Since Penn's 2007 NCAA Tournament appearance, it has gone a woeful 0-for-Big 5 over two seasons.
In the low point of their play in the informal conference, the Quakers were blown out, 82-42, by Saint Joseph's a year ago. It was an absolute debacle in every sense of the word.
So how does a Penn team that has struggled this season feel about that?
Fired up? You could say so.
"That was embarrassing for everybody involved, and we don't want a repeat of that," sophomore forward Jack Eggleston said. "We're really looking to come out and get some revenge."
Penn (4-9) will embark on this task tomorrow night at the Palestra in its final Big 5 contest of the season. And, as Eggleston is likely aware, the Quakers haven't beaten the Hawks (10-7) since 2005 and will have to contend with a formidable lineup once again.
While talented forwards Pat Calathes and Rob Ferguson have graduated, center Ahmad Nivins has proven he can get it done by himself in the paint.
The New Jersey native is averaging 20.5 points and 11.3 rebounds (good for eighth in the nation) per game, and dropped 34 points in an overtime win over Duquesne on Wednesday. He's doing it with a 6-foot-9, 242-pound frame that will pose problems for a relatively wiry Penn team.
"We don't really have the body to match up with him right now," Eggleston said. "We'll probably mix it up; maybe trap some, maybe sink some. The tendency is to suck in too much, but we can't give up open shots."
According to St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli, the way the Quakers have handled imposing big men in the past is no mystery.
"The way that they address the low post is that they all guard him. They don't leave it to any one guy," Martelli said. "We always want to go through Ahmad, we just have to be careful to not be lulled into the trap that they'll spring on him."
This means Penn will have to maintain a balancing act between containing Nivins and stopping the pieces that are around him - including guards Darrin Govens and Tasheed Carr, perimeter threats who average 13.6 and 12.9 points per game, respectively.
The Hawks' trio of Nivins, Govens and Carr is impressive, but St. Joe's has been nothing if not streaky this season.
They are riding a five-game winning streak, but that includes a pair of too-close-for-comfort overtime victories over Rhode Island and Duquesne. The Hawks also fell to Siena and Drexel, neither of which are boasting particularly impressive seasons.
If the Quakers want to steal one tomorrow night, their offensive execution will have to be sharper than it has been. In its victory over NJIT last week and loss to La Salle on Wednesday, lackluster first halves irked coach Glen Miller.
"The guys are playing hard, we're ready to play," he said. I think we're not playing with enough aggressiveness on offense."
A loss tomorrow would seal Penn's second consecutive winless Big 5 season. But the Quakers aren't ready to concede a thing.
"I feel like we can compete with this team," Eggleston said. "We're gonna have to play well, but there's no reason we can't win this game."
