Women’s Basketball Seniors Close Careers against Penn on Senior Night

Saturday, March 9

Providence, R.I.

6:00 PM

Brown University

9-21, 1-13Ivy

Penn

22-5, 12-2Ivy

Penn

Brown

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Women’s Basketball Seniors Close Careers against Penn on Senior Night

3/9/2019 8:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Senior guard Shayna Mehta scored 16 points and finished her career second in program history and 11^th in Ivy League history with 1,785 career points, but Brown University women's basketball fell to the University of Pennsylvania, 75-53, on Saturday night at the Pizzitola Sports Center.

In their final game of the season, the Bears (9-21, 1-13 Ivy) dropped the decision to the visiting Quakers (22-5, 12-2 Ivy) – who earned a share of the Ivy League title and captured their fourth Ivy championship in the last six years.

Celebrating Senior Night, the Bears' Class of 2019 – Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.), forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec), guard Taylor Will (Arlington Heights, Ill.), and forward Mary Butler (Bangor, Maine) – finished their careers with a combined 424 games played, 330 games started, 4,268 points, 1,552 field goals, 491 3-pointers, 673 free throws, 2,008 rebounds, 822 assists, 553 steals, 170 blocks, and 11,334 minutes played.

"Our seniors have meant a lot to this program over the last four years," Brown head coach Sarah Behn said. "They have left a significant mark on the basketball court, but even more importantly they are wonderful people, and I am proud to have been their coach."

Mehta posted 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in her final collegiate game and closed her career with 1,785 points passing Donna Yaffe '85 on the Brown and Ivy League career scoring lists. Mehta made 261 career 3-pointers – first all-time at Brown and tied for fourth in Ivy League history.

In the Brown record book, Mehta finished her career second in field goals (649), sixth in assists (303) – becoming the sixth player in program history with 300 or more career assists – fifth in career steals (255), and second in games played (111). She scored in double figures 92 times in her career.

Steeves totaled 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in the game. She capped her career with 1,203 points (14^th all-time at Brown), 815 career rebounds (fourth at Brown), and 214 career assists, becoming the first student-athlete in program history to record over 1,200 career points, 800 career boards, and 200 career assists. She finished her career as Brown's all-time games played leader (114) and became the seventh player in team history to make 100 career starts.

Will registered 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals, scoring in double figures for the 48^th time in her career despite missing more than half of her junior season with a season-ending knee injury. Butler played in her 108^th career game and competed for the fifth time this season after tearing her ACL at Yale on Jan. 26.

Junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) added nine points and five rebounds. She finished the year with 526 points – the second-most points in a single season in school history. She now has 1,388 career points, ranking sixth in program history.

For Penn, Eleah Parker scored a game-high 26 points, Phoebe Sterba netted 23 points and made 7-of-11 3-pointers, and Princess Aghayere tallied 16 points. The Quakers shot 52.5 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from 3-point distance.

In the opening six minutes, Mehta hit a 3-pointer, and Steeves, Gaziano, and Will each scored two points to keep Brown within 11-9 of the Quakers. Penn used an 8-0 run to pull ahead 19-9 with 2:09 left in the first quarter and remained ahead 21-11 at the end of one despite a step-back jumper from Steeves.

Freshman guard Maddie Mullin (Wellesley, Mass.) connected on a 3-pointer to start the second half, and a pull-up jumper from Mehta allowed the Bears to stay within 23-16 with 7:44 to go in the second quarter. The Quakers closed the half on a 12-4 run, taking a 35-20 lead at the break despite baskets from Gaziano and freshman forward Alana Kelley (Phoenix, Ariz.).

In the first half, Penn made 14-of-28 field goals (50.0 percent) and 5-of-8 3-pointers (62.5 percent), while limiting the Bears to 23.5-percent shooting from the field (8-of-34).

The Quakers scored the first six points of the second half to pull ahead 41-20, but 3-pointers from Gaziano and Mehta helped Brown remain within 53-34 with 3:04 to play in the third quarter. Layups from Steeves and junior center Haley Green (Salem, Va.) allowed Brown to stay within 60-38 heading to the fourth quarter.

In the final frame, Steeves scored five points, including a 3-pointer, and Mehta and Will each netted four points before the trio and Butler came off the court for a final curtain call with 41 seconds left.

Video of all Brown women's basketball home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

Tickets for all Brown women's basketball games can be purchased online, by calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or by walking up to the box office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.