PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team closes out both non-conference and Philadelphia Big 5 play on Wednesday night, making the short trip to La Salle to take on the Explorers. La Salle entered the weekend with five-straight wins and was at the top of the Atlantic-10 standings, at 5-1, but the Explorers were soundly defeated by VCU on Sunday afternoon. 

• The Quakers and Explorers are meeting for the 70th time, with Penn holding a 39-30 lead in the series.

• Penn ended an eight-game losing streak in the series last year, knocking off La Salle 80-64 at The Palestra. It was the Quakers' largest win in the series since the 2003-04 season. Sam Jones had 18 points in last year's game, while Matt Howard scored 10.

• Penn's last win at the Gola came on January 18, 2007 when the Quakers edged the Explorers, 93-92. It remains the highest-scoring one-point game in program history.

This is the second of two-straight games Penn is playing against Atlantic 10 opposition, as the Quakers lost to Saint Joseph's last Saturday at The Palestra. Penn is now 92-107 all-time against A-10 teams, including a loss to George Mason earlier this season.

0 • Games lost by Penn when leading at the half under head coach Steve Donahue; the Quakers are 5-0 in such games this year, 11-0 in the two seasons.

6 • Players who have led Penn in scoring in a game so far this season: AJ Brodeur, Darnell Foreman, Matt Howard, Jackson Donahue, Caleb Wood, and Sam Jones.

12 • Double-figure scoring games for the freshman Brodeur through the Quakers' first 15 contests; he was held to six points by Miami (Fla.) and Princeton, and had eight Saturday vs. Saint Joseph's.

15 • Points scored Saturday by Ryan Betley in his first Big 5 game for Penn, against Saint Joseph's; he missed the Villanova and Temple games earlier this season due to injury.

39 • Points scored in the last two games by Howard (20 vs. Brown, 19 vs. Saint Joseph's); he also had 12 rebounds against the Hawks on Saturday.

43 • Free throws taken by Saint Joseph's on Saturday, an opponent high in the Donahue coaching era; they made 31. Penn was 9-15 at the line in the game.

78.8 • The percentage of points from a year ago that returned to Penn's lineup for 2016-17 (1,506 of 1,911 points).

• Saint Joseph's took 43 foul shots and made 31, both opponent highs in the year-plus Steve Donahue coaching era. The Quakers took just 15 free throws, making nine.

• For the first time this season, Penn took more three-point shots (32) than two-point shots (31).

• Senior Matt Howard recorded his second double-double of the season and the fourth of his career, with 19 points (two shy of his season high) and a career-high 12 rebounds. He also had three assists and two steals.

• Playing his first Big 5 game at Penn, freshman Ryan Betley scored 15 points which was a season/career high. He went 3-of-4 on three-pointers.