NEWARK, NJ--Defending Ivy League Champions Penn defeated NJIT, 85-51, Wednesday evening in women's basketball non-conference action at NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.

Penn improves to 2-0 on the young season while the Highlanders still in search of its first win in 2019 moves to 0-4.

Freshman Quaker Kayla Padilla led all scorers with 25 points, shooting 9-for-15 from the field and 5-of-9 from three-point range.  Eleah Parker (19 points) and Emily Anderson (11 points) joined Padilla in double figures as Kendall Grasela dished out a game-high nine assists in the win.

NJIT was led by a pair of freshmen -- Maria Fux (13 points) and Kendle Dalrymple (11 points).  

The 13 points and five rebounds for Fux, who was a member of the Argentinian National Team, is a career-best while Dalrymple, who is playing in her second collegiate game, went 3-for-6 from behind the arc in 20 minutes of action off the bench.  Senior forward Danielle Tunstall grabbed 10 rebounds, a game-best.  

Visiting Penn held an 11-3 lead until the first media timeout of the quarter.  Five quick points from Penn's Padilla, pushed the Quaker lead to 13, 18-5, resulting in a Highlander timeout.

The Quakers opened up the second quarter on a 7-2 spurt but the Highlanders rallied back to make it a 14-point game with just over six minutes remaining in the half, after eight straight points from Fux, 29-15.  Penn increased its lead to as many as 22, 45-23, and went into the locker room with a 47-26 advantage.

Fux paced the Highlanders at the half with 11 points and five rebounds while Padilla led all scorers after the first 20 with 15 points.

After a pair of free throws made by NJIT's Maddie Martin to open the third stanza, Penn used a 12-2 run to extend its lead and close out the game with an 85-51 victory.

NJIT will return to Ivy League action on Saturday at 1pm when the Highlanders visit Cornell.  The game will be streamed lived on ESPN+.