PRINCETON, N.J. – Playing out its final game of the regular season, the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team came within two points of Princeton's lead on two occasions, falling 72-55 Saturday afternoon at Jadwin Gymnasium.
 
The Quakers end the regular season with an overall record of 15-12, 7-7 in Ivy League play heading into next week's Ivy League Tournament in New York City. The Tigers finish out the slate 22-4, going 12-1 in conference play to clinch a share of the Ivy League regular-season title.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Penn's three-game win streak came to an end, the team's first defeat since Feb. 17 at Brown.
 
*Jordan Obi had a team-high 17 points with six rebounds and six assists in 33 minutes. Stina Almqvist added 16 points.
 
*The Quakers shot 38.8 percent (19-for-49) from the field and 36.4 percent (4-for-11) from beyond-the-arc. Penn was 13-of-14 from the free-throw line.
 
*Penn never led, but came within two points twice, once at the end of the first half and another with 8:38 to go in the third quarter where they came within a point of tying the game.
 
How It Happened
Princeton won the opening tip and got to work quickly, starting the game on a 5-0 run. The Quakers cut the deficit to one on two occasions, but the Tigers extended the advantage on a 6-0 run to lead 13-6 at the first timeout with 4:58 remaining.
 
Penn hit a pair of triples from Jordan Obi and Simone Sawyer to cut the lead to 18-12 in the final two minutes of the first quarter, but the Tigers scored four more points and held the Quakers scoreless over the final two minutes of action to take a 22-12 lead into the second quarter.
 
Not finding much of anything offensively to begin the second stanza, Penn called an early timeout two minutes in to reset. Obi broke the stalemate by converting one of two at the free throw line to bring the Quakers back within nine at 22-13. An 11-6 run capped by a layup from Ese Ogbevire had Penn closing in on Princeton's advantage, trailing by four, 28-24.
 
A couple defensive stops and conversions on the offensive end breathed life back into the Quakers as a Mataya Gayle steal and pull-up jumper cut the Princeton lead to just two points with 1:05 to go. The Tigers scored one more tine with eight second left to take a 32-28 cushion into the second half.
 
After Mataya Gayle sunk a triple with 8:38 on the clock to make it a one-point game, Princeton started its 8-2 run to lead 43-36 at the media timeout with 5:19 remaining in the third. The Tigers continued their extensive push, upping the run to 19-8 to take a 54-42 lead with 59 seconds left.
 
Sawyer converted on a pair of free throws, coupled with an Obi and-1 to bring the Quakers back within eight points, 55-47, at the end of the third quarter.
 
Mike McLaughlin used a quick timeout to begin the fourth frame after two speedy Princeton buckets upped its lead to 12 with 8:35 to play. From that point, nine straight Tiger points extended the run to 13-0 to begin the fourth quarter, leading by 21 with 4:13 remaining.
 
Penn cut it as close as 13 points with 3:07 to go on almost entirely shots from the charity stripe, but Princeton scored the final two baskets to come away with the 72-55 win.
 
Up Next
As the No. 4 seed, the Quakers will take on either Princeton or Columbia next Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. in the semifinals of Ivy Madness at Levien Gymnasium in New York City. The exact will opponent will be announced Sunday following the reveal of the latest NET rankings.
 
For the latest on Penn women's basketball, follow @PennWBB on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.