The Quakers took down Yale once again.
The last matchup between these familiar Ivy League foes back in January resulted in a magnificent 64-37 victory for the Red and Blue. The second matchup of the season showed a very similar story.
Coming off a loss against Columbia, the 68-52 win over the Bulldogs (6-18, 2-9 Ivy) gave the Quakers (15-9, 5-6 Ivy) the bounce back they needed.
In the midst of the fast-paced game, an abundance of scoring, and gritty defensive efforts, one player shined: junior guard Mataya Gayle. A pregame celebration for Gayle’s 1000 career points, including a special congratulations from Penn President Larry Jameson himself, may have been the spark the Red and Blue needed. Or perhaps, it was the young basketball players cheering loudly for the Red and Blue that made the atmosphere in the Palestra even more special.
“I was excited about it, I think more so it was a bit bittersweet,” Gayle said. “I’m proud of myself with the work I put in, but [I] just want to keep winning.”
After the eventful celebration, sophomore forward Katie Collins started the game off right by putting up the first Quaker points with a deep three that broke a scoreless first minute of play for Penn. A back-and-forth battle pursued with both teams on the board. Four of the five Penn starters earned themselves a place in the score sheet five minutes into gameplay.
Yale guard Ciniya Moore was an effective threat on the court early on, hitting two floaters for the Bulldogs. However, Gayle had an answer of her own. In the first quarter, Gayle singlehandedly countered Moore’s scoring with a double-digit performance in one quarter led by three-pointers, fast-break points, and shifty finishes inside the paint.
Penn’s scoring was relentless for the first 10 minutes. Sophomore guard Brooke Suttle, coming off the bench, wreaked havoc on the Bulldog’s defense. Suttle was able to score 12 points, connecting on 2-3 field goals from beyond the arch.
“It just felt really good to be able to go out there knowing that they were confident in me and I was confident in myself,” Suttle said.
After an action-packed first half, the Bulldogs kept fighting with a toughness on both ends of the court, refusing to roll over despite a 13-point deficit.
Yale’s offense was kept alive by Moore who knocked down a clutch three-pointer in the third quarter to close in on Penn’s double digit lead. However, several lackadaisical mistakes including a 10-second violation and a 5-second inbounds violation reduced Yale’s chances for a comeback.
Another key player, senior guard Simone Sawyer, began to find momentum in the latter half of the game with three layups and a three pointer. In the third quarter alone, Sawyer scored seven points, contributing to the Quakers’ lead just shy of 15 points.
Despite a strong fight from Moore and Yale forward Luisa Vydrova, who finished with 19 points and 11 points respectively, the Quakers prevailed. Three Quakers reached double-digit performances, with Gayle finishing with 22 points alongside Suttle and Sawyer who saw 16 and 12 points respectively.
“This week was … on our turf, our timing, and I think it showed a lot today,” coach Mike McLaughlin said. “Now we just got to readjust, to find a way to knock off Harvard.”
Driven by the cheers of local youth fans, the Red and Blue put on a dazzling show, dominating the Bulldogs on both ends of the floor. The Quakers will continue their play at Harvard on Friday, Feb. 27, as they come close to the end of their Ivy League season.
