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Penn women hope to rebuild quickly with solid recruits

It all came together for fifth-year coach Mike McLaughlin and the Penn women last season. Behind senior stars Alyssa Baron, the second all-time scorer in Penn history (1,806 points) and Meghan McCullough. Penn beat Princeton, 80-64, for the Quakers' first Ivy League crown in a decade.

It all came together for fifth-year coach Mike McLaughlin and the Penn women last season.

Behind senior stars Alyssa Baron, the second all-time scorer in Penn history (1,806 points) and Meghan McCullough. Penn beat Princeton, 80-64, for the Quakers' first Ivy League crown in a decade.

Two weeks later, Penn seemed headed for more glory, holding a slim lead over Big Twelve power Texas early in the second half of the NCAA opener until the talented Longhorns rallied for a 79-61 victory that closed the Quakers out at a satisfying 22-7 for the season.

"No, I didn't think we got there a year early, no, I never had a long-range blueprint," McLaughlin said last week. "We just wanted to keep getting better and I was thrilled we won the conference with my first recruiting class still around," he said.

With Baron, the Ivy and Big Five player of the year, off to pro ball in Israel and McCullough now in the business world, McLaughlin's biggest problem is getting new leaders in the backcourt to run the offense.

But up front, Penn's in good shape with a contingent that includes 6-foot-3 freshman forward Michelle Nwokedi, from Missouri City, Texas. She's a three-time all-state high school star who could extend McLaughlin's recruiting streak of Big Five and Ivy rookies of the year to five.

"She's having her ups and downs, but she could be very good once she gets consistent at both ends of the court," McLaughlin said.

Penn also returns 5-9 junior guard Keiera Ray and frontcourt veterans Kara Bonenberger and Sydney Stipanovich, the shot-blocking sensation was last Ivy League defensive player of the year last season.

There's also depth with 5-9 senior guard Renee Busch, 6-1 forward Katy Allen, and 5-11 senior guard Kathleen Roche.

As for the rest of the newcomers. Lauren Whitlatch, a 5-11 guard from Indiana, joins Nwokedi as McDonald's High School all-American nominees last season. And 5-8 guard Beth Brzozowski has been part of three state champions in Ohio. Guard Anna Ross from Syracuse, N.Y., was second team all-state last season.

The Quakers opened the season with a 97-52 loss at Tennessee but bounced back with a 57-29 victory at the Palestra.