In their second match of non-conference play, Penn women’s basketball (2-0) faced off against Delaware State (1-2) on Monday, looking to extend a strong start to the opening of its season. The team did just that with a 63-41 victory, powered by junior center Tina Njike's first career double-double. She finished the day with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
The game tipped off into a contested battle. Junior guard Ese Ogbevire got the Quakers on the board first, but the Hornets quickly responded. Delaware’s defense could not hold back the Quakers for long, though, as Penn went on a 6-0 run. Delaware continued to put up a fight, powered through pressure on defense, and at the break, the Quakers’ lead was kept to 16-11.
Ogbevire finished her day with eight points and two turnovers.
In the second quarter, the Quakers caught fire from beyond the arc. The period opened with two early triples from Njike and sophomore guard Ashna Tambe to advance Penn’s lead to 24-13 just three minutes into the frame. Tambe, logging ten minutes off the bench, finished with five points and two assists.
The Quakers continued this push, outscoring Delaware 20-6 in the second quarter. Delaware was left with an almost 20-point deficit to make up in the second half, trailing 36-17.
To start the second, the Hornets came out of the locker room looking like a different team. With five minutes left to play in the third, Delaware was on a 10-5 run, but still trailed. They continued this push, cutting the lead to 12 with four minutes left in the frame.
Meanwhile, this period saw much more action from the Quakers in the paint, and although they were outscored by one point, Penn ended the quarter with an 11-5 run that kept their lead at a comfortable 18 points to enter the fourth.
Unlike the last, the fourth quarter started slowly with just a few baskets on either side. The Quakers struggled offensively, logging five turnovers, but Delaware was unable to convert enough on the other end. With just six minutes to play, senior guard Saniah Caldwell ended the drought for the Quakers with a basket that extended their lead to 20 points. A final push by Penn extended this lead, and the game finished 63-41.
Alongside Njike, sophomore center Katie Collins put on a rebounding clinic for the Quakers’ frontcourt on Monday. Last year’s Ivy League Rookie of the Year logged 12 rebounds alongside 8 points.
The Quakers look to extend their winning streak against Drexel on Wednesday. The matchup will be Penn's first in Big 5 play.
