PHILADELPHIA - It's time to go home for the Quakers, at least for a brief appearance in front of their hometown fans at The Palestra. The University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team (0-1) will face off against regional foe Lafayette (0-2) in its home opener on Saturday at 5 p.m. for a final tune-up before the Thanksgiving holiday. With the unveiling of the 2017 Ivy League Championship banner on tap prior to tip, there is sure to be much fanfare as the Quakers seek their first win of the year.
 

In the Series vs. Lafayette: 41st Meeting

The Quakers and Leopards will battle on the hardcourt for the fourth-straight season, with Penn proving victorious in two of the last three matchups as well as four of the last five. Last season, Penn evened up the all-time series at 20-20 in Easton, Pa. behind a dominating 64-47 victory. The last time the squads met at The Palestra in 2015, the Quakers' vaulted themselves to a 54-37 win behind a suffocating defensive effort. 

Catching the Game

Fans can watch tonight's game on the Ivy League Network with live stats available via PennAthletics.com. In-game Twitter updates can be found @PennWBB. A complete recap, box score and highlights can be found on PennAthletics.com shortly after the conclusion of the game.
 

Last Time Out: L, 77-72 at Binghamton (Nov. 15, 2017)

   - The Quakers (0-1) opened their 2017-18 season on the road and despite an early lead, they fell to the hosting Binghamton Bearcats (2-1), 77-72, in Vestal, N.Y.  The contest marked the second loss for Penn in as many years between the two sides and the sixth-straight season opening defeat for the Red and Blue. The result hopes to be an outlier for the program, as the loss was the first in 68 regular season games that Penn has come up short while scoring over 60 points, and the first time that the Quakers have given up more than 68 points in over two years. 

   - Anna Ross was tremendous in front of her hometown crowd at Binghamton. The Syracuse, N.Y. native scored the first 10 points of the contest for the Quakers and finished the game with a team-high 21 points, while also dishing out five assists. Michelle Nwokedi notched her 33rd career double-double, tallying 16 points and collecting 10 rebounds. Three rookies made their first appearances in the Red and Blue as Eleah Parker, Tori Crawford and Katie Kinum all checked in for the first time. The Quakers shot out to a 17-3 lead, but were unable to hang on behind 27 points from Imani Watkins for the Bearcats.

Up Next

The Quakers are set to pack their bags and head south for the holidays, traveling to the The Bahamas for the 15th-annual Junkanoo Jam. Penn is slated to play in the 'Junkanoo Division', battling Georgia Tech on Thanksgiving Day at 5:15 p.m. The Red and Blue will then await either Missouri State or Baylor in their second contest.

Against the Patriot League

Coach Mike McLaughlin owns a 10-6 record against teams from the Patriot League and has won three straight against the conference. 

Watch Out for Nwokedi

As the defending Ivy League Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the Ivy League Tournament, it's no secret that Michelle Nwokedi enters this season on the radar not just among the Ancient Eight, but nationally as well. Earlier this month, Nwokedi was placed on the inaugural Katrina McClain Award watch list to recognize the top power forward in women's NCAA Division I basketball. Nwokedi is one of just 20 players around the country selected for this list by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

Nwokedi's offensive prowess has certainly been key for Penn's success over the years, as the native Texan has led the squad in scoring 35 times in her three seasons, but not to be overlooked is her ability on the defensive end. Nwokedi currently ranks second all-time in program history with 236 career blocks, behind recently graduated Sydney Stipanovich, while sitting third in the same category in the Ivy League. Last season, Nwokedi swatted 87 shots, ranking second-most for a single season in Penn laurels.

Power Six History

Penn has traditionally played a challenging non-conference schedule since Mike McLaughlin took the helm in 2009-10, and that trend continues this season. In fact, the Quakers have played four non-conference top-15 teams in the last six seasons (#3 Notre Dame in 2011-12, #5 Notre Dame in 2013-14, #4 Tennessee 2014-15, and #14 Duke in 2015-16). Among the non-league foes, Penn has scheduled its share of teams from the power six conferences. En route to the Ivy title in 2013-14, the Quakers earned their first-ever win over an ACC opponent with a dramatic 67-66 win at Miami (Fla). Other power conference opponents in McLaughlin's tenure include Northwestern, Iowa State, Virginia, and Duke as well as the annual Big 5 matchups with Villanova and Temple.   

This season, Penn is set to battle two ACC foes in the non-conference, including another highly touted matchup with top-five Notre Dame at The Palestra and the first game since 1983 against Georgia Tech, scheduled to take place in the Bahamas as part of the Junkanoo Jam. As part of the in-season tournament, the Quakers might also get a chance to play perennial power Baylor folowing their contest with the Yellow Jackets.

Magic Number: 60 

The statistic that may most indicate a Penn win or loss? 60 points. Penn has won 67 of its last 68 regular season games when scoring at least 60 points. Since head coach Mike McLaughlin took over at Penn, the Quakers are 97-11 (.898) when they reach that number (69-3 over the last four seasons). In comparison, the Quakers are just 36-90 (.285) when they've scored less than 60 points under Coach McLaughlin. The trend continues defensively. Over the last seven seasons, the Red and Blue are 25-46 (.352) when allowing more than 60 points. But when holding opponents under that number, the Quakers hold a healthy winning record of 106-29 (.785).