PHILADELPHIA - Sophomore Summah Hanson and junior Hunter Hernandez combined for 40 points to lead the UC Irvine women's basketball team to a thrilling 72-68 overtime win against Penn Thursday evening at The Palestra.
 
It was a tough battle from start to finish as the game saw 21 lead changes and 10 ties through 45 minutes of action. The Anteaters held the largest advantage of the game at six midway through the third quarter, but the Quakers came back with a 12-4 run to go on top by two. The 'Eaters tied it back up at the charity stripe, heading into the final 10 minutes of regulation at 52-all.
 
Neither team could pull away in the fourth as the seesaw battle continued. Penn held a late 63-62 edge before Hernandez made 1-of-2 free throws to bring the score even with 5.9 seconds on the clock. UCI then got a stop on the Quakers' final possession to force overtime.
 
Hanson stepped up for UC Irvine in the extra period, scoring the team's first six points for a 69-64 advantage with 1:36 remaining. Penn answered with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two, but Hernandez knocked down a jumper in the paint to put the game out of reach with 17 seconds on the clock.
 
"We started off slow and Penn really took it to us, but the fight back to the very end was huge and it wasn't just one person," said head coach Tamara Inoue. "Collectively, everyone did a really good job. Summah came up big in overtime, (Nevaeh) Dean did a really good job defending, Hunter got to the basket and Olivia (Williams) hit a big three for us as well. It's nice to see a collective group effort and not have to just rely on one player. That's what I'm proud of."
 
The Anteaters (5-1) finished the program's first road trip to Pennsylvania with a 2-0 record and extended their overall win streak to five.
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Sophomore Summah Hanson had UCI's first double-double of the season, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes played. Junior Hunter Hernandez also poured in 20 points for the Anteaters.
 
Senior Nevaeh Dean tied her career high with nine rebounds, while senior Nikki Tom pulled down a season-best eight boards.
 
Junior Olivia Williams knocked down a couple 3-pointers and finished with eight points. Senior Déja Lee added a team-leading four assists and three steals.
 
The 'Eaters shot 38% from the field and held the Quakers to 34%. They also won the battle in rebounding (46-45), points in the paint (36-22), second chance points (14-4) and bench points (32-15).
 
Katie Collins and Stina Almqvist led Penn with 18 and 17 points, respectively. The Quakers shot 36 threes with 12 makes.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: Penn (3-3) started the game with layups on its first two possessions, forcing UC Irvine to call an early timeout at the 9:01 mark. Hernandez then scored the Anteaters' first eight points to give them an 8-6 advantage. It continued to go back-and-forth with five more lead changes. The Quakers closed the first quarter on a 5-2 spurt for a 17-16 edge.
 
The seesaw battle continued in the second period with eight lead changes and two ties. Penn pulled ahead 22-18 before the 'Eaters scored five unanswered, including a triple from Shirel Nahum, to go up, 23-22, with 5:43 remaining. The two sides traded blows over the next few minutes until the Quakers outscored UCI, 6-2, down the stretch for a 35-32 cushion at the half.
 
UC Irvine came out of the break firing with back-to-back layups from Dean and a traditional three-point play by Hernandez giving the visitors a 39-35 lead at the 7:37 mark. Penn then got on the board one minute later with a free throw. After a Williams jumper, the Quakers connected on their first field goal of the quarter to make it 41-38 with 5:15 remaining. The Anteaters extended their margin to six before Penn reclaimed a 50-48 advantage after a 12-4 run that included three treys. It proceeded to go back-and-forth ending in a 52-52 tie.
 
Hanson started the fourth quarter with a three, but Penn responded with five-straight points to go up, 57-55. A couple free throws from Hernandez and a Williams' 3-pointer swung the lead back to UCI. The Quakers hit a couple big triples, one to tie it at 60-all and then one to take a 63-62 advantage with 1:44 left in regulation. The 'Eaters were able to pull even as Hernandez made the second of her two free throws with 5.9 seconds on the clock. After a Penn timeout, Lee came up with the steal to force overtime.
 
Hanson took over in the extra period, scoring six of UC Irvine's nine points. Hernandez also made a jumper to give the Anteaters a four-point cushion with 17 seconds remaining, while Lee hit 1-of-2 at the charity stripe to seal the 72-68 victory.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine is back on the road next week, traveling to the University of New Mexico on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and to the University of Denver on Saturday, Nov. 30.
 
NOTES
• UC Irvine is off to a 5-1 start for the second time in the last three seasons.
• This was the first meeting between UCI and Penn.
• Summah Hanson had her first 20-point game of the season and sixth of her career.
• This was Hunter Hernandez's second 20-point effort of the season and fifth of her career.
• The last time two Anteaters scored 20 points in a game was in an OT win at LBSU on March 2, 2024.
• Déja Lee has made a 3-pointer in 10 consecutive games (dating back to last season).
• Lee has 106 career threes, putting her two away from tying for 10th among UCI's all-time leaders.