Three Keys: Penn women's basketball vs. New Hampshire

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Penn women’s basketball faces some stiff competition on Tuesday, taking on a New Hampshire squad that has yet to lose this season. The 3-0 Wildcats just finished a victory over Brown, which the Quakers defeated twice last season. Here are three keys to victory if Penn wants to move to 3-1 before Thanksgiving break.

1. Contain Elizabeth Belanger: The junior guard has been a force for New Hampshire early on this season, averaging 23 points a game while playing in two of the Wildcats’ three contests. A second-team All-America East selection last season, Belanger seems to have taken her game to the next level, particularly in a 27-point effort against Howard. If Penn wants to hand New Hampshire its first loss on the season, it will be on the Quakers’ suffocating defense to contain Belanger.

2. Find an offensive leader: In Penn’s first victory of the season, Sydney Stipanovich led the way with 15 points, but the game was much more about defense than offense. The second victory came in large part thanks to the offensive fury of junior guard Keiera Ray. Whether it is Stipanovich, Ray, senior captain Kara Bonenberger or someone else, the Red and Blue will need to have a player take over the offensive load in the way that Alyssa Baron did last season.

3. Win on the glass: Outside of a matchup with No. 4 Tennessee, the Red and Blue have outrebounded opponents by an average of 9.5 boards per game on the early season. The Wildcats, on the other hand, have beaten their opponents on the glass by 8.3 boards per contest after struggling with rebounding margin last season. With Bonenberger, Stipanovich, senior Katy Allen and others in the post, Penn has made its mark in the paint in its last two victories and will need to continue doing so.