After starting out slow in the road matchup, Penn women’s basketball (6-7, 1-0) finally found its rhythm to dominate Brown (5-8, 0-1) in a lopsided 66-37 win.
Penn arrived at Providence for its first Ivy League matchup of the season, having just broken its six-game losing streak in a 60-point rout of the Ursinus Bears. The Quakers' second win against a team of Bears in the span of a weekend also marks their 19th consecutive victory over Brown, who hasn't won against Penn since March 2, 2012.
Almost half of Penn's points were contributed by its bench, which was led by freshman Stina Almqvist, who put up a career-high 18 points in a dominating performance on Brown's home court. Junior Silke Milliman also proved an immense achievement from outside the starting lineup, finishing with 12 points on four shot attempts, all of which she made. She did so in just 10 minutes of game action, which also saw her net six rebounds and a steal.
Freshman Stina Almqvist dribbles during the game against Brown at the Pizzitola Sports Center on Jan. 2.
Yet Penn's dominance was difficult to foresee from the first quarter, as Brown immediately launched into offensive plays. Extending its lead to as much as 10, Brown netted a 44% shooting clip in the period, which well outpaced Penn’s 27%. The Bears hit three of their seven three-point attempts in the first quarter, a total which would dwarf their three-point accuracy later on in the game.
Brown’s quick start, which put the team up 19-11 after the first period, was the furthest it would manage against Penn, as the next three periods saw the Quakers outscore the Bears with an unyielding 55-18 margin.
Within five minutes of the second quarter, the Quakers snatched the lead with back-to-back Almqvist baskets, including a wide-open corner three. After continuing to dominate the second quarter, and only allowing Brown to score three points, Penn led 30-22.
In the third quarter, the Bears began to inch closer, reducing the Quaker lead to as little as three points. But after a driving and-one floater by junior Mandy McGurk, Penn was able to go on another run, finishing the period up by a comfortable 15-point margin. McGurk would top the Penn roster in time played, appearing on the court for a total of 36 minutes.
The fourth quarter elapsed similar to the second, as Penn dominated on both sides of the ball and quelled Brown to just a four-point output. The low-scoring endeavors by Brown throughout the game ended with its lowest-scoring performance across the history of the all-time series, which dates back to 1974.
Senior Kennedy Suttle proved her poise by concluding on a double-double, scoring 13 points in addition to 10 rebounds, of which seven were offensive boards.
Emerging sophomore Jordan Obi continued her impactful string of performances, making contributions in several different areas of the box score. She finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and even three blocks.
The Quakers will continue their three-game Ivy League road trip on Friday, Jan. 7 at Cornell, where they will face another team that won its first Ivy League matchup.
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