What: Wagner (4-5) at Penn (2-5)
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: The Palestra
TV/Radio: None/88.5 WXPEN
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By ADAM BOOTH
Philahoops Staff
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As this point, it’s safe to say the Quakers are tired of moral victories.
After taking another tough loss to arguably the hottest team in the country, Villanova, Penn returns home to try to grab that elusive third win on the season.
They will get their chance with Wagner Saturday evening at the Palestra.
Although this season for the Quakers will ultimately boil down to conference play, this early-season struggle wasn’t in the game plan. Jerome Allen’s team started this season out the gates with a tough schedule.
Playing 4 of their first 7 on the road, including contests at Iowa and Villanova, may not have helped them record. But it did help the team figure out their identity as well as build chemistry.
-Scouting Penn: Tony Hicks will be looking to improve on a one-point game against rival Villanova. He still leads the team in points (16.4) and in assists (3.4) this season. The sophomore is cementing himself as a leader and showing a bright future in the Quakers backcourt. … His classmate, Darien Nelson-Henry, is right behind in him in points, (13.0) and leads the squad in rebounds. … Nelson-Henry and Fran Dougherty will be looked upon to have a big day against the undersized frontcourt of the Wagner Seahawks. Both struggled to get anything going against the Wildcats on Wednesday, so this match up against Seahawks could not come at a better time.
-Scouting Wagner: Wagner came into this season with high expectations. Making the semifinals of the NEC conference tournament the previous two seasons, the Seahawks were picked to finish first this season in the league’s preseason poll. However is hasn’t been that smooth of a start for Wagner this season. With an entire frontcourt only contributing around 11 points a game, the Seahawks lean on their backcourt for most of their production. … Senior Latif Rivers leads the team in scoring with 14 points a game. Rivers is flanked by his classmate Kenneth Ortiz, who has a 12-point, four-assist average of his own so far this season. Shutting down this upper class duo will go a long way in to securing victory for the Quakers. … Wagner is a team that loves to run as well as use its athleticism to turn up the tempo and run teams out of the building. The Quakers will benefit from establishing the half court play that they thrive on.
-Prediction: No one should be fooled by the Seahawks’ 4-5 record. Wagner, much like Penn, has had a mixed bag of competition, and has mixed results to boost. However there was a reason this team was picked to finish first in the NEC. Slowing the game down and attacking the paint are the keys to a Penn victory.
The Quakers are finally home and will look to make 2 in a row at the Palestra. I feel they will get it.
76-72 Quakers
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-Adam Booth covers Penn for Philahoops. Follow @thatsadambooth on Twitter.
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