PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team jumps back into Big 5 play on Tuesday night, hosting Saint Joseph's in The Palestra for a 7 p.m., tip.
 
GAME 10 – PENN (4-5, 0-2 Big 5) vs SAINT JOSEPH'S (2-6, 0-1 Big 5)
Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021 | 7 p.m.
The Palestra | Philadelphia, Pa.
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Penn Game Notes | Saint Joseph's Game Notes
 
Penn-Saint Joseph's Series
Penn and Saint Joseph's are meeting for the 46th time in program history, as the Hawks hold a 40-5 lead in the all-time series. The Hawks have owned most of the series, but the Quakers are riding a three game win streak against SJU entering Tuesday night's game. Penn's first win against the Hawks was on December 1, 2004, taking the 64-57 decision at Hagan Arena. In the three game win streak, the Quakers have defeated the Hawks by at least 10 points in each contest.
 
Last Time We Met
The two teams battled at SJU on November 20, 2019, with Penn winning 55-45 in the Big 5 opener. Kayla Padilla, in just her fourth collegiate game, dropped in a game-high 22 points for her second 20-plus performance at that point in the year. Penn held the Hawks scoreless for the final 5:07 of the game.
 
About Duke
The Hawks enter the game with a 2-6 record, taking wins against UMES (84-49) and Yale (52-49). The win against Yale was this past Saturday at Hagan Arena, snapping a six-game skid. The Hawks jumped out early on the Bulldogs, outscoring Yale 23-7 in the first quarter. Yale made a late comeback, as the game was tied up in the final minute of regulation. However, Hawks' Alayna Gribble drilled a three with two seconds remaining to lift SJU to the victory. Gribble led a trio of Hawks in double figures with 14 points, while Laila Fair and Katie Jekot added 12 and 11, respectively. The Hawks are averaging 55 points per game at a .375 shooting clip. Defensively, opponents have been held to 58 points per game while shooting at .393 percent.
 
Penn's Last Time Out
The Quakers fell to undefeated Duke on Sunday in The Palestra, 77-55. In her first game in The Palestra this season, Padilla led all scorers with 16 points, five assists, a rebound, and a steal. Kennedy Suttle posted her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds. She has registered double-digit rebounds in three out of her five games, including a career-high 17 at St. Francis Brooklyn. Mia Lakstigala also found double digits in scoring, adding 11 points with two from deep. She has drilled multiple three-pointers in four games including a career-high four against Hartford.
 
Big 5 History
Under head coach Mike McLaughlin, the Quakers earned their first two Big 5 titles. The first was in 2015 and followed again in 2018. The Hawks have the second most Big 5 titles, sitting with 17. Their last title was 2014-15 in a three-way tie with Penn and Villanova.
 
Awards Season
The Quakers have already several individual awards this season, all of which have gone to Padilla and Jordan Obi. Padilla has been named Big 5 Player of the Week twice this season, three times in her career. Obi has been named Ivy League Rookie of the Week twice this season in back-to-back weeks. She was also named the CityOfBasketballLove.com Rookie of the Month for November.