Having lost all of its previous 28 games against crosstown rival Saint Joseph's, the Penn women's basketball team found itself up, 37-32, four minutes into the second half. The Quakers seemed poised for a breakthrough on their 29th try.
But then the roof caved in.
The Hawks finished the game on a 42-18 run and turned a close game into a 74-55 rout. Senior Irina Krasnoshiok came off the bench to score a game-high 24 points, as St. Joseph's (14-7, 2-1 Big 5) improved its all-time record against the Red and Blue to 29-0.
The Quakers (11-7, 1-3) can take solace in the fact that they didn't field their best squad last night. Sophomore center Jennifer Fleischer missed the game, recovering from her season-long bout with a stress fracture in her lower leg. The other Quakers were nearly spent following emotional victories over Harvard and Dartmouth.
"We came off of two tough games this weekend," junior guard Amanda Kammes said. "Then we were coming into another hard game in the Big 5. But our focus is still on the Ivy League. So there was a little bit of conflict of interest there."
Penn's focus on its Ivy League schedule was a big reason why Fleischer took the night off. After two grueling road games against top league competition, the team wanted to make sure its center would be ready to face Cornell and Columbia this weekend.
Penn coach Kelly Greenberg described Fleischer as "basically the same as she was last week.
"This is just not as important a game for us," Greenberg said. "We didn't want to risk her playing, so we're saving her for Ivy League play. Obviously we missed her on the boards tonight, but we made the right decision."
The Quakers knew that without Fleischer, they would be hard-pressed to match up with St. Joseph's centers Stephanie Graff and Krasnoshiok. While Penn was able to contain Graff, they had no answer for the Moldovan import.
The Red and Blue jumped out to an early 14-9 lead, often using guard Karen Habrukowich to double down on Graff. Junior Katie Kilker -- who started in place of Fleischer -- was a strong rebounding presence, recording eight points and nine rebounds despite missing most of the second half due to foul trouble.
One of the Quakers' strengths during their recent five-game winning streak going into last night was their ability to spread the scoring load. Against St. Joseph's, the first half was no different, as Penn seemingly got a three-pointer every time it needed one.
The Red and Blue netted five threes in the first half, led by senior Mikaelyn Austin, who had three of them and a field goal to finish with 11 points. Junior Cat Makarewich's three put the Quakers back on top, 27-26, and they would hold on to take a 31-30 lead into the intermission.
The second half started in much the same way, as Habrukowich hit from behind the arc to give Penn a 37-32 advantage. But then the entire face of the game changed.
Senior Jewel Clark, who led the Red and Blue with 16 points, drove the lane and appeared to get fouled by Graff. But referee Mike Shields called a charge on Clark. This set off Greenberg, who was called for a technical foul.
Maura McBryan hit both free throws for the Hawks, and soon after Kilker was called for her fourth foul. With Kilker on the bench and Fleischer in street clothes, the Quakers were essentially playing with both arms tied behind their backs while trying to stop Krasnoshiok.
The center took advantage, dominating the perimeter as well as the paint, knocking down three treys to go with 13 rebounds.
St. Joseph's' other long-range specialist, senior guard Amra Mehmedic, connected from long range to put the Hawks up, 45-44, a lead they would not relinquish.
St. Joseph's was on cruise control from that point, increasing its lead to as many as 21 points. After the game, Greenberg was philosophical about the Hawks' inside domination. But she was critical of her team's perimeter defense.
"We wanted to make sure that their two three-point shooters didn't get threes," Greenberg said. "Unfortunately [Krasnoshiok and Mehmedic] both made three wide-open threes each. We've gotta know personnel and make sure people aren't getting wide-open shot attempts."
Although the Quakers failed to beat St. Joseph's for the 29th straight time, they will return healthy and rested for two league games at the Palestra this weekend -- their last at home until spring break.
