PHILADELPHIA - It's been a whirlwind two weeks on the road for the University of Pennsylvania (10-5, 2-1 Ivy) women's basketball team, but the Quakers are ready to settle down at home for their final non-conference battle of the year, facing Gwynedd Mercy on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 1 p.m. The game is a chance to give Penn a final burst of momentum before the thick of Ivy League play awaits in February.

In the Series vs. Gwynedd Mercy: Ninth Meeting
Today marks the ninth all-time meeting between Penn and Gwynedd Mercy, but the first since Dec. 8, 1977. After the Griffins won the first two meetings, Penn proved victorious in five of the last six games between the two squads, including three wins in The Palestra.  

Catching the Game: Ivy League Network
Wednesday's game can be watched live on the Ivy League Network (ILN), now available on Apple TV, Roku and the ILN app for Android and Apple devices. 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 Non-Division I Opponents
Coach McLaughlin is 3-0 all-time vs. non-Division I opponents at Penn, including wins against Steven's Institute of Technology (2017), BYU-Hawaii (2016) and King's College (2015).

Last Time Out: W, 74-59 at Temple (Jan. 24, 2018)
   - The Quakers captured their second Big 5 Championship in program history last time out, leading wire-to-wire on the road at Temple, defeating the Owls 74-59. The win is the third-straight victory for Penn at McGonigle Hall.
   - Junior Ashley Russell led the way and continues her breakout season on offense, notching a new career-high with 19 points, as well as a new personal best in rebounds with nine. Russell was joined in double-figures with 16 from Eleah Parker, 13 from Michelle Nwokedi and 11 from Lauren Whitlatch. 
   - Defensively, Penn forced 16 Temple turnovers and turned those into 17 points.

Scouting the Griffins
Gwynedd Mercy enters today's game on a hot streak in conference play, having won seven-straight games. The Griffins boast a balanced scoring attack, with six players averaging at least five points a game, led by 8.6 from Susan Bossler. The Gwynedd Mercy defense has been stifling to its opponents, as the Griffins allow just 53 points per game. Sunday marks the Griffins' fourth game in less than a week.

Dishin' Out Dimes
Anna Ross currently ranks second all-time at Penn with 427 career assists, only one behind the program leader Cheryl Rath (428 - 1989). Ross currently ranks tied for 27th 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.

Parker Gaining Steam
Freshman center Eleah Parker has emerged as a key offensive catalyst for the Quakers, boasting 11-straight games in double-figure scoring. Most recently, the Charlotte, N.C. native posted a new career-high in points with 25 against Villanova, earning both Ivy League Co-Player and Rookie of the Week honors for her efforts. Parker has won five Ivy League Rookie of the Week awards, two Player of the Week awards, two USBWA National Freshman of the Week awards and a Big 5 Player of the Week honor. 

Efficient Eleah
The key to Parker's success is evident in her efficiency from the floor. The rookie currently ranks fourth in the Ivy League in field goal percentage at over 50 percent. Parker also ranks first among all Ivy League freshman in scoring with 13.3 points per game and rebounding with 7.5 boards each contest. 

Big 5 Champions
With a 74-59 victory at Temple, the Quakers claimed a share of the Big 5 Championship, their second in program history. After dropping their first city contest at La Salle earlier this year, Penn rallied to defeat Saint Joseph's (57-50), Villanova (79-77) and Temple, with each Big 5 game coming on the road this year for the Red and Blue.

Can't Get to 5-0? It's a No-Go.
The Quakers have won 53-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. 

Nwokedi Selected as Senior CLASS Award Candidate
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 Hurricane Harvey. 

What's Next?
It's all Ivy League play left for the Quakers after Sunday's game, with Penn set for its first Ancient Eight road trip next weekend, facing Brown on Friday, Feb. 2, followed by Yale on Saturday, Feb. 3.