Penn women’s basketball ends 2025 with some nice hardware.
After a back-and-forth bout against the Binghamton Bearcats in the title match, the Quakers (10-3) eventually emerged victorious, taking home the inaugural FDU Christmas Classic Championship.
To open the tournament, four Quakers — sophomore forward Katie Collins, senior guards Saniah Caldwell and Simone Sawyer, and junior center Tina Njike — made their mark at the Bogota Bank Savings Center, each recording over 10 points in the preliminary matchup against the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
While the game started with the Quakers’ offense looking cold, they were able to put up points on the board, igniting an uncontested 23-point run in the first quarter. The Quakers kept up their lead for the remainder of the game to win and advance to the championship game against Binghamton.
“It was one of the best quarters we’ve played,” coach Mike McLaughlin said in an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Against UMES, Caldwell recorded a career-high 17 points in her North Jersey homecoming while shooting 75% from the field. “I was telling everyone that I played a lot of AAU games there,” Caldwell said. “They used to have our high school county championships there, so it was really good and nostalgic to be back.”
Collins, the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year, had another impressive performance as well, leading the Quakers with 18 points and 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Collins also showed out on the defensive end with a season-high five blocks.
Her efforts did not just end there. The sophomore standout proved herself in Tuesday’s championship match against Binghamton, notching a career-high 21 points against the Bearcats, which earned her the inaugural tournament MVP award.
“I feel like my teammates really got me in good spots, got me the ball, especially against the zone, and I was just able to convert today, which was great,” Collins said. “I’m really glad we won.”
The Quakers’ performance against Binghamton in the championship is a preamble to the tough matches expected to come in Ivy League play.
From the opening tip, the game appeared very evenly matched even with the Bearcats’ constant roster rotations. By the time the first quarter ended, the Bearcats already had twelve players hit the paint, helping them maintain a high defensive intensity throughout the quarter.
The Quakers initially struggled with the Bearcats’ defensive full-press strategy, which manifested in their weak shooting capabilities. As the first quarter wound down, Penn shot 5-of-17 in the paint and 1-of-7 from deep, compared to Binghamton’s 4-of-9 and 2-of-4, respectively.
“It was definitely a little challenging at first, just knowing who we were guarding, but I think we did a really good job preparing and knowing the scout[ing] of all the players … even though they were subbing fast,” Collins said.
The defensive showdown quickly transitioned into a shootout in the second quarter as the teams traded twos and threes for an ever-shifting lead. The teams battled with press formations on the center stage, leading to a four-minute scoring drought.
Although Penn entered the second half with a two-point deficit, they quickly recovered with a third-quarter rally, outscoring Binghamton 19-5. Binghamton notably switched their strategy entering the second half to mirror the Quakers, utilizing their starters with minimal substitutions.
However, the strategy ultimately fell short as the Quakers put up an uncontested 15-point run, spearheaded by a seven-point performance from Gayle.
The final quarter led to more back and forth play as the Bearcats and Quakers traded possessions. A critical layup from sophomore forward Gabriella Kelley stopped the Bearcats’ six-point run as the gap between the teams reached single digits.
In the final stretch of the game, both teams traded timeouts, forced fouls, and turnovers. A three-pointer from Binghamton guard Bella Pucci cut the Quakers’ lead to one possession, but Caldwell’s late free throws helped widen the point gap to five points, eventually leading to a championship win for the Quakers.
“We didn’t finish yesterday until 6 o’clock, and then we had to turn around and get them up early to be prepared, and then also play a game at that pace again,” coach McLaughlin said. “Give our players credit for the resiliency to come back and play.”
All throughout the Classic, the Quakers demonstrated their strong transition defense and scoring abilities under pressure. Although the Quakers managed to stave off the Bearcats, they’ll face a tough match this coming Saturday against Ivy League preseason favorite and national No. 25 Princeton at the Palestra.
“I know non-conference games have really helped us prepare,” Caldwell said. “I know that we have a lot of confidence, a lot of energy, and a lot of excitement heading into Ivy play.”
