PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania (8-5, 2-1 Ivy) women's basketball team has gotten some Ivy League play under its belt, but it's time to redirect the attention to the final portion of the non-conference slate, beginning with the conclusion of Big 5 play, first at Villanova, a team that has either been ranked or receiving votes in the top-25 the majority of the season. The Quakers will meet the Wildcats on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. inside Jake Nevin Field House in hopes of their second Big 5 win of the year.
In the Series vs. Villanova: 45th Meeting
Villanova holds a firm advantage in the all-time series vs. Penn, 42-2. The Quakers have not defeated the Wildcats since 2001, and Coach
Mike McLaughlin has never taken down Nova. In the McLaughlin-era, the Red and Blue have fallen by single-digit margins three times.
Catching the Game: Nova Nation All-Access
Wednesday's game can be watched live on Nova Nation All-Access. 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.
Against the BIG EAST Conference
Coach McLaughlin is 0-8 all-time against the BIG EAST, with every game having come against the Wildcats.
Last Time Out: W, 70-51 vs. Columbia (Jan. 13, 2018)
- The Quakers cemented their first Ivy League doubleheader weekend sweep on Saturday with a 70-51 victory over Columbia, directly after defeating Cornell 68-48 the previous day.
- Freshman
Eleah Parker continued her stretch of dominance for the Red and Blue, notching double-doubles in each game vs. the Big Red and the Lions. Against Columbia, Parker registered career-highs in both points, with 22, and rebounds, with 14.
- Penn flexed its muscle on the boards, outrebounding Columbia 54-36. The Quakers tallied 21 offensive rebounds, resulting in 22 second chance points to Columbia's four.
- Junior
Ashley Russell also had an impressive day against the Lions, notching a career-high in 3-pointers with four shots from long distance, resulting in 15 points. Senior
Anna Ross continued to be the ultimate distributor, recording seven assists with zero turnovers.
Scouting the Wildcats
Villanova enters today's game with an overall record of 14-3 and a 4-3 mark in BIG EAST play. The Wildcats began conference play with an undefeated record and a national ranking after beating Duke, but have been up and down in league action. The Cats are still receiving votes in the AP Top 25 poll, nine to be exact. Kelly Jekot and Adrianna Hahn pace the Nova offense, both averaging over 12 points a game, while Alex Louin has shouldered the load in the post, notching an average of six rebounds per contest. Harry Perretta is in his 39th season as the coach of the Wildcats.
Parker Gaining Steam
Freshman center
Eleah Parker has emerged as an offensive catalyst for the Quakers, boasting nine-straight games in double-figure scoring. Most recently, the Charlotte, N.C. native posted back-to-back double-doubles against Cornell and Columbia, earning both Ivy League Co-Player and Rookie of the Week honors. Parker has won four Ivy League Rookie of the Week awards, and was also named Big 5 Player of the Week and USBWA National Freshman of the Week after her impressive performances against VCU and NJIT at the NJIT Christmas Tournament.
Efficient Eleah
The key to Parker's success is evident in her efficiency from the floor. The rookie currently ranks third in the Ivy League in field goal percentage at over 50 percent. Parker also ranks first among all Ivy League freshman in scoring with 12.2 points per game and rebounding with 7.4 boards each contest.
Ivy League Picks Parker... x5!
Parker has earned weekly honors from the Ivy League five times this season, including four Rookie of the Week awards and one Player of the week honor. Parker is the first to win consecutive Rookie of the Week honors since
Michelle Nwokedi won four-straight in the 2014-15 season and is the first freshman from Penn to be named Player of the Week since
Sydney Stipanovich in 2013-14.
Senior captain
Michelle Nwokedi was named one of 30 Division I student-athletes from around the country as a candidate for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award, celebrating those with achievement in competition, community, classroom and character. In addition to her success on court, Nwokedi has proven success in other facets, earning a spot on last year's Winter Academic All-Ivy team, and starting a fundraiser for victims of Huricane Harvey.
McLaughlin and the Big 5
Under head coach
Mike McLaughlin, the Quakers have won 10 Big 5 games in the last seven years, including eight victories within the last five 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 10 career Big 5 victories.
Dishin' Out Dimes
Anna Ross currently ranks third all-time at Penn with 415 career assists, only 13 behind the program leader Cheryl Rath (428 - 1989). Ross currently ranks tied for 28th in the nation, averaging 5.8 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.
Controlling the Tempo
Penn has held seven of its 13 opponents to only two fast break points or less, including limiting Lafayette and Saint Joseph's to zero, a key example of the Quaker tempo taking effect.
What's Next?
The Quakers round out their Big 5 slate of games with another road contest next Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. against the Temple Owls.
#FightOnPenn
