
*Senior captain Michaela Stanfield led the team in rebounding, pulling in a career- and game-high eight boards, while Rogers added seven more.
 
*The Quakers held the Griffins to 21 percent shooting, while forcing 15 turnovers and converting them to 29 points.
 
*The bench contributed its largest point total in a game this season, knocking in 48 of the 89 points.
 
*Penn posted a season-high nine blocks in the contest, spread across six Quakers including two each for Marianna Papazoglou, Helena Lasic, and Rogers.
 
How It Happened
The Quakers scored early and often in the contest, jumping out to a 14-0 lead within the first four minutes of the game. Obi, who finished with a game-high 14 points for the day with Gayle, scored the first seven points for Penn on a pair of layups and a three-pointer.
 
Almqvist followed with back-to-back driving layups before Obi tacked on another three to push the 14-point advantage by the 6:15 mark of the first.
 
By the end of the first frame, Penn built up a 20-1 lead paced by Obi's 12 points. After just five minutes on the court, she went 5-for-5 from the floor including two from deep while adding four boards.
 
The offensive pressure continued into the second quarter, continuing to cruise to a 46-19 lead to take to the locker room. At that point, three starters already hit double figures (Obi 12, Gayle 10, Almqvist 10), and three more Quakers would hit double figures in the second half.
 
The second half saw Penn outscore Gwynedd, 43-15, with the Quaker bench scoring 34 of the points. Rogers led all second-half scorers with 10 on 5-for-6 shooting.
 
Up Next
The Quakers open Ivy action on January 6 in the Big Apple, clashing with Columbia, the host for 2024 Ivy Madness in March. Tip is set for 2 p.m.