Strong player ratings for several starters in Penn women's basketball's win over Yale

Penn women’s basketball beat Yale tonight, 66-55, in their second conference matchup, making the Quakers 2-0 in the Ivy League. After a pretty back-and-forth first quarter, the Red and Blue took control and stifled the Bulldogs the rest of the way, keeping Penn unbeaten in conference play and therefore atop the league standings. Here’s a breakdown of each individual's performance.

Lauren Whitlatch, G – (6/10) 

Though she was subbed out early into the first quarter, the junior found her groove — in the form of a sweet corner three — in the second half and was a favorite kickout-pass target from center Sydney Stipanovich. Sharing her position with Anna Ross, the junior played only 16 minutes this game, and she spent her time shooting threes.

Kasey Chambers, G – (10/10)

What a game for Chambers. Even without mentioning the 3-point prowess she displayed this game (three-for-three from beyond the arc), Chambers ran the show tonight. She was communicative, mindful and observant while running the point, and facilitated an offense centered around ball movement and court vision. On defense, she was wired in. Splitting the top of the Penn 2-3 zone with both Anna Ross and Beth Brzozowski, Chambers was an absolute nuisance for the bulldogs this game. In one performance-indicative play, Chambers saw her team’s play break down, and the shot clock running out. As time expired, she drained one of her signature, high-arcing threes. In another, a pass from Anna Ross was tipped away by Yale while Penn was swinging the ball around the horn. Chambers hunted down the culprit, and stole the ball right back.

Anna Ross, G – (6/10)

The junior had a rocky start marked by an early turnover and a few missed jumpers. Ross wasn’t discouraged, however. Her shots began to fall at the end of the first quarter. Overall, Ross was inconsistent throughout the game, going three-for-nine from the field and leading the team in turnovers. But she found her stride at certain points throughout her 34 minutes of play, and when she did she reminded the crowd of how dangerous she can get.

Sydney Stipanovich, C – (8/10)

Stipanovich’s court vision was an asset for Penn this game: She was a distributer as well as a finisher. Though Yale’s unpredictable guards — capable of driving or pulling up at a moment’s notice — outpaced Stipanovich early on and poked leaks in Penn’s defense, she certainly sealed the game with her work in the paint later on, leading the team in both points and rebounds and drawing a round of applause from the crowd when she was eventually subbed out in the game’s final minutes.

Princess Aghayere, F – (7.5/10) 

Expectations were high for Princess after the Princeton game, and she certainly delivered. Coming off the bench at the end of the first quarter, Aghayere was quick to make her presence known as she wove nimbly through Yale defense with a finesse up-and-under. She spent her court time working hard whether she was on the ball or off it, setting screens or saving balls heading for out-of-bounds. Here’s a play indicative of her attitude: a missed jumper prompted her to grab her own rebound and bury the layup to ensure that she saw the play through.

Beth Brzozowski, G – (6/10)

Brzozowski worked hard on defense, and helped work with Chambers to balance out the solid Quakers' zone defense, but only had one point on the night and seemed to be lacking the confidence she displayed at Princeton.

Michelle Nwokedi, F – (7/10)

A reliable presence for the Quakers throughout the game: she locked down the paint on offense and the base of the defense for a full 29 minutes of the game.

Guard Ashley Russell, guard Deja Jackson, forward Jackie Falconer, guard Kendall Grasela and center Emily Anderson all worked hard for the final few minutes of the game, but not for long enough to garner individual ratings.

Bonus:

America’s Got Talent Halftime Dogs (10/10): A truly well-executed exhibition of canine ability.