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Sophomore Sydney Stipanovich powered the Quakers' offense with 12 points on Friday.

Credit: Holden McGinnis

Down, but certainly not out.

Although Penn women’s basketball will hit the road once again this weekend, the squad has no plans of going anywhere in the larger picture — the race for the Ivy League title — despite last Friday’s letdown against Cornell.

After splitting last weekend’s contests with the Big Red and Columbia, the Quakers (12-7, 3-2 Ivy) will travel to New Haven, Conn., to face Yale on Friday before wrapping up their fifth road matchup in seven games against Brown on Saturday.

While this weekend’s slate of back to back games represents the third of six consecutive Ivy doubleheaders for the Red and Blue, coach Mike McLaughlin is confident in Penn’s physical and mental states, despite the loss to Cornell.

“We have some kids that are banged up like every other team, but physically we’re in good shape,” McLaughlin said. “We’re mentally tough too. The bulk of this team was around last year and has experienced this type of season before with strong results.

“We also have three young players who are going through this type of schedule for the first time, but I like where we’re at.”

Freshman forward Michelle Nwokedi is one of those young players upon whom Penn has relied quite heavily this season. Last weekend, the rookie posted consecutive double-doubles, averaging 15.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and five blocks in the two games, including a career high 19 points in her first career start against the Lions.

Nwokedi wasn’t informed of the decision for her to start until right before Saturday’s contest. However, McLaughlin says the change is permanent, primarily given the development the Missouri City, Texas, native has shown throughout the season.

“We need to be able to score the ball a little bit more effectively and Michelle gives us the ability to do that,” McLaughlin said. “I think she’s going to be a special player for us and she’s ready to go now while playing upwards of 20 minutes per game.”

Against the Elis (11-9, 5-1), the Quakers will be forced to confront a squad that has played well of late. Up until its 65-55 loss to Harvard on Saturday, Yale had ridden the hot hand of rookie guard Tamara Simpson to seven consecutive wins.

Although the Bulldogs do not have anyone ranked in the top 18 in scoring in the Ivy League — Simpson is the conference’s 19th leading scorer at 9.3 points per contest — McLaughlin knows the threat Yale’s pace of play poses for his defensive-minded squad.

“Yale puts a lot of pressure on us,” McLaughlin said. “But if we can handle that, we’ll be able to win the game. Defensively, they’re also going to put pressure on the ball and try and speed us up, so managing that will be the key for our girls.”

In two games against Brown (9-11, 3-3) last season, then-freshman center Sydney Stipanovich averaged 13.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per contest, posting double-doubles in both matchups. Although the defending Ivy Defensive Player of the Year may be a force down low, the Bears push tempo similarly to Yale, due in large part to junior guards Jordin Alexander and Ellise Sharpe.

Alexander enters the weekend averaging 14.9 points per game, good enough for sixth in the Ancient Eight. Making her second and third consecutive starts last weekend, Sharpe had strong performances against Harvard and Dartmouth, scoring 19 points in each game en route to earning Ivy Co-Player of the Week honors.

While last Friday’s loss to Cornell sent the Red and Blue to fourth in the Ivy standings and a full two games behind undefeated No. 16 Princeton, the Quakers are used to playing from behind. Last year, Penn never led the Tigers in the standings until after its win on the final day of the regular season.

And two wins this weekend can keep the Red and Blue squarely in the hunt for a repeat.

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