It’s not over till it’s over.
For Penn women’s basketball, that means one last road trip to take on Detroit in the semifinals of the Women’s Basketball Invitational on Wednesday night.
The Quakers (18-12), who became the first Ivy team to win two postseason games in the same season since 1978, have been riding a high since Saturday’s buzzer-beater victory over Fairfield in the quarterfinals.
“They’re a focused group, so I say we keep the high going,” coach Mike McLaughlin said. “I don’t want to bring them down with what we’re doing.”
The 49-48 win over the Stags marked a high point for the program that only three years ago won just two games over the entire season.
The Quakers, who finished the year in sole possession of third place in the Ivy League standings, have shown tremendous amount of resolve.
It’s also unchartered territory for the team, who will play its 31st game this season. That fatigue and drain will be another challenge as they seek to advance in the WBI.
“This is the longest I’ve ever personally went, and I’ve had successful some successful teams at my other school where we went deep in the NCAA Tournament,” McLaughlin said. “I think it’s important to keep it short.”
“Practices have been a bunch lighter, I know the coaches are very conscious of our [fatiguing] bodies and the fact that we have a ton of school work,” senior guard Brianna Bradford added.
That doesn’t mean the Red and Blue are content. After struggling to score for much of the second half Saturday, the Quakers know they will need to keep up with the Titans (19-13), who posted 79 points in a win against the College of Charleston.
“Sometimes we have our ups and downs, but we need to make sure we stay focused,” sophomore forward Kara Bonenberger said. “There are times when you can’t make a shot, and you just have to stay positive.”
Now the team will face Detroit, who finished fourth in the Horizon League and is the first seed in the WBI.
The Titans are led by Shareta Brown, whose 20.4 points per game are 15th best in the NCAA. Her low post presence will be tough for the Quakers to match up with.
“Shareta is a huge presence inside and does a great job on the board, she’s a big part of what we do and comes ready to play,” Detroit coach Autumn Rademacher said.
Nevertheless, the Quakers are looking forward to the chance to keep their season going for one more day.
“Everyone is super excited because we get one more away trip,” Bradford said. “It would have been nice to stay home and not have to travel, but at the same time we get to hang out together all day.”
But it’s not over just yet.
SEE ALSO
Last-second three-pointer catapults Penn women’s basketball past Fairfield
