W. Hoops takes on Big 5 rival 'Nova

Quakers go for third consecutive victory Freezing temperatures and ice may have gotten it out of classes today, but the Penn women's basketball team is counting on the snowball effect to get them a victory tonight. The Quakers (4-8 overall, 1-2 Big 5) are scheduled (weather permitting, of course) to face Villanova this evening in a Big 5 contest (Civic Center, 6 p.m., PRISM). Penn has won its last two games, and hopes to keep the momentum that those wins have created. "We've been trying all year to get a winning streak going," junior forward Shelly Dieterle said. "Now we've won two in a row. It's not a lot, but it's a streak and it's a start. Before these last few games we didn't have as much confidence, but now we feel that we can win any game we're going to play this year." Penn has won one of its three city series games this year. The team opened the season with a 65-57 loss to La Salle and later dropped a 53-41 decision to St. Joseph's. But January 11, the Quakers beat Temple 63-55 at McGonigle Hall to earn only its second Big 5 win since 1983. "It's always a big game when it's a Big 5 game," Penn coach Julie Soriero said. "This is very big game for us because winning two Big 5 games in one year would be a tremendous step for this program." Villanova will bring a 7-7 record into the Civic Center tonight. Like the Quakers, it is 1-2 in the Big 5 with a win over Temple. But the Cats' losses were both by small point margins -- a 55-52 overtime defeat against St. Joe's (a game during which 'Nova never trailed in regulation) and a 56-54 loss to La Salle. The Quakers played solid basketball in beating Temple and Lafayette, and will once again need a good effort to beat the Wildcats tonight. "We're pretty positive as a team right now, coming off some great wins," freshman guard Erica McCauley said. "We're confident that we're a good team and we're not worried about losing. We just need to keep playing strong defense and getting good shots within our offense." But starting tonight, things won't be as easy for Penn at either end of the floor. Freshman center-forward Deana Lewis had just begun to develop into a solid post player when she injured her knee in the win over Lafayette Monday. Lewis will most likely be out for the rest of the season, and the Quakers will no doubt miss her presence and production in the paint. "Losing Deana is very unfortunate for us as a team," Soriero said. "We've really lost some key people over the last year, and that's a shame. First we lost Natasha Rezek [when she decided to study in Russia] and now Deana. I feel very fortunate that everyone's made a contribution in one way or another." With Lewis gone, all the Quakers will have to adjust their game to an extent -- possibly none more than Dieterle. The junior forward has always been a clutch performer, but at times she has been inconsistent this season. She knows with Lewis out, that trend can not continue. "Deana's injury is a tough blow for the team and for Deana herself," Dieterle said. "I really need to step up my game personally. I don't feel like I've been pulling my weight in rebounding and I've been getting outmuscled. I haven't been taking enough shots, either. Deana was able to come in and do those things, but now I don't have her to come in for me. So I have to step up my play now." It is clear Dieterle and senior forward Julie Gabriel will have to help out senior center Katarina Poulsen in the paint, especially on the boards. But the Penn backcourt will also need to change its focus. "We're going to have to pick up our defense even more now," McCauley said. "We need to frustrate the passers and try to keep the ball from ever reaching the post. That way we won't be hurt as much and we'll be trying to avoid foul trouble." Soriero's bench has made key contributions all year, and that will have to continue as the injuries pile up. Role players like freshmen Amanda Coulter, Nikki Pozzi and Amy Tarr have often filled holes and played well, and must do more of the same in the weeks to come. In the Wildcats, Penn may be facing one of those teams whose records says it all: 7-7. The Cats aren't nearly as strong as some teams the Quakers have faced this year, but conquering them certainly won't be an easy task. Soriero is sure the effectiveness of Villanova's offense will be play a part in the outcome. "Villanova won't do anything too flashy," she said. "They work the ball around to get good shots. Their guards can handle the ball and create shots. Their inside people are different than what we've seen in that they'll come out to take the eight- to 10-foot shots." The Cats rely primarily on three players for their points. The team leader is sophomore forward Denise Dillon, who is averaging 14.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Forward Jennifer Snell and Michele Thornton contribute nine points each, with Thornton coming off a career-high 21 points against Big East-rival Providence. If the Quakers are to be successful tonight, they'll have to stop these three players from dominating the game. And Soriero thinks the key to doing that is controlling the glass. "As a team, Villanova gets outrebounded by a significant margin," she said. "Snell and Dillon aren't that much bigger than our forwards, so we should get rebounds against them. We just need to be more consistent with our getting to rebounds at the offensive end." And so the Quakers will brave the elements and try to make their own snowball a little bit bigger tonight when they go for three in a row. "Villanova's a tough team, but we just have to play two solid halves," Dieterle said. "If we do that, we can get a win."