Ivy back-to-backs can bring out the worst and best in teams, often in the same weekend.
Coming off an 80-37 drubbing against Princeton at the Pizzitola Sports Center in which it got outscored 33-2 in the third quarter, Brown rebounded 22 hours later with a 68-59 win over Penn.
The win for Brown (11-13, 4-8 Ivy) was its first against Penn (16-9, 8-4) in 11 years, an improbable result at halftime given the visitors’ 37-25 lead at that point.
But Penn faltered down the stretch of its road back-to-back, allowing 26 points in the third quarter to the Bears. Brown led the rest of the way after junior guard Kyla Jones broke a 51-51 tie in Brown’s favor with a lay-in 54 seconds into the fourth quarter. Brown held a lead of six points or greater in the final 3:40, a span during which the Red & Blue managed just four points while committing three turnovers.
Penn senor guard Kayla Padilla made history Saturday by surpassing to become the program leader in career three-pointers. breaking the record of 196 set by Karen Habrukowich.
But the night belonged to Brown. The Bears got a career-high 14 points from freshman forward Alyssa Moreland, who also hauled in eight rebounds. Freshman guard Grace Arnolie caught fire for Brown, hitting a career-high six three-pointers en route to a team-high 20 points.
Freshman forward Ana Anamekwe, sophomore guard Isabella Mauricio and sophomore center Gianna Aiello joined Arnolie, Moreland and Jones as the six Bears to notch eight or more points in an ensemble scoring effort.
The Bears have a promising young core and have taken clear strides this season. Saturday’s performance against Penn shows this program under third-year coach Monique LeBlanc is capable not only of big wins but big bounce-backs.