Palestra Pete

Paradise makes perfect for Penn in Hawaii

January 3, 2020 by Palestra Pete

You know the old joke: “I was watching a fight last night and a hockey game broke out.” The winter break version is:
“We went on a vacation to Hawaii and a basketball game broke out.”

Penn grinds out win over Drexel in defensive Battle of 33rd Street

December 21, 2019 by Palestra Pete

On a day when the ball seemed too slick to handle, the Penn women managed not to let a victory slip away, beating a persistent Drexel team 53-49 at the Palestra.

Credit some key threes by guards Kayla Padilla and Phoebe Sterba, a resurgence for center Eleah Parker, clutch steals by Kendall Grasela and sterling play on both ends by Tori Crawford.

Led by Kayla Padilla, Penn has been full of surprises

December 9, 2019 by Palestra Pete

The Penn women played Princeton dead even in the regular season last year and almost beat them in the Ivy League Tournament. They lost two starters to graduation, but this year wasn’t supposed to provide much in the way of surprises: relentless defense, a disciplined half-court offense, and dominant play by junior center Eleah Parker. Well, Penn has been full of surprises, most of them good.