There’s no breaks for Penn women’s basketball.
Penn women’s basketball spent its Thanksgiving weekend in Texas, taking on two very different opponents in a two game swing through Houston and Austin. The team ultimately went 1-1 on the weekend, dominating Saint Thomas 78-44 and falling to Texas 81-63.
The weekend was a homecoming for Houston, Texas natives and siblings freshman guard Ruke Ogbevire and junior guard Ese Ogbevire as well as sophomore guard Ashna Tambe, who is a Plano, Texas native.
The trip opened with a confidence-building blowout over Division III Saint Thomas before the Quakers stepped onto one of the biggest stages in college basketball to challenge unbeaten No. 4 Texas. Across the two games, Penn displayed improvement in perimeter firepower and ability to rise to the moment against difficult competition.
In Friday’s matchup against St. Thomas, the Quakers wasted no time, catching fire from long range right off the whistle. They drilled four straight threes to open the game, gaining a double-digit lead before the hosts could gather themselves. By the end of the first quarter, five different Penn players had hit from beyond the arc as the team built a 13 point advantage.
The defensive pressure set the tone as well. St. Thomas committed eight turnovers in the opening period, three of which came off Penn steals, allowing the Red and Blue to dictate the pace and generate transition opportunities.
Sophomore forward Katie Collins headlined the night with one of the most efficient shooting performances of the season. Collins finished with 18 points, going 6-for-6 from three. Her final two triples came at the start of the fourth quarter, stretching the gap well beyond reach and punctuating her perfect evening.
Junior guard Mataya Gayle orchestrated Penn’s offense with poise, handing out six of the team’s 22 assists, while chipping in 14 points of her own. The Quakers’ 14 made threes going 42.4% from beyond the arc, a significant offensive improvement compared to 19% in their last game against Saint Joe’s.
The bench, too, contributed after halftime, accounting for 12 of Penn’s 19 third quarter points as the lead ballooned to 58-27 entering the final frame. From there, the Quakers cruised to a 34 point victory to open the trip on a high note.
Two days later came a far taller challenge, when the Quakers faced undefeated Texas in their home court which they have defended for 30 games straight. Despite facing, and ultimately falling to, a top-five opponent on its home court, Penn delivered one of its grittiest performances of the season.
The Longhorns opened the game with relentless energy on the glass, grabbing three offensive rebounds in the first two minutes and 10 by the end of the first quarter. Even so, Texas struggled to convert early, and Penn capitalized. A crafty and-one backdoor finish from Gayle helped the Quakers jump ahead 12-6, and the team closed the quarter up 15-11 after Collins calmly sank two free throws following a technical foul on Texas coach Vic Schaefer.
The second quarter, however, shifted the momentum.
Using their size and physicality, the Longhorns pounded the ball inside, erupting on a 12-0 run that forced a Penn timeout. Foul trouble compounded the challenge, when junior center Tina Njike picked up her third foul and was sidelined for the rest of the half. Texas scored 22 of its 30 points in the paint during the period, while Penn struggled to find rhythm and managed only 12 points.
Still, the Quakers refused to fold. Collins opened the second half with a corner three, and Penn continued chipping away. In one of the team’s best offensive stretches of the day, Simone Sawyer cut the deficit to single digits with a smooth backdoor finish off a Saniah Caldwell assist. Penn matched Texas shot-for-shot in the third quarter, finishing the frame tied 18-18.
Although Texas stretched the lead early in the fourth, threes from Caldwell and Gayle kept the margin down. A late 8-0 Longhorn run though, briefly pushed the gap above 20, but Penn continued fighting, narrowing it to 16 in the final minutes and finishing the night 79-63.
Despite the loss, the night was marked with many successes. The Quakers again shot and improved to 41.7% from three, and in the second half, the Quakers held their own, only being outscored 40-36.
Gayle capped her afternoon with a season-high 24 points — just four shy of her career best — while Collins and Sawyer joined her in double figures with 12 and 10 points.
The Texas trip showcased the fighting spirit and toolbox Penn has in store. With key contributions from veterans and underclassmen alike, the Quakers return home battle-tested and energized for the next stretch of the season, facing off against Maine on Thursday.
