Philadelphia homecoming for W. Hoops

When the Penn women's basketball team takes the floor against La Salle tonight, both the Quakers coach and starting point guard will each have a little added motivation.

For coach Kelly Greenberg, tonight's game against La Salle marks her third matchup against former college coach John Miller since taking over the reigns at Penn.

As starting point guard for the Explorers from 1985-1989, Greenberg anchored La Salle to three Big-5 Championships and three NCAA Tournament berths. Named senior captain for the 1988-89 season, Greenberg led the Explorers to a 28-3 record and an NCAA upset over No. 1 UConn in the first round.

"I always get a little bit more anxious, because it is the only game of the year that I hope La Salle loses," Greenberg said.

The game also holds special significance for starting point guard Tara Twomey, as she battles former Trinity H.S. (Camp Hill, Pa.) teammate Chrissy Walker. Both the leading floor generals for their respective teams, Twomey and Walker will certainly see a lot of head-to-head action in tonight's game.

"It was an adjustment freshman year to get used to playing against her after we had played together for so many years," Twomey said. "But now it's fun."

The Quakers head to La Salle on a roll, having reeled off a pair of victories over Hofstra and Davidson last weekend en route to winning the championship of the Army Tip-Off Classic.

"I was pleased with the way we played as a team," Twomey said. "We made some mistakes, it was early on, but we are in a good place early in the season."

Penn will face a La Salle team that -- much like the Quakers' own program -- is in the midst of a major transition.

Losing three 1000-point scorers -- Shannon McDade, Marjorie Rhoads and Jen Zenszer -- from last season's 15-14 team, the Explorers seem to be headed toward a rebuilding season.

The Explorers opened their season with a 90-87 loss to St. Francis (N.Y.) on Nov. 17.

" I feel pretty confident heading into the game," Greenberg said. "They have one forward, Beth Hudak, who will give us problems up front, but besides that they are young at guard, which gives us a favorable matchup."

Perennially the last-place finisher in the Big 5 -- the Quakers have not won more than one City Series matchup since 1983 -- Penn's lone Big 5 win last season came against La Salle at the Palestra, 61-57.

If Penn hopes to knock off the Explorers this season, it will need another strong effort from sophomore guard Jewel Clark, the MVP of the Army Tip-Off Classic.

Scoring 16 points against Hofstra and then leading the Quakers with 18 points in the final against Davidson, Clark demonstrated the offensive talent that earned her an All-Ivy Rookie team selection last season.

"I felt Jewel played real solid," Greenberg said. "She stepped up to the plate and played more mature than her year. She played more like a senior than a sophomore."

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