Before the season began, Penn women's basketball coach Pat Knapp said that somebody would step up on offense to replace the scoring void left after the Quakers graduated their top three scorers last year.
After chipping in 46 points in the team's two games this season, that person appears to be Carrie Biemer.
Biemer, who has accounted for over 38 percent of the team's scoring this year, will look to carry her momentum into tomorrow night's matchup against Manhattan at the Palestra.
"Carrie's definitely one of the best shooters on the team, so her getting the points is not a surprise at all," sophomore point guard Sarah Bucar said. "I think that we're going to have a more balanced attack of scoring, but she is definitely going to be someone that we look to."
The Quakers will look to improve to 2-1 against a Manhattan team that limped to an 11-20 overall record last season, including a 58-51 loss to the Quakers in January.
However, tomorrow's game will feature two new-look teams, as the Quakers and Lady Jaspers have brought in nine new players between them.
Led by senior forward Caitlin Flood, the Lady Jaspers favor a small lineup with four players on the outside and only one on the interior.
That could present a challenge for the Quakers, who allowed William and Mary to shoot from 50 percent behind the arc in an 87-64 loss last week.
"We definitely need to concentrate on [defense] more, and we have been," Bucar said. "We've been going full-court man in practice the last couple days just to work on our defense and also pressuring the ball. We have to get out on their shooters, which is something we just didn't do [against William and Mary]."
The Quakers will have to center their defensive game plan around Flood, who led her team with 13.8 points per game last season. They also have to contain guards Gabrielle Cottrell and Aubrie Dellinger, who are dangerous three-point shooters.
On the other side of the ball, the Quakers will look to find an offensive rhythm without relying so heavily on their newfound threat, Biemer.
"We try to take advantage of different things each game," Knapp said. "But this game, it could be somebody else. You always have to remember that the other team has got those tapes and scouting reports."
With only two games under their belts, the inexperienced Quakers know they have a lot they need to improve on before they head into the Ivy League schedule.
"It's so early that you have so many things that you need to concentrate on," Bucar said. "You can't get to everything [in one week]."
"We do have a lot of homework to do," echoed Biemer. "I think we're improving every day, but you can always get better in a lot of areas."
