W. Hoops | Six chances to right the ship

Following their first winning streak of the season two weeks ago, there were encouraging signs that the Quakers were turning a corner, especially on offense.

Yet after two straight losses by a combined 55 points, the Red and Blue (3-5) will look to use a 15-day break as an opportunity to rework their game yet again.

"We have to start practicing more consistently," sophomore point guard Sarah Bucar said. "So with this stretch of 15 days with no games . we have to go hard and just have better practices because it carries over [to the games]."

Turnovers on offense and poor defensive rebounding have plagued the Quakers all season, but coach Pat Knapp said there is no single factor that can explain the team's inconsistency.

"We have many areas that we're looking to improve on," Knapp said. "We can do it with practice. We can do it with videotape. You do it with extra work. It can be done."

Bucar added that the team needs to have more focus in its games, concentrate on the fundamentals and avoid making mistakes with the ball.

"I think that we have to demand more out of each other and hold each other accountable," she said.

The Quakers will face local rivals Drexel (1-6), Temple (4-7) and La Salle (4-5) on the road during a six-game stretch against non-conference opponents, which also includes a two-game stint in the Saint Peter's Tournament and a home game against Lehigh.

After competing against host St. Peter's (6-3) in the first round, Penn will face either Eastern Kentucky (6-2) or High Point (4-4) in round two.

Despite its mediocre record, Temple will likely be the toughest matchup for the Quakers. The Owls have lost to four teams ranked in the top 10 nationally and defeated then-No. 20 Purdue earlier this season.

"We're going to be playing very good teams over break," junior forward Carrie Biemer said. "So I think making sure we play well against them will prepare us for the Ivy League teams who aren't that caliber."

The three local games in the upcoming schedule will be especially big for the Quakers, who have already lost two Big 5 games against St. Joe's and Villanova.

"My class has never won a Big 5 game," Biemer said. "That's something that we really, really want . It doesn't affect our Ivy League standings, but it's more of a pride thing."

Knapp emphasized the importance of winning Philadelphia-area games along with winning the Ivy League.

"They are special, and our players know that. And we need to represent in this area down the road," he said.

But more importantly, with only six games remaining before the Ivy League opener, Penn is running out of time to find a winning formula.

"We're only going to think of one thing right now, and that's not even Drexel," Knapp said. "That's fixing ourselves."

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