NEW YORK CITY – After a comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team dropped its first Ivy League contest against Columbia on Saturday, 79-66. 
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Stina Almqvist led the Quakers with 17 points, with 11 coming in the second half. The junior also tallied seven boards and a pair of blocked shots.
 
*Mataya Gayle continued her hot streak as she put up 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists against the Lions. 
 
*Ese Ogbevire had a game off the bench, scoring 12 points on 57 percent shooting and hitting two threes. 
 
*Senior Jordan Obi led the team defensively with nine rebounds to pair up with seven points. 
 
How It Happened
Penn opened the game with six quick points from Gayle while Obi knocked down back-to-back threes to start Ivy League play. The Quakers took advantage of the early turnovers, but Columbia responded with an 8-0 run, including a pair of triples. 
 
Both teams went back and forth for most of the period, scoring bucket after bucket with neither team letting up. It wasn't until the last minute of the first that a margin in the score was created as the Lions hit a buzzer-beating three to put themselves up by six to lead 22-16. 
 
The Red and Blue started the second with multiple defensive stops, capitalizing on a couple with a layup by Ogbevire and Gayle's second three of the game. After Columbia missed five field goals in a row, the Lions flipped the switch, downing a few baskets to create a double-digit lead.
 
The Quakers continued to play patient basketball, trying to catch an offensive spark during the last few minutes of the first half, but the Lions held control, leading 41-27 at the half.
 
Although Penn opened the second half with a layup from Almqvist and a quick three from junior Lizzy Groetsch, the Lions kept their offensive flow to lead 59-43 at the end of the third.

The Red and Blue did not back down as the offensive picked up after a pair of threes from Ogbevire, which unleashed a bundle of buckets for Penn. With a couple of defensive stops from the full-court press, Simone Sawyer slashed the lead to single digits at 73-66 from an and-one layup. The Lions replied with three fastbreak layups to gain back the double-digit lead and then ran out the clock for the remainder of the fourth to take the game 79-66.

Up Next
The Quakers continue their two-game road trip as they head to Hanover on Saturday, Jan. 13, to face Dartmouth for the first time this season. Tip is set for 1:00 p.m.