Hempstead, NY – The Hofstra women's basketball team kicked off its home schedule for the 2025-26 season with a 67-55 defeat to Penn from inside the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex on Saturday. Hofstra drops to 1-2 with the loss, and Penn improves to 3-1 on the year.
 
Ayen Angoi paced the Pride in scoring with a career-high 12 points, followed by 11 from Emma Von Essen, and 10 by Alarice Gooden. Angoi and Sana'a Garrett were the top rebounders on the team with five each, and Micaela Carter had a hand in four Hofstra baskets.
 
The Pride opened a five-point lead inside the first three minutes of the opening quarter before the Quakers cut it to a one-point deficit with one of their 10 threes on the day. A trey from Von Essen put the difference at four points, but a 9-2 run for the guests put Penn ahead by three with 1:56 on the clock. Gooden tied the score at 18-18 with a three of her own, but a two from Brooke Suttle with 55 seconds left in the quarter made it a 20-18 first quarter score.
 
A three from Von Essen at 7:47 brought the Pride to within one after Katie Collins opened the second quarter with a second-chance layup, and a Carter pullup jumper set it back at a one-point difference at the 7:01 mark. Penn pulled ahead with eight unanswered points while keeping the Pride off the scoreboard for over four minutes until Gooden ended the scoring drought with a three at 2:19 to make the score 32-26 in favor of the Quakers. Another five points from the visitors widened the gap to 11 points, but a three from Olivia VanPatten and a driving layup by Angoi ended the half with the Pride trailing Penn by six.
 
The Pride came within four of tying the score after a jumper from Karim at 8:56, but Penn rattled off seven unanswered points to widen the lead to 11. Hofstra and Penn traded threes on consecutive possessions, with Von Essen and VanPatten converting for the Pride and Ese Ogbevire scoring for the Quakers, to make it a six-point difference, but Penn ended the third quarter on a 7-2 run to lead by 11.
 
Penn's lead grew to as large as 15 in a low scoring fourth quarter as the visitors came away with their third win of the season at the final buzzer.
 
Penn's Simone Sawyer led all with 21 points and nine rebounds.
 
Hofstra returns to the Mack Sports Complex court on Saturday, November 22, at 2 p.m. against Bucknell. Visit HofstraTickets.com for ticket information.
 
NOTES:
-With three threes against Penn, Emma Von Essen passes Nicole Capurso (208, 2008-12) for third on the most three-pointers in a career in Hofstra women's basketball history with 211.
-Hofstra is now 0-3 all-time against Penn. This is the first meeting in women's basketball between Hofstra and Penn since March 19, 2015 in the first round of the 2015 WNIT.
-Penn outrebounded Hofstra, 32-28.