A bad start got worse as Penn women’s basketball fell to Dartmouth for the first time since 2015.
In the matchups against Dartmouth last season, Penn dominated, winning first by 14 points (53-39) and second by 38 points (79-41). Given the clear mismatch from last year, there was reason to head into this game with some confidence on the part of the Red and Blue. While last year’s play is important to take into account, the Quakers learned that teams can change a lot between seasons. Dartmouth came out strong on the glass, and the Quakers struggled to stop them — resulting in a 61-49 loss.
For most of the first half, the teams seemed fairly well matched, but the one area where Dartmouth dominated was rebounds, leading 24-13. This is an issue that has followed the Quakers (9-6, 0-2 Ivy) all season, leading to some tough losses — notably to Villanova and Columbia. With Penn unable to convert offensively while struggling on the glass, the first half proved more difficult than expected — ending off with Dartmouth (8-7, 2-0) leading 31-24.
This 11-rebound gap seemed to majorly contribute to the point deficit.
“You can’t survive. Losing plus-digits in rebounding, it’s not sustainable,” coach Mike McLaughlin said when asked about this issue.
Despite the team struggling to stave off the Big Green early on, senior guard Stina Almqvist shined. Bouncing back from a rough game against Columbia, Almqvist led the team with 15 points in the first half. Almqvist attacked repeatedly in the paint, acting as a lone bright spot scoring-wise.
The second half showed a change of pace for the Quakers, with the team playing to their strengths. With Almqvist being heavily guarded, freshman guard Sarah Miller made her only three-pointer of the night to move the Red and Blue within two points of the Big Green early in the third quarter. Beyond Miller's singular score from range, freshman guard Ashna Tambe added seven points to the pot in the fourth quarter. Despite this, the team could not keep up with Dartmouth in scoring. Dartmouth’s 6-foot-3 forward Clare Meyer held Penn back in the paint, and guard Victoria Page was unstoppable with 26 points across the game.
While Almqvist put up point after point, ending the game with a tally of 21, her scoring was not supplemented by her teammates. Star freshman forward Katie Collins, while strong defensively, only scored one point in the entire game.
“The more the game went on, the more it got into her. … I don’t think she had a very good game,” McLaughlin said in reference to Collins’ play.
For most of last season, the Quakers were aided by Almqvist’s scoring and some offensive potency from sophomore guard Mataya Gayle — but Gayle’s recent scoring troubles has brought her shot selection into question.
“[Gayle’s] taking a lot of hard, contested shots. And I think that’s the bottom line. I think she’s going to have to grow her game,” McLaughlin said.
As the game moved through the final quarter, the Quakers seemed to give away easy plays with sloppy passing leading to crucial turnovers. With frustration high, the team did not pull off a comeback or even majorly close the scoring gap. While morale on Penn’s side steadily decreased throughout the game, Dartmouth’s bench was cheering loud and proud as the game came to a close.
This unexpected win is Dartmouth’s first against Penn since 2015, leaving Dartmouth at 2-0 in the Ivy League and Penn at 0-2.
Heading into the rest of its season, the Quakers have some work to do. In reference to the team’s upcoming game at Cornell, McLaughlin said, “I think we just need a little bit of a reset here.”
Penn women’s basketball plays next at Cornell on Jan. 18 at 1 p.m., streaming on ESPN+.
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