Oli Fichte
Senior guard Kayla Padilla puts up a shot against Yale during the away game at Payne Whitney Gymnasium in New Haven, Conn. Padilla not only met those expectations, but surpassed them, racking up 25 points and four assists to lead Penn to a 72-58 victory that secured the team's place in the Ivy League tournament.
As a team, the Quakers nailed 50% of their three-pointers, and also received key contributions from junior forward Jordan Obi — who notched her fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 14 rebounds — and freshman guard Simone Sawyer, who continued to ride the rhythm of her 15-point performance against Harvard by chipping in 12. “And [Padilla] willed us right from the beginning.” Credit: Anna Vazhaeparambil Coach Kelly Killion leads Penn women's basketball in its team huddle before it faced Yale on Feb. And following Friday's win, Penn will have the chance to do just that. Credit: Anna Vazhaeparambil Yale's bulldog mascot Handsome Dan attended the women's basketball game against Penn at Payne Whitney Gymnasium in New Haven, Conn.
“I’ve just been fortunate enough to be able to convert on a pretty efficient basis.” Credit: Anna Vazhaeparambil Junior forward Jordan Obi attempts a jump shot against Yale's Haley Sabol during the game at Payne Whitney Gymnasium in New Haven, Conn. As she enters the final stretch of her Penn career, Padilla says that an all-time record would be “nice,” but that her ultimate focus is on the team and its pursuit of a title.
“As my time here is winding down, I just want to have made an impact on different levels,” Padilla said. Penn will have less than 24 hours to travel and prepare for a contest against Brown in Providence, R.I. It is a lightning quick turnaround, one that both McLaughlin and Padilla stressed the grueling nature of. But the Ivy League tournament is played over the course of two days in Princeton, N.J., meaning that if Penn wants to realize its championship aspirations, its most important back-to-back is yet to come.
