PHILADELPHIA, PA. - With sophomore guard Michele Gage leading the team with 16 points, Columbia lost to Penn 64-49 in the Palestra.
The Quakers started out fast, gaining an early 8-0 lead with four points from both Monica Naltner and Jennifer Fleischer. The Lions finally got on the board with a three from junior guard Brooke Carey but Penn quickly took a 14-point lead (19-5), going on another eight point run.
Columbia knocked the lead back down to nine points (21-12) on a three by Gage with 10:28 left in the half. Penn took the lead back up to 11 points (25-14), but Gage single handedly cut the lead by six hitting a three and then getting fouled on her next shot, also from behind the arc. After making all three free throws, Gage and the rest of the Lion squad headed back down to court only to have the lead built back up to 11 with two threes in a row from Naltner.
Penn increased the lead to 35-21 with 2:35 left in the half and the Lions were able to cut the lead by two with two three-pointers from junior guard Megan Griffith before the buzzer.
At the half, Gage led the Lions with 10 points and Griffith had six points. For Penn, Fleischer had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Naltner had 12 points.
Columbia was out-rebounded 14 to 23 and shot 28.6 percent compared to the Quakers' 46.7 percent.
The Lions came out of the locker room and cut the lead to eight points (39-31) with two free throws from senior center Sarah Beato and a layup from Gage. That was a close as Columbia would get as the Quakers built the lead back up to a comfortable 13 points (46-33) with 14:33 left in the game. Penn held off the Lions for the rest of the game, not letting them get within less than nine points of the lead.
Gage finished the game with a team-high 16 points and had three steals, two rebounds and one block. Griffith finished with 13 points, nine assists and three rebounds. Junior forward Becky Hogue and Beato led the Lions with five rebounds a piece.
For Penn, Fleischer had a game-high 25 points and 21 rebounds. Naltner finished with 14 points and eight rebounds.
The Lions take on Princeton tomorrow, Saturday, February 18 at 7 p.m. in Princeton, N.J.
