Next Game:
Maine
12/4/2025 | 6:00 PM
ESPN+
Dec. 04 (Thu) / 6:00 PM
Maine
AUSTIN, TEXAS – The University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball team fell to No. 4 Texas, 81-63 on Sunday, Nov. 30.
The Quakers fell to 5-3 on the season and Texas improved to 8-0.
Quaker Notemeal
*Mataya Gayle scored a season-high 24 points for Penn, four points shy of her career high.
*Katie Collins (12) and Simone Sawyer (10) also scored in double figures for the Quakers.
*The Quakers shot 21 of 22 from the foul line, 95 percent.
*Texas outrebounded Penn 44-25.
*There were six lead changes in the game.
*Madison Booker led Texas with a double-double, 17 points and 10 rebounds.
*Texas scored 36 points in the paint.
*Penn fell to 0-2 against Texas all-time.
How It Happened
The Longhorns began the game with an aggressive pursuit to crash the offensive rebounds, recording three in the first two minutes and totaled 10 in the first quarter. However, luckily for the Quakers, it took Texas a while to find an offensive groove as they struggled from the field early on. The Quakers also struggled offensively as turnovers became an issue as they recorded seven in the opening quarter.
The first couple minutes of the game saw both teams trading baskets and taking multiple leads, but the Quakers began to find their flow first. A Mataya Gayle backdoor layup and-one gave the Quakers an early 12-6 lead as Texas began to get frustrated.
Texas Head coach Vic Schaefer was called for a technical foul at the end of the first quarter as Katie Collins went to the line and knocked down both free throws for the Quakers.
Gayle, Collins and Tina Njike each scored five points for Penn in the first quarter as the Quakers led 15-11 at the end of the first quarter.
Texas’ gameplan in the second quarter was to pound the ball inside and use their size to their advantage. Justice Carlton scored three straight baskets, all in the paint, in the beginning minutes of the second quarter for the Longhorns. Kyla Oldacre scored her first eight points in the second quarter, as Texas began bullying Penn inside.
The Texas offense began to explode as they went on a 12-0 run and Penn took its first timeout of the game.
After the timeout, Njike picked up her third foul on a charge and sat for the rest of the period.
Turnovers continued to be an issue for Penn as they gave up six in the second quarter, 13 total at half. The Longhorns took advantage of Penn’s mistakes, scoring 19 points off turnovers in the first half. The Longhorns scored 22 of their 30 second quarter points from inside the paint as Penn’s offense had trouble finding a rhythm, making only four field goals and totaling 12 points in the second period.
Gayle was the only Quaker in double digits in the first half with 10 as Penn trailed 41-27 at halftime.
Collins opened up the second half with a corner three as Penn looked to cut into the Texas lead. Simone Sawyer cut the lead to single digits with a backdoor layup off an assist from Saniah Caldwell. The Quakers shot much more efficiently in the third quarter, thriving in transition on the fast break.
But the dominant second quarter for Texas allowed them to hold onto a 59-45 heading into the fourth quarter.
Caldwell and Gayle hit back-to-back three pointers for Penn to begin the final quarter, but Texas seemed to always have an answer. The Longhorns went on another 8-0 run midway through the fourth quarter as Penn called a timeout down 22.
The Quakers were held without a field goal for almost six minutes at the end of the game as Texas won its 30th straight game at home, 81-63.
Despite the loss, Mataya Gayle had a season-high 24 points for the Quakers on 9-15 shooting to go along with three assists and two steals.
Up Next
Penn will travel back home to Philadelphia and take on Maine on Thursday, Dec. 4th at The Palestra at 6 p.m.
For the latest on Penn Women’s basketball, follow @PennWBB on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.
#FightOnPenn