Unstoppable Force: Women’s Basketball Dominates Cornell in 57-51 Triumph

ITHACA, N.Y. – The women’s basketball team from the University of Pennsylvania maintained the lead throughout and managed to hold off a late surge from Cornell, securing a 57-51 win Saturday afternoon at Newman Arena.
 
Stina Almqvist and Katie Collins both achieved double-doubles, while Mataya Gayle contributed 17 points as the Quakers claimed their first Ivy League triumph of the 2024-25 season and improved to 10-6 overall. Conversely, the Big Red dropped to 0-3 to start conference play and now possesses an overall record of 4-12.
 
Quaker Noteworthy Points
*Penn secured its 15th consecutive victory over Cornell in the historical matchup, matching the 1974-1986 period for the longest winning streak against this rival.
 
*Two Quakers—Stina Almqvist and Katie Collins—achieved double-doubles in the same contest for the second time this year. Almqvist recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds over 40 minutes, whereas Collins posted 10 points and 10 rebounds in addition to three assists, two blocks, and a steal.
 
*Mataya Gayle displayed an exceptional second half, scoring nine of her team-leading 17 points while also recording three steals.
 
*Simone Sawyer excelled in distributing the basketball with a team-best four assists.
 
*Penn achieved a shooting percentage of 38.0 percent (19-for-50) overall and restricted Cornell to merely 33.9 percent (20-for-59) shooting.
 
*The Quakers finished the game with nine three-pointers, the highest total since hitting 11 treys in a victory against Cal Baptist on Nov. 30, 2024.
 
*Penn led Cornell in second-chance scoring, 10-5.  
 
Game Summary
Penn claimed victory at the opening tip-off and quickly netted the initial points of the contest through Mataya Gayle.
 
Saniah Caldwell sank a couple of early three-point attempts, allowing the Quakers to surge ahead with a 13-5 run following the first timeout called at the 5:12 point in the game.
 
Following that timeout, Cornell seemed to regroup, scoring five consecutive points to cut the deficit to 13-10 by the conclusion of the first quarter.
 
Stina Almqvist created some distance for the Quakers to start the second quarter, taking the initiative for a three-pointer from the top of the key and then executing a layup to enhance the Penn advantage to 18-13.

The Quakers held a 20-16 advantage over the Big Red at the under-5 media timeout.
 
Free throws played a crucial role for Penn in the latter moments of the second quarter, as they netted four points from the stripe, while Gayle converted her second triple of the contest, providing the Quakers with a 29-21 lead at halftime.
 
Penn initiated the third quarter with a flurry of three-pointers from both Gayle and Almqvist, prompting the Big Red to call an early timeout while trailing 36-23.
 
With 5:12 remaining in the third period, a layup by Clarke Jackson brought Cornell back within eight, leading Mike McLaughlin to call for a timeout as Penn sought its first basket in over two minutes.
 
Sarah Miller eventually hit her first three-pointer of the day, pushing the Penn lead to 11 points, but the Big Red capped the third quarter with a 10-5 run, bringing the score to 43-37 heading into the final quarter.

 
After Gayle scored twice within a half-minute to provide the Red and Blue with a 10-point lead midway through the final period, the Big Red began to whittle down the deficit, scoring eight consecutive points after the U5 media timeout, reducing the Penn lead to two points at 53-51.

The Quakers successfully converted four free throws in the closing minute to secure a 57-51 triumph.

Next Steps
It’s a quick turnaround for the Quakers as they return to Philadelphia to take on Harvard at The Palestra. The game is set to tip off at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast regionally on NBC Sports Philadelphia+, with a live stream available on ESPN+.
 
For the latest updates on Penn women’s basketball, follow @PennWBB on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, or visit us online at PennAthletics.com. 

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