PHILADELPHIA - Keep it rolling...

The University of Pennsylvania (4-4) women's basketball team has picked up steam of late, winning two-straight games while making history & new career-highs in the process. The Quakers will have two more chances to sharpen things up and potentially earn a trophy in the process, competing at the NJIT Christmas Tournament to round out the calendar year. First up is first-time opponent VCU on Thursday, Dec. 28 at 7 p.m., followed by a battle with either the host Highlanders or Long Beach State on Friday.

In the Series vs. VCU: First Meeting
Penn and VCU have never before faced off on the hardwood, but the Rams are the third-straight A-10 opponent for the Quakers and fourth overall this season.

In the Series vs. NJIT: Fifth Meeting
Should the Quakers battle NJIT, it would be the fifth meeting between the squads, with the series tied 2-2 all-time. The Quakers have won each of the past two meetings, most recently a 59-29 victory in Newark on Jan. 24, 2015. All four previous meetings have come in the McLaughlin era. 

In the Series vs. Long Beach State: First Meeting
Similar to VCU, the Quakers have never before battled the 49ers but own a 3-1 record against current members of the Big West, including a 3-0 mark under Coach McLaughlin. 
 
Catching the Games: Stretch Internet and ESPN3
Thursday's game vs. VCU can be seen on NJIT Stretch Internet. Would the Quakers play the Highlanders in their next contest, the battle can be seen live on ESPN3, but if Penn faces Long Beach State, the game will again be broadcast on Stretch Internet. 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 each game.

Against the Atlantic 10 Conference
Coach Mike McLaughlin owns an 11-12 overall record against the Atlantic 10 Conference. McLaughlin has faced off against the A-10 more than any other league exluding the Ivy League, largly due to playing affiliated members La Salle and Saint Joseph's each year as part of Big 5 play. The Quakers are in the midst of playing three-straight A-10 foes (Saint Joseph's, Rhode Island, VCU) and have won two-straight against the league.

Last Time Out: W, 84-66 vs. Rhode Island (Dec. 22, 2017)
   - Five players scored in double figures for the first time since March of 2016 as the Quakers dismantled the Rams 84-66 at home in their final game at The Palestra of 2017. Three players notched double-doubles in the same game for the first time since 1992, while Anna Ross tallied a career-high with 10 assists.

Scouting the Rams
VCU enters Newark with a 2-8 overall record, boasting wins over Old Dominion and Coppin State. The Rams are led on offense by Tera Reed and Jailyn Maddox who both average over 11 points a game while Reed and Bria Gibson have shouldered the load on the boards, each posting over seven rebounds per contest. VCU averages just over 60 points per game and turns the ball 20.2 times on average. Beth O'Boyle is in the midst of her fourth season with the Rams, owning a winning season each year. 

Scouting the Highlanders
NJIT has struggled thus far, owning just one win to 11 losses. Penn and the Highlanders share one common opponent in Binghamton, with both squads losing to the Bearcats. Tatianna Torres leads NJIT with 12.3 points per game. The Highlanders are led by Steve Lanpher, in his sixth season. 

Against the ASUN Conference
Coach McLaughin is 2-2 against the current alignment of the ASUN Conference, with all four games coming against NJIT before the Highlanders joined the league. Penn is 3-3 all-time against the ASUN with the only other member faced being Stetson. 

Scouting the 49ers
Long Beach State is 2-10 on the year, but has notched a Power 5 win over Pac-12 opponent Arizona in November. Shanaijah Davison is the lone 49er averaging double-digits on offense, with 12.6 points per game. LBSU has been disruptive on defense, forcing over 20 turnovers each game. Jeff Cammon is in his first year with the Beach as head coach. 

Against the Big West Conference
Penn has faced off against the Big West four times in school history, with Coach McLaughlin owning a 3-0 record against the league with wins over Hawaii, UC Riverside and CSUN. 

In-Season Tournaments
This is Penn's fifth appearance in an in-season tournament since Mike McLaughlin took over in 2009-10 and second this season. To end the calendar year in 2012, the Quakers defeated both Alabama State and Air Force at the Iowa State Cyclone Challenge. The previous year, Penn split contests against UNC-Greensboro and San Diego State at the San Diego Surf 'N Slam Classic, while in McLaughlin's first year the Quakers traveled to Evanston, Ill. for the Mildred and Roger L. White Doubletree Invitational. Earlier this year, the Quakers traveled to Bimini, Bahamas to compete in the Junkanoo Jam over Thanksgiving break, dropping the opening game to Georgia Tech before rallying from 18-points down to defeat Missouri State in the third-place matchup. 

Ivy League Picks Parker... x2!
Freshman Eleah Parker has earned two-straight Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors, the first Quaker to do so since Nwokedi won four-straight in the 2014-15 season. Most recently, Parker was awarded for her first double-double in Penn's win over Rhode Island, notching 12 points and 11 rebounds, while contributing on defense with two blocks and two steals.

Dishin' Out Dimes
Anna Ross currently ranks fourth all-time at Penn with 384 career assists, only 44 behind the program leader Cheryl Rath (428 - 1989) while currently ranking tied for 35th in the nation, averaging 5.5 assists per game. Against Rhode Island, Ross set a new career-high with 10 assists and became the first Quaker since Lauren Pears (Jan. 13, 2007) to notch a double-double on points/assists.

Watch Out for Nwokedi
Already a candidate for the inaugural Katrina McClain award entering the season, Nwokedi continues to be a steady force for the Red and Blue on both offense and defense. The senior captain currently ranks 17th in the nation in blocks per game at 2.63, and has risen up to No. 8 in the Penn record books for all-time scoring with 1,238 points. Nwokedi needs 27 points to tie Natasha Rezek (1992-94, 1996) for seventh all-time. 
 
Up Next...
With the new year comes the most important time of the year for the Red and Blue: Ivy League play! As always, the Quakers will open up their Ancient Eight slate with archrival Princeton, hosting the Tigers at The Palestra on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 1 p.m.