Jan. 5, 2009
La Salle vs. Penn
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Palestra
Game: Big 5, Non-Conference
Listen Live
La Salle Explorers (8-6, 0-0)
Conference: Atlantic 10
After nearly a week off from competition, the La Salle Explorers return to action on Monday as they prepare to win their second Big 5 game of the season. The Explorers, who defeated Villanova 67-62 in the season opener, have a chance to start 2-0 in the Big 5 before facing Atlantic 10 rivals, Temple and Saint Joseph’s. La Salle recently took part in the Lehigh Christmas City Classic and after defeating Valparaiso 67-62 on the tournament’s first day, Head Coach Tom Lochner and his team kept moving forward and advanced to the championship game. Riding on a four-game winning streak and with the momentum in their corner, the Explorers unfortunately fell to host Lehigh, 53-49. Junior Morgan Robertson was one of two Explorers to reach double figures, finishing with a game-high 18 points, on 7-of-14 shooting. Robertson, who was named to the All-Tournament Team alongside sophomore Ashley Gale, hit one three-pointer on one attempt and pulled down six rebounds. Gale went 4-for-8 from the floor and 7-for-8 from the charity stripe, ending with 17 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists. Senior Margaret Elderton was next in line with six points and three assists, tying a team-high in assists with junior Jamie Walsh. The Explorers forced 17 Lehigh turnovers and they also grabbed one more offensive rebound than their opponent.
Penn Quakers (3-8, 0-0)
Conference: Ivy League
After dropping their first six games of the season, the Penn Quakers have made a quick turnaround with three wins in their last five contests. With losses to Villanova, Saint Joseph’s and Temple, Monday’s matchup is the last opportunity for the Quakers to record a Big 5 victory this season. In their most recent game, an 81-70 home loss to Temple, senior Carrie Biemer led all scorers with 21 points, on 6-of-15 shooting including four three pointers. She also pulled down a team-high tying seven boards. Senior Kelly Scott also connected on four shots from beyond the arc, for 19 points, and junior Caitlin Slover followed up with eight points and three boards. Scott is first on the team in three-point percentage (.407), first in minutes (32.2), second in scoring (11.2) third in field goal percentage (.419), third in free throw percentage (.813) and third in rebounding average (4.0). In the loss, the Quakers shot 40 percent from the floor, 47.6 percent from three-point range and 71.4 percent from the charity stripe. On the season, Penn averages 5.6 three-pointers made per game at 31.5 percent.
Eye on an Explorer: Jenna Gilbert
In only her freshman season, Jenna Gilbert has made a solid contribution with her time on the floor. In La Salle’s last home game, a 63-47 win over Rider, Gilbert pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and shot 3-for-7 from the field for seven points. Gilbert is second on the team in rebounding average (4.1), third in field goal percentage (.406) and fifth in scoring (5.0).
Key Matchup: Morgan Robertson vs. Carrie Biemer
One of the primary focuses in this game will be on the frontcourt and the play of junior Morgan Robertson and senior Carrie Biemer. With Robertson’s team-high 18 points against Lehigh last Tuesday, she has now either led or tied the team-high in points nine times this season. Robertson leads the team in scoring with 14.0 points per game and is slightly shy of averaging double-digit rebounds at 8.9 per game. Biemer is scoring a team-best 17.8 points per game and is also averaging 5.5 rebounds per game to lead all Quakers. Biemer has led her team in scoring seven times this season and four of those times she has scored more than 20 points.
