W. Hoops | Last non-conference hurrah

After thirteen days off, the Penn women's basketball team is looking to start their season anew.

The Quakers (3-10, 0-1 Ivy) will face Seton Hall (13-6) at the Palestra tonight in their final non-conference matchup of the season.

But the Quakers aren't underestimating the significance of the game that precedes the start of the Ivy season.

"It's not about getting the cobwebs out after thirteen days," coach Pat Knapp said. "It's not about warm-up or tune-up."

In their games against Big 5 rivals La Salle, Temple and St. Joe's this season, the Red and Blue have established strong first half starts.

Because Seton Hall is similar to many of Penn's cross-town opponents, Knapp is looking to his team to continue the trend.

"I think we just need to come out strong and maybe think in our heads that we are down already because in the second half we do that," senior Kelly Scott said. "I think its just about coming out aggressive."

The Pirates, meanwhile, have recently dropped three Big East games against Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Providence.

Knapp is not concerned with Seton Hall's loss to No. 25 Pittsburgh, saying that the expected 76-40 score is merely a "bleep on the radar."

Looking to capitalize on these recent losses, the Quakers have established a plan of attack for the matchup that focuses on putting a stop to the Pirates' penetration, establishing a consistent offensive flow and gaining control of the boards.

Strong Seton Hall rebounder Noteisha Womack will attempt to spoil the Quakers' efforts under the boards. The senior forward leads the team with 12.9 boards per contest in addition to her team-leading 14.2 points per game.

With Erin Power back from a bout of the flu, the Quakers will look to her not only to counter Womack's efforts, but also to play to her own strengths.

"Erin is probably one of the most significant role players on our team because of her passing and her assist-to-turnover [ratio]," captain Carrie Biemer said of her teammate.

"When she doesn't play it affects our offensive flow and ability to move the ball."

A game-time decision, however, will be whether the injured Sarah Bucar will set foot on the court. According to both Knapp and Biemer, if the senior guard can't return, her leadership would be greatly missed.

In that case, the Quakers will have to look to senior Katarina Lackner or freshman Tyler Cumbo to step in and control the offense at the point guard position.

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