PHILADELPHIA - For the second time in four years, the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team will welcome one of the nation's best teams and perennial power Notre Dame to The Palestra. Currently slated No. 3 in the latest AP Poll and No. 2 in the Coaches Poll, the Fighting Irish are sure to pose a stiff challenge for the Quakers, who seek a key victory in front of their home crowd and the highest ranked win in program history. 

In the Series vs. Notre Dame: Fourth Meeting
Saturday's game marks the fourth meeting between the Quakers and the Fighting Irish, and second at The Palestra. Notre Dame holds a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series with the last contest coming in 2013, a 76-54 victory for the Irish. Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw is commemorated in the concourse of the The Palestra as a 1990 inductee of the Big 5 Hall of Fame from her playing career at St. Joseph's. 

Against the Atlantic Coast Conference
Coach Mike McLaughlin is 1-7 against opponents from the ACC in his tenure at Penn, with the lone win coming on New Year's Day of 2014, a one-point victory at Miami (Fla.). The Quakers have already battled one ACC foe this season, falling to Georgia Tech in The Bahamas as part of the Junkanoo Jam. With Saturday's contest included, Notre Dame now matches Virginia as the most-played-against opponent from the ACC for Penn. 

Catching the Game: NBC Sports Philadelphia and ILN
Today's game can be seen live on both NBC Sports Philadelphia and the Ivy League 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: L, 59-66 at La Salle (Nov. 29, 2017)
   -   Despite holding a 13-point lead after the first quarter, the University of Pennsylvania (2-3) women's basketball team couldn't hold on in its last game, suffering a 66-59 road loss to La Salle in the first Big 5 contest of the year for the Quakers. 
   -   The Quakers shot out to an 11-0 lead behind efficient offense and aggressive defense, but La Salle's shooting continued to heat up as the game continued. The Explorers cut the Penn lead to just three points at halftime, eventually shooting ahead with runs to start both the third and fourth quarters. Foul trouble plagued Penn in the late stages of the game, and the Quakers were unable to cut into the deficit.
   -   Michelle Nwokedi led three from the Red and Blue in double-figures with 14 points, while junior Ashley Russell notched a career-high 12 points in the loss. Penn forced 24 turnovers against a La Salle, tying the record for most in the McLaughlin-era.

Scouting the Fighting Irish
Notre Dame enters Saturday's contest with a record of 8-1, ranking third in the latest AP Poll and second in the latest Coaches Poll. Their trip to The Palestra marks the fifth true road game of the season thus far for the Fighting Irish, who have already tallied wins against four ranked teams, with their lone loss coming at #1 Connecticut. Arike Ogunbowale leads the way offensively for Notre Dame, averaging just over 20 points a contest, and is joined by three others averaging double-digit scoring. Jessica Shepard and Jackie Young pace the squad on the boards, both totaling eight rebounds a contest. 

Power Six History
Saturday's game adds to Penn's traditionally challenging non-conference schedules since Mike McLaughlin took the helm in 2009-10. 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.   

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 37-92 (.286) 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 26-48 (.351) when allowing 60 points or more. But when holding opponents under that number, the Quakers hold a healthy winning record of 107-29 (.787).

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. 

Up Next...
Following Saturday's game against the Fighting Irish, the Quakers will have a quick turnaround with a Big 5 contest at Saint Joseph's on Monday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.