Dale Approaches Triple-Double, Women’s Basketball Falls to Penn, 85-73

Friday, February 14

Providence, R.I.

6:00 PM

Brown University

7-13, 1-6Ivy

Penn

14-5, 4-2Ivy

Penn

Brown

Dale Approaches Triple-Double, Women’s Basketball Falls to Penn, 85-73

2/14/2020 8:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Junior guard McKenna Dale approached a triple-double with 21 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds, and senior guard Justine Gaziano scored 23 points and moved into fourth place on the Bears' career scoring list, but Brown University women's basketball fell to the University of Pennsylvania, 85-73, on Friday night at the Pizzitola Sports Center.

The Bears (7-13, 1-6 Ivy) pulled within one point at 63-62 with 9:17 remaining before the visiting Quakers (14-5, 4-2 Ivy) – winners of four of the last six Ivy League titles and ranked No. 23 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll – used an 11-0 run to move ahead 74-62 with 5:13 left and maintained a double-figure edge the rest of the way.

"We played very hard against a really good Penn team," Brown head coach Sarah Behn said. "We scored 73 points against a team that normally gives up 53 per game and made it a one-point game in the fourth quarter. Give credit to Penn for finding a way to pull it out down the stretch, and congrats to Coach McLaughlin on his 600^th career win."

Dale (Storrs, Conn.) nearly notched the first triple-double in program history with her 21 points, career-high 10 assists, and nine rebounds. She became the first Brown student-athlete to post 10 or more assists in a game since Tanara Golston on March 5, 2004.

Dale – who made 3-of-8 3-pointers and 8-of-8 free throws – scored in double figures for the 10^th time in her last 11 games and netted over 20 points for the second time in her last three outings. She notched her third double-double of the year.

Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) increased her career scoring total to 1,700 points behind her team-high 23 points, hitting 9-of-15 field goals and 3-of-5 3-pointers. She now ranks 15^th in Ivy League history and fourth in program history in career scoring, passing Martina Jerant '95 (1,680 points) – a recent selection to the 2020 Class of Legends of Ivy League Basketball.

Gaziano scored in double figures for the 15^th time this year and 83^rd time in her career while registering her sixth 20-point game of the season and 36^th such game of her career. She now has 605 career field goals made – the fifth player in program history with 600 field goals – alongside 300 free throws – the fifth player in team history to reach that plateau.

Freshman guard Sydney Rosant (Foster City, Ga.) netted 10 points on 4-of-8 field goals and 2-of-5 3-pointers for her second game in double figures this season.

Sophomore forward Ashley Ducharme (Milton, Mass.) added nine rebounds and four points, sophomore guard Maddie Mullin (Wellesley, Mass.) chipped in six points and four rebounds, and junior guard Dominique Leonidas (Stone Mountain, Ga.) tacked on six points, three assists, and three rebounds.

For Penn, Eleah Parker totaled game highs in points (26) and rebounds (17), while making 12-of-17 field goals. Kayla Padilla scored 18 points, Kennedy Suttle notched a double-double on 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Kendall Grasela contributed 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Bears scored 73 points against a Quaker defense that came into the game averaging 53.6 points per game allowed. For the game, Penn held advantages in points in the paint (40-14) and free throws (27-of-35 to 13-of-18).

Gaziano scored seven of the Bears' first nine points as Brown trailed 10-9 at the 4:46 mark of the first quarter. Five points from Rosant – including a 3-pointer – and a jumper from Ducharme helped Brown remain within 22-19 of the Quakers at the end of the first quarter.

The Bears netted the first nine points of the second quarter and took a 28-22 edge with 6:48 to go in the frame, capping a 13-0 run. After baskets from Gaziano and freshman guard Lexi Love (Oakland, Calif.), Dale scored the run's last five points with a 3-pointer and long jumper.

Jumpers from Rosant and Leonidas and a trey from Rosant kept Brown up 35-30 with 4:05 to play in the half before Penn closed the stanza on a 14-0 run, claiming a 44-35 lead at the break.

In the first half, the Bears held a lead as large as six points (28-22) while Penn's largest lead came with its nine-point lead at intermission (44-35). The Quakers held a 22-8 edge in points in the paint in the opening 20 minutes.

After Penn moved ahead 46-35, 3-pointers from Mullin and Gaziano and a layup from Dale catalyzed a 9-0 run that brought Brown within 46-44. Following a 6-0 Quaker run, the Bears sliced the deficit to 52-49 with five free throws. The Quakers then moved ahead 58-49 before a layup from Gaziano and 3-pointers from Mullin and Dale trimmed the margin to 63-57 heading to the fourth quarter.

A pair of free throws from Dale and a trey from Gaziano capped an 8-0 Brown run that brought the hosts with 63-62 with 9:17 to play. Penn countered with an 11-0 run, capturing a 74-62 advantage with 5:13 to play. The Bears could pull no closer than 10 points the rest of the way despite five points from Dale and four points from Gaziano.

As part Brown's "Think Pink" game in partnership with the Brown University Oncology Research Group, the Bears honored several breast cancer survivors prior to tip-off.

Next, Brown hosts No. 25 Princeton tomorrow – Saturday, Feb. 15 – at 5:00 p.m. (ESPN+/NESNplus).

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.