PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — The Drexel Dragons used a dominant first half to remain undefeated, overpowering the Penn Quakers 72-55 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at a near-empty Daskalakis Athletic Center.

A sparse crowd of 808 watched as the Dragons built an insurmountable lead in the opening quarters, capitalizing on a catastrophic second-quarter scoring drought by the visiting Quakers. Drexel improved to 3-0 on the young season, while Penn fell to 2-1.

The game’s trajectory was set from the opening tip. After Penn’s Tina Njike scored the game’s first basket off an assist from Mataya Gayle, Drexel unleashed a blistering offensive display. The Dragons closed the first quarter on a 25-9 run, spearheaded by Amaris Baker. The Philadelphia native scored 11 of her game-high 18 points in the period, including a pair of three-pointers, to give Drexel a commanding 27-13 lead.

The second quarter was where the contest was effectively decided. Penn’s offense went ice-cold, managing just a single point in the entire period. The Quakers committed seven turnovers and shot 0-for-12 from the floor in the quarter, their only point coming from a Njike free throw. Drexel, meanwhile, continued to apply pressure, outscoring Penn 17-1 to take a 44-14 lead into halftime. The 30-point halftime deficit proved too deep a hole for the Quakers to escape.

Penn showed significant fight after the break, outscoring Drexel in both the third and fourth quarters. The Quakers’ offense finally found its rhythm in the third, putting up 18 points, and exploded for 23 in the fourth as Drexel began to substitute liberally with the game in hand.

Gayle led the Penn resurgence, finishing with 13 points and a game-high seven assists. Saniah Caldwell provided a spark off the bench, scoring all nine of her points in the second half, including three three-pointers. Njike just missed a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds, while Katie Collins hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds to go with five points.

Despite the late push, Drexel’s first-half performance was more than enough. Baker’s 18 points led a balanced Dragons attack. Molly Lavin, a 6-foot-2 forward from London, England, recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in just 21 minutes of action. Laine McGurk added 12 points, and Grace O’Neill of West Chester, Pennsylvania, directed the offense with six assists and eight points.

The Dragons’ ball movement and defensive intensity in the first half were the defining factors. They consistently generated open looks and forced Penn into 23 total turnovers, converting them into easy transition opportunities.

Penn will look to rebound quickly, traveling to face Hofstra on Saturday. Drexel, off to its strong start, returns to the Daskalakis Athletic Center to host Loyola Maryland on Sunday.