Penn Defeats Merrimack 64 – 52, the 6th Consecutive Opening Game Victory
PHILADELPHIA, PA. 11/8/2024 –
In a tussle the University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball team got better as the game progressed and defeated the Merrimack College Warriors 64 – 52. The largest lead for the Quakers turned out to be the margin of victory.
“It was a good team win at the end of the day,” said Penn Coach Mike McLaughlin. “I didn’t think we played as well offensively as we are going to need going forward. We didn’t have a whole lot of flow, ball reversal and continuity, but we found a way. We grinded it out. It’s a really good win to get started.”
Penn Became More Cohesive as the Game Progressed
The start was choppy. At the end of the first half the Red and Blue turned the ball over 13 times while having 11 baskets. Not a good ratio. The Quakers did get better with 12 second half field goals to 7 miscues. The defense was there forcing Merrimack into 21 turnovers.
“We knew it was going to be a scrappier game, so we just like, let’s focus on ourselves,” said Penn guard Mataya Gayle who scored a team-high 17 points. “You can’t force the shots to fall. All we could try to do was get our ball movement flowing and lock down on defense.”
Penn did and finished with 41.8% shooting while Merrimack made 34.4% of their shots.
According to McLaughlin, it is a matter of better execution on the offensive end.
“I think we have to learn to make another pass,” McLaughlin said. “The ball got stuck. We did a lot of dribble from far away. We had a couple of good shots that could have been great shots if we made one more pass.”
Contribution of Penn Freshman Katie Collins
The first year forward made her mark in her first college game. Collins played nearly the entire game scoring 9 points and taking down 10 rebounds. She also blocked 6 shots, 5 in the first half to alter the Warriors offense.
“I was definitely excited,” said Collins about her collegiate debut. “I had some nerved before the game, but I feel like my teammates really helped me, calmed me down, and everyone just came together.”
Collins joins such Penn luminaries such as Eleah Parker and Sydney Stipanovich in recording 6 blocks in a single game. Her last block of the game was with 19.2 seconds before the final horn.
Key Run of the Game
The Quakers led the entire second half, but the Warriors still stayed within striking distance. The Red and Blue held a six-point advantage at 56 – 50 with 3:14 remaining on a three-point jumper by Merrimack guard Thalia Shepard. Penn responded with a layup that spun around the rim and fell through by Stina Almqvist. On the next possession Gayle stole the ball and scored to increased the lead to 10 points at the 2:26 mark. That ended the suspense.
What the Numbers Say
Almqvist added 15 points and 8 rebounds for the Red and Blue. Simone Sawyer tied her collegiate-best dishing out a team-high 4 assists.
Penn forced 21 turnovers by Merrimack, 12 were by steals. Gayle tied her career-high in steals getting four. Saniah Caldwell tied her most steals getting 2, while freshman Ashna Tambe swiped a pair. Overall 7 Quakers recorded a steal
“I think defense definitely turns into offense,” Collins said. “It’s important to play well defensively. We were struggling a little bit on offense to start, but I think our defense helped us get back into it on offense.”
Shepard scored a team-high 19 points for Merrimack and rebounded the basketball 10 times. Guard Mia Fiore contributed 10 points. Forward Madison Roman recorded a pair of eights in points and rebounds.
Up Next
A quick turnaround for Penn as they travel to Orono to play Maine.
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: glenn@phillycollegesports.com
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