PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania men's basketball closes out its run through the Big 5 city series on Saturday, making the trip to North Olney for a Saturday matinee with La Salle.
 
Saturday's game caps a brutal early-season schedule that has seen the Quakers play 13 games in 32 days, with 11 of them away from The Palestra. After Saturday's game, though, things slow down considerably as the University gets into fall-term exams. The men's next game won't take place until Tuesday, Dec. 28 when the Quakers host James Madison.
 
GAME 13 – PENN (3-9, 0-3 Big 5) at LA SALLE (4-4, 0-2 Big 5)
Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021 | 2 p.m.
Tom Gola Arena | Philadelphia
Watch Live on ESPN+ ($) | Listen Live (QAN) | Live Stats
Penn Game Notes | La Salle Game Notes
 
Quaker Audio Network (QAN)
Again this season, Penn fans can listen to most of Penn's men's basketball games through the Quaker Audio Network, a free Internet-based audio streaming service. Matt Leon will be on the play-by-play call from Gola Arena on Saturday, with Penn Athletics Hall of Famer Stan Pawlak offering analysis. To access the Quaker Audio Network, simply type www.pennathletics.com/audio into your computer or device.
 
The Series with La Salle
*The Quakers and the Explorers are meeting for the 74th time in men's basketball, with Penn holding a 42-31 lead in the series. La Salle is the only Big 5 program Penn has a winning record against.
 
*Penn has won two in a row and four of the last five meetings in this city series, taking a 75-59 decision at The Palestra in 2019 and an 83-65 victory the last time they came to Gola Arena (in 2018).
 
*La Salle's last win in the series came on November 13, 2017 at The Palestra, a 75-71 double-overtime decision.
 
*Penn is 0-3 against Atlantic 10 teams already this season, losing 87-66 at George Mason on November 12; 72-60 to Davidson at the Myrtle Beach Invitational on November 19; and 78-71 to Saint Joseph's on Wednesday night in its first trip to Hagan Arena since 1995.
 
Penn MBB by the Numbers
4 • Consecutive 20-point games by sophomore Jordan Dingle entering Saturday (21 at Towson, 21 vs. Villanova, 22 at Temple, 26 at Saint Joseph's); the last Penn player with five straight such games? Walt Frazier Jr.—all the way back in 1989!
 
5 • Games in which Penn has a double-figure total of three-point baskets (13 vs. Villanova; 11 against George Mason, Lafayette and Old Dominion; 10 at Bucknell).
 
12 • Points scored by junior Lucas Monroe Wednesday at Saint Joseph's; it was his second double-figure scoring game this season, after his career-high 14 at Arkansas on November 28.
 
15 • Penn's 19-player roster features players from 12 different states, the District of Columbia, and two foreign countries (China and Israel).
 
17 • Points scored by senior Michael Wang over the game's final 15:10 last Saturday at Temple; he finished with 21 points, two shy of his career high and his first double-figure scoring game since February 8, 2019 (11 vs. Brown).
 
20.5 • Dingle's points-per-game average so far this season, tops among Ivy League players.
 
32 • Three-point baskets by junior Jonah Charles so far this season; he has just four two-point baskets.
 
38 • Points scored by sophomore Max Martz in Penn's first three Big 5 games (12 vs. Villanova, 14 at Temple, 12 at Saint Joseph's); he also has 30 rebounds over the last four contests including a career-high 13 at Arkansas on Nov. 28.
 
52:05 • Minutes played by freshman George Smith over the last two contests; he has 11 points, five assists and three rebounds in those games.
 
57.1 • Martz's three-point field-goal percentage over the last three games (8 of 14).
 
223 • Penn's ranking in the first NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) of 2021-22, which came out on Monday. That was seventh among the Ivy programs, although the Quakers' strength of schedule (59) and average opponent NET Rank (63) were far and away the best among the Ancient Eight programs.