To round out non-conference play, the Quakers fell 73-67 to the Sun Devils (6-7) on Dec. 30 in Tempe, Ariz. before rebounding the next day with an 86-75 win at Benedictine University Mesa (3-6).
For one of the Red and Blue’s (9-4) players, these two Arizona games meant slightly more.
Freshman guard Sarah Miller played high school basketball at Xavier College Prep, which is just a quick drive from both Arizona State and Benedictine Mesa. In a season where Miller has received Ivy League Rookie of the Week and USBWA National Freshman of the Week honors, she continued to be a consistent contributor to the Red and Blue throughout the road trip, finishing with 22 points across both games.
“It’s definitely such a great experience, especially having the opportunity to meet my family again, see them again, and also have them come to the games,” Miller said.
The Phoenix native opened up the Quakers’ scoring against Arizona State — knocking down a three-pointer after less than 10 seconds of play against the Sun Devils. In the opening frame of play, the Red and Blue converted their first four possessions into points, with four different Quakers scoring. It took an 11-point effort from Arizona State center Nevaeh Parkinson to keep the Sun Devils in the game after the first quarter.
In the back-and-forth matchup, it wasn’t until midway through the second quarter that the Sun Devils earned their first lead of the matchup. But while the Sun Devils had to rely on low-percentage shots, the backdoor cut was open all day for the Quakers. Taking advantage of the open lane, Penn headed into the halftime break with a narrow 41-39 lead.
Coming out of the break, the Sun Devils turned to Parkinson, who finished the day with a game-high 22 points along with 13 rebounds for a double-double. Parkinson traded blows with a Quaker duo consisting of senior guard Stina Almqvist and freshman forward Katie Collins, who finished the game with 21 and 16 points, respectively. Collins also finished with 11 boards for her third double-double of the season.
The two-point lead that Penn nursed going into the fourth quarter was quickly wiped away as the Sun Devils went on a 7-1 run to give them a four-point lead. With just under four minutes to go and Penn down by just one, junior guard Simone Sawyer drew a foul as Arizona State attempted to inbound the ball. Sophomore guard Mataya Gayle was able to put away the pull-up jumper to briefly put Penn back on top. But it ultimately wasn’t enough as the Sun Devils once again reestablished a four-point lead with 30 seconds to play.
“I was really, really happy the way we competed against a very talented team that had big size and athleticism,” coach Mike McLaughlin said. “It really just came down to the last minute, and [even] that was back and forth. We led most of the way … and at the end, had a couple of shots that we’d like to make, but we didn’t.”
The turnaround was fast as the Quakers retook the court against Benedictine Mesa the next day. Despite Penn opening up play with a 5-0 run, the Redhawks were able to get back into the game quickly, taking the lead late in the first quarter. That was the wake-up call the Red and Blue needed, as they proceeded to go on a 12-0 tear to slam the door shut early on Benedictine. Throughout the 40-minute affair, Benedictine held a lead for just 30 seconds.
Down the stretch, Penn led by as much as 21, and despite a late push by the Redhawks, it was too little too late. Almqvist once again came up big for the Quakers, finishing the match with a game- and career-high 28 points along with 10 boards for a double-double. Gayle, Miller, and junior guard Saniah Caldwell also notched double-digit point totals, finishing with 18, 15, and 12, respectively.
“My teammates did a really, really good job of just … assisting me, which I’m super thankful for,” Almqvist said. “We’ve been playing very [well] together as a team and just getting the ball to whoever’s open, so I’m excited to start league play soon.”
For a second straight year, Penn women’s basketball will open up Ancient Eight play by facing off against Columbia. The two will tip off in the Palestra on Jan. 4 at 2 p.m.
“The Ivy League is hard. It’s a league where everyone can beat everyone on any given day,” Almqvist said. “The most important part is just coming in with the right effort and mentality to every single game.”
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