PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team continues its road trip this weekend as they head to Merrimack on Friday then are back to face Big 5 rival Temple on Sunday.
 
GAME 10: PENN (5-4) at MERRIMACK (3-6)
Friday, December 8, 2023 | 7:00 PM
North Andover, Mass. | Lawler Arena
Watch on NEC Front Row | Live Stats
 
GAME 11: PENN (5-4) at TEMPLE (3-5)
Sunday, December 10, 2023 | 2:00 PM
Philadelphia, Pa | Liacouras Center
Watch on ESPN+ ($) | Live Stats
 
The Merrimack Series
• This will be the first meeting between the two programs.
 
About the Warriors
• After a rough start to their season, the Warriors enter the contest with a 3-6 record after a recent win over Yale, 84-73, and winning two of their last three games.
 
• Merrimack is paced by Amaya Staton who leads the team in points (12.3), rebounds (6.7), and blocks (1.8), while shooting 46 percent from the floor.
 
• In their last win, the Warriors had two players in double figures with Staton having a game-high 26 point on 76 percent shooting to pair up with her nine rebounds. Jayme DeCesare also had 18 points and two assists.
 
• Merrimack ended last season with a 15-16 record, 10-6 in conference play, while making the Northeast Conference tournament semifinals.
 
The Temple Series
• This will be the 53rd meeting between the two programs, as the Owls lead the Quakers in the all-time series, 36-16.
 
• Penn has won three of the last four contests, with its last win coming in a 62-61 victory in The Palestra last season after a 28-point outing, including a game winning layup, by Kayla Padilla.
 
• Jordan Obi also posted a 16-point performance to go with eight rebounds, and Simone Sawyer had 13 points on 50 percent shooting.
 
• In the win against Temple, the Quakers overcame a 15-point deficit midway through the third quarter, earning the 10th win against the Owls in The Palestra.
 
About the Owls
• Temple sports a 3-5 record entering Sunday's matchup, coming off a one-point loss to Pacific in Arizona, 79-78.
 
• The Owls had six scorers in double figures, shooting 43 percent from the floor and totaling 11 steals as a team in the narrow loss.
 
• Aleah Nelson and Tiarra East, who both average slightly over 10 points per game, lead the Owls with 1.5 steals per game. Nelson also leads the team in assists, averaging five through eight games.
 
Penn's Last Time Out
• After a fourth-quarter push, Penn came up short in its comeback against Villanova Tuesday night narrowly losing 68-62, moving the Quakers to 5-4 for the season.
 
• Obi posted her first double-double of the season with a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 60 percent from the floor. This is her second game this season with at least 20 points and her fourth straight game with 17 or more points, now averaging 14.4 points per game.
 
• Freshman Mataya Gayle also got in the scoring column with 17 points, her fourth straight game in double figures.
 
• Junior Stina Almqvist chipped in a 14-point outing, including a perfect 4-for-4 from the line, while distributing out five assists, three rebounds, and two blocks.
 
• Freshman Ese Ogbevire scored eight points in the second half, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor.
 
• Off the bench, senior captain Floor Toonders snagged seven rebounds and dished out a game-high six assists, tying her career high.

 Stat Leaders
•Almqvist leads the Quakers in points (17.1) and assists (2.9). She sits third in the Ivy League in scoring and tied for eighth in assists.
 
• Obi leads Penn and the Ivy League in blocks with 16, with the next closest player in the conference sitting at 13. She also leads Penn in rebounding at 6.7 through nine games, good enough for fifth in the league. Additionally, she is tied for third in the Ivy League in steals per game (2.0).
 
• Penn is tied for third in points per game (68.7), second in field goal percentage (.431), and first in team free throw percentage (.762).
 
A Look Ahead
• Following this weekend's games, the Quakers wrap of the calendar year at the Palestra on December 30 with Maine and New Year's Eve against Gwynedd Mercy.
 
• To start the new year, the Quakers are on the road to face Columbia in their first Ivy League game of the season on January 6.