The University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball team is set to host the University of Maine at the Palestra on Thursday, December 4, at 6 p.m. The Quakers return home after a road trip to Texas, where they recorded a win against St. Thomas (Texas) and suffered a loss to fourth-ranked Texas.
Penn currently holds a 5-3 record and will face Maine for the fifth time overall, leading the series 3-1. Last season, Penn defeated Maine in Orono with key contributions from Mataya Gayle, Sarah Miller, Katie Collins, and Stina Almqvist. The largest margin in their previous matchups was in 2010 when Penn won by 21 points at home.
Maine enters the game with back-to-back victories over Saint Francis and Boston University. Adrianna Smith has been a leading scorer for the Black Bears, averaging just over 18 points and nine rebounds per game. Asta Blauenfeldt also contributes significantly on offense and maintains around a 40 percent success rate from three-point range. Defensively, Maine averages nearly nine steals per game.
During their recent Texas trip, Penn secured a decisive victory over St. Thomas before falling to Texas despite holding an early lead and matching their opponent in some quarters. In that matchup, Gayle led all scorers with 24 points while Collins contributed close to a double-double.
Penn will participate in the Toyota Women’s Big 5 Classic on Sunday at Villanova’s Finneran Pavilion. They are scheduled to play La Salle in the opening game of the event’s tripleheader. Tickets remain available through Villanova’s Athletic Ticket Office (https://villanova.evenue.net/events/BIG5).
This season, Penn has five captains: seniors Saniah Caldwell, Simone Sawyer, Georgia Heine; junior Mataya Gayle; and sophomore Katie Collins—a program record matched only twice before.
Statistically, Collins is among Ivy League leaders in rebounds per game while Sawyer leads Ivy League players in free-throw percentage so far this season. Gayle shares the conference lead for assists.
For updates on Penn women’s basketball, fans can follow @PennWBB on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or visit PennAthletics.com.
