PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — Mataya Gayle scored 22 points to lead Penn to a 68-52 victory over Yale in a women’s basketball game Saturday at The Palestra. The Quakers (15-9, 7-4 Ivy) never trailed, building a 22-13 lead after the first quarter and maintaining a double-digit advantage for the final three periods. The Bulldogs (6-18, 3-8) were led by Ciniya Moore’s 19 points. Penn capitalized on Yale’s mistakes, scoring 15 points off 14 Bulldogs turnovers while committing only seven. The Quakers also found success at the free-throw line, making 20 of 25 attempts. Yale shot just 6 for 12 on free throws. Brooke Suttle added 16 points for Penn. Kiley Capstraw had 12 rebounds and six assists for Yale.

PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — Mataya Gayle scored 22 points and Brooke Suttle added 16 as the Penn women’s basketball team used a dominant first quarter to set the tone for a 68-52 victory over Yale in an Ivy League contest Saturday at The Palestra. The Quakers, improving to 15-9 overall, seized control from the opening tip, outscoring the Bulldogs 22-13 in the first period and never relinquishing the lead. The win completed a regular-season sweep for Penn, which defeated Yale 64-37 in New Haven just under a month ago. Penn’s early surge was fueled by efficient offense and disruptive defense. The Quakers opened the game on a 13-3 run, capped by a Mataya Gayle 3-pointer at the 5:29 mark of the first quarter. Gayle, a guard from Woodstock, Georgia, was instrumental throughout, adding four assists. Yale struggled to find an offensive rhythm against Penn’s pressure, committing 14 turnovers which the Quakers converted into 15 points. While Yale (6-18) managed to keep the deficit manageable for stretches, shooting struggles and an inability to string together stops prevented a serious challenge. The Bulldogs shot just 37.5% from the field and a costly 50% from the free-throw line, making only 6 of 12 attempts. In contrast, Penn capitalized at the line, making 20 of 25 free throws. Ciniya Moore led Yale with a game-high 19 points. Luisa Vydrova contributed 11 points and eight rebounds, and Kiley Capstraw pulled down 12 rebounds to go with six assists. However, Yale’s offensive rating of 75.7 on 69 possessions underscored a afternoon of difficult shot creation and execution. Penn’s advantage was built on balance and defense. Alongside Gayle and Suttle, Simone Sawyer of Lincolnshire, Illinois, posted 12 points and eight rebounds, while Katie Collins of Manasquan, New Jersey, filled the stat sheet with eight points, seven rebounds, three assists and a block. The Quakers held Yale to an 18-of-47 performance on two-point field goals and recorded eight steals. The most important sequence of the game came late in the third quarter, just as Yale showed signs of mounting a comeback. After cutting Penn’s lead to 43-41 following a Ciniya Moore 3-pointer, the Bulldogs had momentum. Penn responded with a critical 7-0 run over the next 90 seconds. The spurt was anchored by a Katie Collins layup, a driving score from Simone Sawyer and a free throw from Collins, pushing the lead back to nine points. Yale would get no closer than seven points the rest of the way, as Penn methodically closed out the contest, ultimately leading by as many as 16. Penn’s defense was particularly stifling in the fourth quarter, limiting Yale to 11 points on 5-of-14 shooting while forcing five Bulldog turnovers. The Quakers also dominated the glass in the final period, securing key offensive rebounds to extend possessions and drain the clock. The victory solidifies Penn’s position in the upper tier of the Ivy League as the regular season enters its final weeks. The Quakers will look to carry the momentum into a road trip next weekend, facing Harvard and Dartmouth. Yale, still seeking consistency, returns home to host Columbia and Cornell in its next contests. An announced crowd of 733 at the historic Palestra watched the contest, which saw Penn’s efficiency rating of 93.3 significantly outpace Yale’s. The outcome aligned with statistical projections, which heavily favored the Quakers entering the matchup.

PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — The Penn women’s basketball team will look to solidify its position in the Ivy League standings when it hosts struggling Yale on Saturday at The Palestra. The Quakers (14-9) enter the contest after a split in their New York road trip, falling 69-56 at Columbia last Saturday following an overtime win at Cornell. Penn sits firmly in the conference’s upper tier and will be heavily favored against a Bulldogs squad it defeated decisively just four weeks ago, 64-37 in New Haven. Yale (6-17) arrives following its most complete performance of the season, an 82-54 rout of Dartmouth on Feb. 14. In that victory, Ciniya Moore scored a career-high 26 points, while Kiley Capstraw added 14 points and six assists. The Bulldogs will need similar secondary scoring to complement forward Mary Meng, their primary player to watch. Meng is coming off a double-double against Dartmouth with 10 points and 14 rebounds, and she leads Yale in rebounding and blocked shots. However, Yale’s season has been defined by inconsistency, particularly on offense. Since the calendar turned to 2026, the Bulldogs are 2-7 and have been held under 60 points in eight of those nine games, including the previous meeting with Penn. Containing Quakers’ standouts like Mataya Gayle, Katie Collins and Simone Sawyer will be a central challenge for a Yale defense that allows an average of 69.2 points per game. For Penn, the game represents a critical opportunity to rebound at home before closing the regular season with three consecutive road games. The Quakers’ defense, which ranks among the Ivy League’s best, will aim to replicate its January effort against Yale, where it forced 21 turnovers and held the Bulldogs to 23.6% shooting from the field. Tip-off is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The matchup will be the 99th all-time meeting between the programs, with Penn holding a commanding series lead. Following this game, Yale will host Columbia and Cornell next weekend. Penn will travel to face Harvard and Dartmouth in its final regular-season road swing.