Penn women's hoops tries to tame the Wildcats in Big 5 matchup

It may only be January, but it’s already time for championship basketball.

In the midst of a seven-game winning streak, Penn women’s basketball has an opportunity to clinch a share of its second Big 5 title in as many years, heading to rival Villanova tonight in a battle for local supremacy.

“We’re playing good basketball right now; we’re defending well, rebounding the ball as well as we’ve done all year and getting into a better flow in transition,” coach Mike McLaughlin said. “It’s been a good run and we still feel that we’re improving, so hopefully it’ll carry over.”

Although the Big 5 doesn’t have an official championship game, tonight’s showdown will fill the role as well as possible for a regular season affair. Currently, Penn (12-2, 2-1 Big 5), Villanova (12-7, 2-1) and Saint Joseph’s — the same teams that finished the 2014-15 Big 5 City Series in a three-way tie for first place — all boast identical marks atop the group.

Consequently, although neither of tonight’s competitors can clinch an outright Big 5 championship — a La Salle (3-16, 0-3) upset over Saint Joseph’s (9-10, 2-1) on Jan. 30 would be necessary for the Hawks to lose their share of the title — either the Quakers or Wildcats will secure their third city win, and an accompanying share of their second consecutive title, tonight.

“We look at the Big 5 schedule a little differently than the Ivy League, but any time you have chance to be on the top of something, that’s something you strive for,” said McLaughlin, who led Penn’s first-ever women’s Big 5 champions a year ago. “The players understand that the Big 5 is important, and to be in contention two years in a row is pretty special for this school.”

As if tonight’s stage wasn’t big enough, the matchup may have some even greater intrigue based on the recent history between these two schools.

McLaughlin’s list of career accolades is quite impressive — he owns a 2014 Ivy League Coach of the Year award, a .771 career winning percentage, and, most impressively, the title of fastest coach in NCAA women’s basketball history to reach 400 wins. But one thing he doesn’t have to his name is a win over Villanova, as the Wildcats have bested his Quakers in each of their six matchups during his tenure at Penn.

Most recently, Villanova trounced the Quakers, 70-44, in the Palestra last January, spoiling the Red and Blue’s chances at their first-ever perfect Big 5 season and leaving a still-bitter taste in the team’s mouth.

“They came in the Palestra last year and had their way with us, so it’d be great to get them,” McLaughlin said. “The rivalries are here, some of our players know their players — it’s the same way as on the men’s side — these Big 5 games are all very competitive and very important, since it’s about city pride.”

McLaughlin may have a prime opportunity to finally snap his skid, as Villanova enters tonight on a sour note following a 57-51 upset loss at the hands of Georgetown. Still, although the Wildcats have fallen to 61st in the Division I RPI — four spots below the Quakers — a certain level of respect unquestionably remains for a program that has topped the Red and Blue in each of the past 13 seasons.

“It’s a team that gives you a lot of problems,” McLaughlin said. “They control the tempo, they shoot the three really well, and they’re very well coached. We have to utilize our strengths against their strengths, and we’ll have to make shots to beat them.”

Indeed, the differing strengths between the two foes will be noteworthy, as the contrasting styles of play will make things difficult for both squads. Led by returning starter Caroline Coyer and 5-foot-6 freshman guard Adrianna Hahn, the Wildcats have dominated from beyond the arc, ranking 19th in D-I with 8.2 three-pointers per game.

But while the Wildcats may have the edge from downtown, few teams in the nation can boast a frontcourt as impressive as the Quakers’. 6-foot-3 stars Michelle Nwokedi and Sydney Stipanovich — the Ivy League’s leading rebounders, at 11.1 and 9.6 per game, respectively — anchor a defense ranked 10th in the country by allowing a measly 51.6 points per game.

“For us to be able to play a solid matchup zone against them would probably benefit us the most. They’re going to get their threes — they pass the ball around very well, and they’re a tough matchup for anyone,” McLaughlin said. “We have to start by playing inside out, because Syd and Michelle have been terrific on both ends of the floor, and that’s certainly our strength right now.”

Ultimately, with a Penn team hungry for revenge, local bragging rights for the next year up in the air and the right to back-to-back Big 5 titles yet to be decided, Philadelphia basketball fans should expect a dogfight between these two evenly matched rivals.

“We know whats at stake, but for us to be able to beat a good Villanova team, we’re going to have to be really good ourselves,” McLaughlin said. “We’ll be prepared, and hopefully we’ll have the opportunity to pull out a win.”

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