PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania women's basketball (2-2) team has returned to the mainland sunsoaked and with another win under its belt after competing in the Junkanoo Jam over the Thanksgiving holiday and the Quakers will now turn their attention to a familiar foe, kicking off the Big 5 portion of their schedule at La Salle (3-3) on Wednesday, Nov. 29. Penn has won four of the last five meetings against the Explorers, but dropped an overtime heartbreaker at The Palestra last season.

In the Series vs. La Salle: 45th Meeting
The Quakers and Explorers square off for the 45th time on Wednesday as part of their annual Big 5 rivalry. La Salle leads the all-time series 34-10, but the Red and Blue have had the advantage of late, winning four of the last five and five of the last seven. Coach McLaughlin owns more wins against La Salle than any other Big 5 opponent. 

Against the Atlantic 10 Conference
Coach McLaughlin owns an overall record of 9-11 against teams currently in the Atlantic 10 Conference. McLaughlin has faced off against the A-10 more than any other league excluding the Ivy League, largly due to playing affiliated members La Salle and St. Joseph's each year as part of Big 5 play.

Catching the Game
Wednesday's game can be seen live on the Atlantic-10 Network. 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: W, 65-60 vs. Missouri State (Nov. 24, 2017)
   -   An incredible second half comeback capped an evening of high drama as Penn topped Missouri State 65-60 in Bimini, Bahamas. The Quakers rallied from an 18-point deficit to start the third quarter and finished the game on an 8-0 run to claim third place in the Junkanoo Jam over the Thanksgiving holiday. The 18-point rally marked the largest halftime deficit overcome by the Red and Blue in the McLaughlin era at Penn.
   -   Senior Lauren Whitlatch tied a career-high with six three-pointers in the contest and a team-high 18 points for the game. The contest marked the third time Whitlatch has nailed six from downtown in her career as Penn hit 43% (10-of-23) from three point range on the evening.
   -   The contest against the Bears was a true display of the highs and lows of college basketball in one 40 minute stanza. The Quakers notched both their highest and lowest point totals in one quarter of play this season, scoring just eight points in the second quarter before exploding for 27 in the the third. 
   -   Joining Whitlatch in double figures was Anna Ross with 11 and Michelle Nwokedi and Princess Aghayere, both with 10. Aghayere also corralled 10 rebounds, marking the first double-double of her career.

Scouting the Explorers
La Salle enters Wednesday's contest with a .500 record of 3-3 but has won two straight after claiming the Christmas City Classic title with wins against New Hampshire and Lehigh.The Quakers and Explorers share a common opponent on the young season in Lafayette, with both teams owning wins over the Leopards. Amy Griffin leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging over 17 points and five rebounds a game.

Magic Number: 60 
The statistic that may most indicate a Penn win or loss? 60 points. Penn has won 68 of its last 69 regular season games when scoring at least 60 points. Since head coach Mike McLaughlin took over at Penn, the Quakers are 98-11 (.899) when they reach that number (70-3 over the last four seasons). In comparison, the Quakers are just 37-91 (.289) 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 26-47 (.356) when allowing 60 points or more. But when holding opponents under that number, the Quakers hold a healthy winning record of 107-29 (.787).

Non-Conference Success
Prior to Coach McLaughlin, the Quakers had won nine non-league games only once in program history, but have done so in four of the last five years. Last season, Penn continued its school record with its sixth straight season at .500 or better against non-league competition.

Kinum Coming Out Party
The island of Bimini treated freshman Katie Kinum especially well, as the rookie had a coming out party against Georgia Tech in the opening game of the Junkanoo Jam with season and career bests in virtually every statistical category, including points (17), rebounds (4) three pointers (3) and assists (3) while also playing 28 minutes.

Can't Get to 5-0? It's a No-Go.
The Quakers have won 51-straight games when holding their opponents to 49 points or less. The last time a team defeated the Quakers despite being held under 50 points was January 16, 2013, a 48-44 loss to Big 5 rival Villanova. 

McLaughlin and the Big 5
Under head coach Mike McLaughlin, the Quakers have won nine Big 5 games in the last seven years, including seven victories within the last four years. Prior to that, Penn won a total of seven Big 5 games between 1994-2009 (15 seasons). In all, in the 30 years prior to the Coach McLaughlin era, Penn won just 14 Big 5 games. That gives Coach McLaughlin over one-third of Penn's all-time Big 5 wins. He already owns the school record with nine career Big 5 victories.