Penn women's basketball set to host Notre Dame for first time since 1981

It’s not everyday the Palestra gets to host a top-25 ranked team.

With the Fighting Irish coming to town for the first time since 1981, the excitement is unbridled.

The Penn women’s basketball team dropped a disappointing home opener to St. Francis (NY), 56-51. But now the number one goal for the Quakers is to make a statement — and history — with a victory over No. 5 Notre Dame.

“It challenges our players not only on the court but … to see how we matchup with a team like that, it is tremendous for our program,” Penn coach Mike McLaughlin said.

Two seasons ago, the Red and Blue traveled to South Bend to face the third-ranked Irish. Penn left the Hoosier state crushed, 69-38, against that quality Notre Dame team.

This year, the Red and Blue (0-1) will be facing a squad that is playing its inaugural season in the ACC, a conference against which Penn has an 0-12 record. If they can pull out the ‘W’, it will also mark the first ever victory against the conference and over a ranked opponent in program history.

Furthermore, Penn is looking to avoid an 0-2 start to the season for the second consecutive year after starting out 0-3 in 2012-13. After playing St. Francis on Nov. 9, the Quakers have had a two-week break to improve and get back to basics.

“We went back a little,” McLaughlin said. “We had the opportunity for two weeks to go practice, to clean up our sets, to work hard on our defensive philosophy.

“I think we’re a better team than we were a week and a half ago, and the players are more confident in what we’re trying to do.”

And now, with Notre Dame (3-0) coming to the Palestra, the Quakers will need to raise their offensive level after shooting just 35.1 percent from the field and 9.5 percent from three vs. the Terriers two weeks ago.

But while senior captain Alyssa Baron and the rest of the Quakers squad will need to step up their game offensively, the Fighting Irish bring a high-powered offense themselves that Penn needs to contain.

“They are very talented,” McLaughlin said. “They have a great system. It isn’t very complicated but they keep coming at you.

“We have a big challenge ahead of us … We’re going to try and set attainable goals and overachieve in those attainable goals.”

Now the question becomes whether the Quakers can overachieve enough to pull off a big win at the Palestra. That big answer is just a day away.

SEE ALSO

Penn women’s basketball drops season opener to St. Francis

Penn women’s basketball returns to the court after a breakout season

How Alyssa Baron changed Penn women’s basketball

Tydings | Penn women’s basketball ready to challenge for Ivy supremacy

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