This weekend, Penn women’s basketball dominated Dartmouth, but couldn’t stave off the Crimson.
The Quakers (16-10, 6-7 Ivy) entered their last away games of the season in need of back-to-back victories to secure an Ivy Madness berth. Unfortunately for the Quakers, a 60-46 loss to Harvard (16-10, 9-4 Ivy) on Friday knocked them out of contention.
With their season settled, the Quakers looked onto greener pastures — bouncing back with a 89-66 point victory against Dartmouth.
Let’s break down how the Quakers fared last weekend.
Tough beginnings
Friday night marked a slow start for the Quakers.
Six minutes into the game, Penn was down 13-0. Junior center Tina Njike stole a defensive rebound and battled her way into the paint to win Penn their first points. While Penn struggled in a 3-2 zone, Harvard dominated the quarter, draining back-to-back three-pointers and jumpers. With a foul shot from Penn’s sophomore guard Brooke Suttle and a three from sophomore forward Katie Collins, the first quarter ended with the Quakers down 17-6.
Penn continued to struggle to find their rhythm in the second quarter. Harvard guard Saniyah Glenn-Bello continued to heat up, hitting her third three of the game. The Quakers fought to penetrate the Crimson defense, but were forced to take heavily contested, unsuccessful shots. Nearing the end of the first half, Penn switched into a man-to-man defense, but the Quakers trailed by 15 points.
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But one Penn player was unwilling to go into the locker room without sending Harvard a message.
On Saturday, the Quakers started the game with a different offensive tone, with senior guard Simone Sawyer scoring five points in the first minute. Throughout the first quarter, Sawyer kept up her electric shooting, going three for three from the deep. The rest of the Quakers followed, with the team knocking down seven three-pointers in the first half alone, and some jumpers leading to a 31-13 lead to end the first quarter.
The Quakers also dominated the Big Green defensively, sticking to their 3-2 zone, which proved to be effective against Dartmouth. Impressive defensive rebounding, blocks, and steals prevented the defensive shortcomings the Quakers faced when battling Harvard on Friday night.
Dartmouth struggled to find its footing at the beginning of the game, but the Big Green converted more shots into points during the second quarter. However, a less aggressive defense prevented Dartmouth from closing the gap against the Quakers.
Njike dropped 15 points before the first half ended. Her unrelenting protection of the paint gave the Quakers the space they needed to extend their lead against Dartmouth, ending the first half with a 51-32 point lead.
Turning points
On Friday, Collins got Penn back in the game with a buzzer-beater from beyond the arc to end the first half.
Collins did not stop there. She started the second half by forcing a turnover from Harvard, which turned into two successful foul shots for Njike. The duo continued their game of hot potato, with Collins hitting a three-pointer assisted by Njike, followed by Njike hitting a three assisted by Collins. Third time’s the charm, so Sawyer knocked down Penn’s third back-to-back three.
Momentum and man-to-man defense worked in Penn’s favor, as the Quakers started the second half with a 19-8 lead, making it a one-point game. All players contributed, with junior guard Mataya Gayle dishing out assists and Sawyer snagging steals and rebounds, while Njike and Collins led scoring efforts.
Unfortunately, Penn’s run did not come without an answer. Crimson guard Alayna Rocco drilled a three of her own, disrupting the Quaker’s game. Harvard continued to thrive from the mid-range, ending the quarter with Penn down 50-39.
Saturday’s game against Dartmouth featured a similar scoring run, with both teams hustling to expand or close the scoring gap. After a slower start to the third quarter, Sawyer began to heat up the floor again with a tough layup. However, Dartmouth guard Zeynep Ozel had an immediate response, stealing away the ball from Gayle and scoring her own lay in return.
Despite the Big Green’s best efforts, the third quarter still ended with a 23-point lead for the Quakers.
A loss and a lesson
A hard-fought battle for an Ivy Madness spot ended due to offensive struggles and a seven-point final quarter. Turnovers were the team’s Achilles heel, and Harvard capitalized on steals. Strong performances propelled Harvard to a 60-45 win over the Quakers. As coach Mike McLaughlin told ESPN+ gametime reporters during halftime, Penn needed to play better offense to turn this game around.
The Quakers seemingly took McLaughlin’s words to heart, ending Saturday’s game 81-66, their highest-scoring game against a D-1 opponent this season. Njike ended the game with a near double-double, putting up a career-high 19 points and eight rebounds.
Penn continued the game with a permanent home at the perimeter, scoring two more three-pointers to close out the game. Gayle continued to show up offensively for the Red and Blue throughout the game, contributing eight assists and 16 points.
Overall, the Quakers engineered a sweeping offensive victory against the Big Green, with four players — Gayle, Sawyer, Njike, and Collins — ending the night in the double digits.
Fresh off this weekend’s win, the Red and Blue will enter their last game of the season against Brown. They will be back home at the Palestra on March 7, to conclude the season.
