Despite a close matchup in 2023, Penn women’s basketball fell to Villanova 80-64 on the road in the Quakers’ final game of Big 5 play. Coming off of another Big 5 loss to St. Joseph's, the Quakers will now play for fifth place in the Dec. 7 Big 5 Classic.
From the jump, Penn was off to a rough start. The Quakers lost tip-off and Villanova quickly gained a 7-0 lead. Rebounding was a clear advantage for the Wildcats early, allowing for several easy putbacks. Despite seven first quarter points from senior guard Stina Almqvist, the Red and Blue ended the first quarter down 22-12.
Into the second quarter, the Quakers’ failing help defense continued to leave the post open for Villanova forward Denae Carter, and the three open for guard Maddie Burke. Penn struggled with its own offense, with four points apiece from Almqvist and sophomore guard Mataya Gayle not enough to keep pace and resulting in a 44-22 halftime hole.
Despite the large deficit, the Quakers came out of halftime prepared to battle. Almqvist continued to dominate, dropping 11 points, and was joined by junior guard Saniah Caldwell, who contributed six. After a difficult and somewhat sloppy first half, the Quakers were able to pull it together in the third quarter, scoring 21 points to Villanova’s 22, ending the quarter at 66-43.
“Let’s see if we can win this quarter, let’s see if we can win the rebounding total,” coach Mike McLaughlin said of his team’s mindset heading into the final period. “Little things like that.”
With this mentality Penn outscored, outrebounded, and recorded more assists than the Wildcats in the fourth quarter. While the game’s outcome was more or less decided, the Quakers saw reserves gain valuable experience, including sophomore center Tina Njike, who added six points. In the end, the Quakers’ play improved in the second, but it was not enough to mount a comeback.
For the second straight game, the Quakers were led in scoring by Almqvist and Gayle, who accounted for 55% against Villanova and St. Joe’s. Despite that leading effort, Gayle has struggled with efficiency, shooting 4/16 from the field against the Wildcats.
“She’s taking a lot of challenged shots…” McLaughlin said. “I think we have to look at what we’re doing offensively to help her out a little bit. But it’s probably not sustainable right?”
The Red and Blue also fell to UC Irvine on Thursday night while utilizing many of the same plays and sets they used against Villanova. Now, with more time off before facing Immaculata on Nov. 26, McLaughlin is ready to adjust.
“We have to reevaluate,” McLaughlin said.
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