PHILADELPHIA – Did the 2017-18 season really start less than a month ago? It sure must not feel like it to the University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team, which will play its 12th game of the still young season (by calendar, at least). Saturday's game provides a new experience for the program, as Penn makes its first trip to one of the nation's most historic college basketball venues, the University of Dayton Arena (home of the annual First Four to start the NCAA Tournament, and host of 113 NCAA games all-time). Things screech to a half after Saturday's game, though—final exams loom next week, and the Quakers will not play again until they host Delaware State on December 27.
Saturday's game will be televised to a national audience on the NBC Sports Network.
GAME 12 – PENN (7-4) at DAYTON (4-4)
Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017 * 3 p.m.
UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio)
THE SERIES
• This marks just the second meeting between the Quakers and the Flyers.
• The first game in this series took place outside of the country. On November 28, 1997, Dayton defeated Penn 71-60 in the first round of the San Juan (Puerto Rico) Shootout. The Quakers then beat Washington State, and lost to Evansville.
• This will be Penn's first game in the state of Ohio since November 29, 1993, when the Quakers were in Columbus and lost to Ohio State, 83-80. Overall, Penn has played just five games in the Buckeye State: three against OSU, one against Cincinnati (in the 1972-73 season), and one against Akron (way back in 1908-09).
PENN vs. THE ATLANTIC 10
The Quakers are 93-108 all-time against programs that currently play in the Atlantic 10. That includes a 75-71 double-overtime loss to La Salle on November 13. OnJanuary 27, Penn will play another A-10/Big 5 rival, Saint Joseph's.
PENN BY THE NUMBERS
5 • Five different players have led Penn in scoring in a game this season: senior
Caleb Wood; junior
Max Rothschild; sophomores
Ryan Betley and
AJ Brodeur; and freshman
Jarrod Simmons.
6 • Overtime periods played this season by Penn, including
four two weeks ago at Monmouth. It was just the second 4OT game in program history, the first coming on March 13, 1920 (Penn 26, Princeton 23).
8 • Today marks the last of eight straight games Penn has played away from its home court, The Palestra, The Quakers have not played at home since November 18, and their next home game is not until December 27 when Delaware State comes to town.
10 • Penn has hit 10 or more three-pointers in each of its last two games, three of the last four, and five of the last eight.
14 • Players on this year's roster with at least one double-figure scoring game at Penn. That includes seven players who have had at least one 20-point game, and six with at least one double-double. This season alone, 10 different players have reached double digits!
59 • Following Saturday's game, Penn's next road contest won't take place until February 6—59 days from now. It is the longest stretch between road games for any team at the NCAA Division 1 level this season. In the interim, the Quakers will play nine home games in a row with five of those coming in Ivy League play.
90 • Penn has scored at least 90 points three times already this season; the last time the Quakers had three such games in an entire season was 2006-07. The last time the Red and Blue had
four such games? Try 1994-95, when they had TEN!
#FightOnPenn
