PHILADELPHIA - Back on top. The University of Pennsylvania (10-5, 3-1 Big 5) women's basketball team is a Big 5 champion following an impressive 74-59 victory at Temple on Wednesday night. The championship is the second in program history for the Quakers and first since the 2014-15 squad also went 3-1 against their city foes. The victory is the 10th of the season for Penn, who has now won eight of its last nine games. 

PENN NEWS AND NOTES
*The Quakers were led by a career night from junior Ashley Russell, who finished with a personal best in points with 19 and rebounds with nine. The guard was effective both from long distance, with three 3-pointers, and inside, crashing the glass for five offensive boards.

*Despite a tough shooting night early, freshman Eleah Parker notched her 11th-straight game in double-digit scoring, finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds. Defensively, the rookie swatted three blocks for the second-straight game. 

*The Quakers were able to disrupt the Temple offense from the opening tip, forcing 16 turnovers on the night and converting those into 17 points. 

*Senior Michelle Nwokedi finished with 17 points on 5-for-11 shooting, while adding eight rebounds and three assists. The native Texan has now hit at least one 3-point shot in back-to-back games. 

*Lauren Whitlatch rounded out the double-digit scoring party of four, finishing with 11 points, including three 3-pointers. The senior has notched at least three 3-pointers in nine games this season.

*The Quakers outrebounded the Owls 45-41, improving to 8-1 this year when winning the battle of the boards. 

*Anna Ross finished the game with four assists, now sitting at 427 for her career, just one away from tying the program record of 428. 

*The win marks the biggest over Temple since a 79-50 victory over the Owls in 1999. 

*Points in the paint again proved crucial to Penn's success, as the Quakers outscored Temple 40-28 down low, marking the fourth-straight game has had at least 30 points in the paint. 

*Finishing the night with a 42 percent field goal percentage, Penn has shot over 40 percent in two-straight games for the second time this season. 

*Penn has now won three-straight games on the road vs. Temple and improves to 15-34 all-time against the Owls. 

*Ranked ninth in the country in scoring, senior Tanaya Atkinson led the Owls with 19 points, but the Quaker defense limited her to just four in the second half. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Quakers shot out of the gates on fire gaining an early 10-2 advantage with seven points from Russel and a quick 3-pointer from Whitlatch. The lead improved to 13-4 after a long-range bomb from Nwokedi before the Owls reponded with a 7-0 run to cut the lead to two. Penn went inside early to Parker who uncharacteristically missed her opening layups, but the Quakers found other options responding to Temple's run with a 6-0 spurt of their own, ending the quarter up 23-14.

The momentum continued to open the second period, as the Quakers found Parker and Nwokedi inside to push the lead to 29-14. While the Owls would answer with small runs of their own, Penn proved formidable in never allowing the home team to enjoy a long stretch of positive play, answering each swing of momentum with one doubly in favor of the Quakers. After a 9-0 Temple run cut the lead to 36-31, the teams would trade buckets in the waning minutes of the half before Penn went into the locker room up 42-34. The Quakers relied heavily on the three-ball in the opening 20 minutes, with six at the break, while forcing Temple into 11 turnovers.

Foul trouble caused concern for Penn in the third quarter, with both Ross and Nwokedi earning their third whistles of the night, but once again, the Quakers found answers. Russell keyed the Penn offense as the Quakers pushed the lead out to double-figures, and the Owls would never get closer. Parker was able to find her touch in the second half, before a three from Russell pushed the lead out to 61-42, the largest of the night for Penn. The fourth quarter saw much of the same as Penn put the finishing touches on its third-straight victory inside of McGonigle Hall and its second Big 5 Championship.  

QUOTING COACH
"I want these guys to enjoy it... I want them to celebrate it. Anytime we do something successful, I want them to celebrate it ... There's little goals in your season, the Big 5, the Ivy League. This is something for them I think they'll remember."

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Quakers wrap up the non-conference portion of their schedule on Sunday, Jan. 28, hosting Gwynedd Mercy at The Palestra for a 1 p.m. tip.