PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team got through the first leg of its Big 5 gauntlet on Saturday at La Salle. On Tuesday night at Macquarie Court at The Palestra, the Quakers will try to deny Villanova the chance to celebrate winning the city title on their home court. Ranked 17th in this week's AP national poll and 16th in the ESPN coaches poll, the Wildcats have already knocked off La Salle, Temple and Saint Joseph's this season.
 
Tuesday's game will tip off at 7 p.m. and air to a nationwide audience on ESPN2. Bob Wischusen and Fran Fraschilla will be on the call for ESPN2.
 
GAME 11 – PENN (8-2) vs. #17/16 VILLANOVA (8-2)
Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018 * 7 p.m.
Macquarie Court at The Palestra (Philadelphia)
Penn Game Notes | Villanova Game Notes
 
The Series with Villanova
• This is the 66th meeting between the Quakers and the Wildcats in men's basketball, with Villanova holding a sizable 47-18 advantage.
 
• Villanova has won 15 straight in this series; in fact, Penn's last win over the Cats came almost exactly 16 years ago, a 72-58 decision at what is now the Wells Fargo Center on December 10, 2002.
 
• Penn's last win over Villanova here at The Palestra took place the previous year, a 75-74 decision in overtime on December 5, 2001.
 
• Penn's lack of success against Villanova isn't unique in the city. In fact, when the Wildcats knocked off Saint Joseph's on Saturday it was their record 25th Big 5 win in a row. The Wildcats would clinch the Big 5 title with a win on Tuesday.
 
FAST START FOR PENN
While Penn enters Tuesday night's game at 8-2 overall, the Quakers started this season 4-0. Amazingly, it was the first time that had happened since the 1978-79 season, which coincidentally was the year that the Red and Blue made it to arguably the most famous Final Four of all time with Magic Johnson's Michigan State, Larry Bird's Indiana State, and Mark Aguirre's DePaul teams. You could make a case for Penn being the NCAA's original "Cinderella," as the Quakers were the nine seed in a 10-team East Regional.
 
FUN STUFF TO KNOW
• Tuesday night's game is Steve Donahue's 100th as head coach at Penn.
 
• At 8-2, Penn is off to its best ten-game start since the 1994-95 team also started 8-2; that team beat La Salle in Game 11.
 
• Penn has won 11 games in a row at The Palestra, 14 of its last 15, and 17 of 19.
 
• Penn's 83-65 win at La Salle on Saturday was its biggest Big 5 win since a 71-47 win over the Explorers back on January 14, 2004. That win also took place at the Tom Gola Arena.
 
• When Penn beat Miami last Tuesday, it snapped a 13-game losing streak to ACC programs that dated back to 2000-01 and was the Quakers' first over a Power 5 program since 2003 (at USC).
 
• Junior AJ Brodeur has scored in double figures in each of Penn's last four games, averaging 14.0 ppg over that stretch.
 
• Two different freshmen have led the team in scoring in the last three games: Bryce Washington vs. Delaware State and Michael Wang vs. Miami and La Salle.
 
Penn by the Numbers
100 • Tonight is Penn's 100th game under fourth-year head coach Steve Donahue.
 
38.3 • Penn's win percentage in its first 47 games under Donahue (18-29).
 
73.1 • Penn's win percentage in its last 52 games under Donahue (38-14).
 
0 • Two-point baskets scored so far this season by senior Jackson Donahue; all ten of his field goals have come from beyond the arc.
 
3 • Points scored by junior Ryan Betley in Penn's season opener, when he drained a three-pointer on Penn's first possession of 2018-19; less than five minutes later he ruptured his patellar tendon, and so last year's leading scorer will miss the remainder of the season.
 
4 • Penn players with at least 26 assists this season: seniors Antonio Woods (27) and Max Rothschild (26) and juniors AJ Brodeur (team-high 40) and Devon Goodman (26); senior Jake Silpe need one more to reach 20 for the season.
 
5 • NCAA Division 1 players this year from China, including freshman Michael Wang. He shares the distinction with Michael Ou (Cal State Northridge), Johnny Wang (Cal State Fullerton), Kevin Zhang (Tulane) and James Zhao (California).
 
11 • The number of times Penn has hit 90 points in the 99-game Donahue era after wins over Rice (92-76), Lafayette (91-61) and Stockton (112-63). The last time the Quakers hit 90 points against consecutive Division I opponents was 2002-03, when they scored 99 points at USC and then scored 98 vs. Monmouth.
 
13 • Losses in a row to ACC teams before Penn beat Miami last Tuesday, 89-75.
 
16 • Penn's unanswered scoring run to end the first half and start the second half Saturday at La Salle, it's the Quakers' longest such run this season.
 
6.2 • Penn's average margin of victory in its seven Division 1 wins this season.
 
24 • Penn wins last season, most since the Quakers had 25 in 2001-02. All time, the Red and Blue have had nine seasons with 24 or more victories.
 
26 • Ivy League titles won by Penn. That is behind only Princeton (27). The rest of the league has 20 combined.
 
48 • Penn's assist total in its two games last week (23 vs. Miami, 25 vs. La Salle); the Quakers assist-to-basket percentage was 73.9 (48 assists on 65 baskets).
 
52 • Points needed by Brodeur to reach 1,000 for his career; he would become the 41st player in program history to achieve the milestone.
 
56 • Points scored by Brodeur over the last four games, all double-digit games; he also has 47 rebounds in the last five contests.
 
58 • Points scored by all-tournament pick Goodman at the Paradise Jam (career-high 27 vs. Northern Iowa, 18 vs. K-State, 13 vs. Oregon State).
 
76.2 • Wang's field-goal percentage last week against Miami and La Salle (combined 16-of-21); that includes a 7-of-10 performance beyond the arc.
 
100 • Three-point baskets by Penn this season, a 10.0 per-game average; the Quakers have hit double figures in that category five times in ten games.
 
112 • Penn's point total against Stockton on Nov. 24, the fourth-highest total in program history and most since scoring 114 vs. Haverford on December 18, 1993.
 
291 • Three-point baskets by Penn last year, a program record. The Quakers have also set program marks each of the last two years in trey attempts (690 in 2016-17, 830 last season).