PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team continues its 10-game stretch in The Palestra this week, hosting Bucknell on Tuesday and St. Francis Brooklyn on Thursday. Both games are set for 7 p.m.
 
GAME 9: PENN (3-5) vs BUCKNELL (4-5)
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 | 7:00 PM
Philadelphia, Pa. | The Palestra
Watch | International Stream | Live Stats | Game Notes | History
 
GAME 10: PENN (3-5) vs ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN (1-8)
Thursday, December 8, 2022 | 7:00 PM
Philadelphia, Pa. | The Palestra
Watch | International Stream | Live Stats | Game Notes | History
 
The Series With Bucknell
The Quakers are meeting the Bison for the 10th time in program history, owning a slight 5-4 lead in the series. Penn has played Bucknell in The Palestra four times, splitting the games, 2-2. Dating to 1991, the Quakers won five straight before the Bison secured their first victory over Penn since 1989 last season in Lewisburg.
 
Last Time We Met
The two squads squared off in central Pennsylvania last December, with Bucknell taking the 62-46 decision on its home court. Without three of its five starters in the game, Penn saw successful minutes off the bench from two Quakers including a 10-point effort from Michaela Stanfield. The Bison were led by a double-double performance from Taylor O'Brien, who now plays for Florida State as a graduate student.
 
About Bucknell
The Bison are entering the matchup with a 4-5 record, recently taking a 64-58 victory over Stony Brook on Saturday. Penn hosted the Seawolves last week, earning a 73-53 win. The Bison are coming off a 24-win season last year, advancing to the Patriot League championship and the second round of the WNIT where they fell to Drexel, 61-58. Averaging 54.7 points per game, Bucknell is shooting .400 from the floor and .301 from beyond the arc.
 
The Series With St. Francis Brooklyn
The Quakers are taking on the Terriers for the ninth time in program history, holding a 7-1 advantage in the series. In The Palestra, Penn has won three of those games, but fell in the last matchup in Philadelphia, 56-51, on November 9, 2013. Last November was the first time the two teams played each other since that loss in The Palestra.
 
The Last Time We Met
The two squads battled in Brooklyn last November for the first time in eight years, as Penn secured the 63-46 decision. Kayla Padilla and Nikola Kovacikova combined for 41 points, helping the Quakers open the year 3-0 for the second straight season. Padilla scored 23 points with five three-pointers, while Kovacikova was two points shy of a career mark with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting. The Terriers were led by Fruzsina Horvath with 20 points.
 
About St. Francis Brooklyn
The Terriers enter with a 1-8 record, winning its season opener against Old Westbury (81-15). SFC averages 57 points per game, led by Alyssa Fisher with 13.6 points at a .362 shooting clip.  
 
Last Week's Two-Win Recap
The Quakers returned to Philly last week, securing two victories over La Salle (72-59) and Stony Brook (73-53). On Tuesday at the Explorers, Penn bounced back in Big 5 play in a huge way, forcing La Salle into 22 turnovers off 13 steals. Freshman Simone Sawyer (24) and junior Jordan Obi (20) led the offense with a combined 44 points, while senior captains Padilla and Mandy McGurk combined for 13 assists. Back home on Thursday for just the second time this season and tipping off a 10-game stretch in The Palestra, the Quakers tamed the Seawolves, never trailing in the contest due to a well-rounded team performance. Four players finished in double figures with McGurk leading the charge with a career-high 18 points. She was joined by Obi (16), Sawyer (12), and Floor Toonders (11) in double digits. Toonders also recorded her first collegiate double-double with 11 rebounds, while Padilla flirted with a triple-double, finishing with seven points, seven assists, and a tied career-high nine rebounds.
 
Ivy Honors For Sawyer
The freshman guard had another stellar week on the court, solidifying her starting spot after victories over La Salle and Stony Brook to ultimately be named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the first time in her young career. Against the Explorers, she reset her career mark with a game-high 24 points on 9-for-18 shooting, while adding a career-high seven rebounds, career-high four assists, and two steals. She followed it up on Thursday with her fourth straight double-digit performance, knocking in 12 points with three more from beyond the arc. Sawyer currently ranks fifth in the Ivy League in field-goal percentage (.474) and fourth in three-pointer field-goal percentage (.432), both of which are the highest among rookies.
 
A Look Ahead
The Quakers opened a 10-game home stretch last Thursday against Stony Brook that expands to January 14, 2023. Six of the games are against non-conference opponents, including the Quakers' final Big 5 matchup against Temple on December 11. Penn will host its first four Ivy League games, the opener on January 2 against Brown.