PHILADELPHIA - Not done yet. Extending the program record to seven-straight postseason appearances, the Quakers will turn their attention to the first round of the WNIT, hosting American at The Palestra on Friday, March 22 at 7 p.m. Admission for students is free, and the first 100 students to arrive will get a free t-shirt!
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In the Series vs. American: Eighth Meeting
The Quakers have faced off against the Eagles seven times prior to Friday night's matchup with an all-time record of 2-5, with the last game coming in 2006. The Eagles have won four straight over Penn, with each of Penn's wins coming in the 1980s.
Catching the Game: Facebook Live
Friday's game can can be watched live on Facebook, through the Penn Athletics page. In-game Twitter updates and video can be found at @PennWBB. A complete recap, box score and highlights can be found on PennAthletics.com shortly after the conclusion of the contest.
Last Time Out: L, 54-65 vs. Princeton (March 17, 2019)
- Entering the fourth quarter with a three-point lead, the Quakers fell just short in their attempt to claim the Ivy League Tournament Championship. Penn was led by 14 points from
Ashley Russell and 10 from
Eleah Parker.
Penn in the Postseason
Penn is in the midst of a record seven-straight postseason appearances. In 2013, Penn posted the first two postseason wins in program history with home wins over Howard (65-60) and Fairfield (49-48) in the opening two rounds of the Women's Basketball Invitational. Penn then lost in the semifinals at Detroit, 71-68. The following season, the Red and Blue led fifth-seeded Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by as many as 15 in the first half (32-17), and seven at halftime (38-31), but ultimately fell, 79-61. In 2014, Penn earned its first-ever WNIT berth and victory with a home win over Hofstra before a close second-round loss at The Palestra to Big 5 rival Temple. The 2015-16 Quakers earned the No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament and fell to Washington, 65-53, in College Park, Md. in the First Round. In 2017, Penn entered the NCAA Tournament as a 12 seed, and at one point led No. 5 Texas A&M by 21 in the fourth quarter before getting edged by the Aggies, 63-61.
Last season, Penn earned its fourth postseason victory all-time, collecting a 76-61 win over UAlbany in the WNIT before falling to St. John's in the second round.
20-Win Seasons
Penn has surpassed the 20-win plateau for the sixth-straight year and seventh season all-time.
He Did What Now?
In the midst of his 10th season at the helm of the Quakers, Coach McLaughlin took a team that had lost three starters and nearly half of its scoring production and minutes played from a year ago to the top of the Ivy League standings. The Ivy title is McLaughlin's fourth in the last six seasons and the sixth in program history. At 23-6, McLaughlin is the only coach in the conference to lead his team to the 20-win plateau in each of the last six years.
All-Ivy Accolades
The Quakers had three players named All-Ivy for the sixth-straight season, including a unanimous first-team nod for sophomore
Eleah Parker, and second-team accolades for seniors
Ashley Russell and
Princess Aghayere. Additionally, Parker was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, and
Mike McLaughlin was tabbed the Ivy League Coach of the Year.
Scouting the Eagles
Similar to the Quakers, American shared the Patriot League regular season championship with Bucknell before falling to the Bison in the conference's tournament final. The Eagles went 16-2 in their league and own a 22-10 overall record, just a year removed from an NCAA Tournament appearance. Cecily Carl leads a group of at three players averaging at least 11.5 points per game at 15.6, also averaging a team-high 5.6 rebounds each time out.
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