Penn enters Big 5 matchup against St. Joseph’s on a roll
Led by Jordan Dingle and Clark Slajchert, the Quakers have won four in a row going into Wednesday's matchup against the Hawks.
Penn is playing its best basketball of the season heading into four consecutive games against Big 5 rivals.
The Quakers (5-4), winners of four straight and five of their last six games, will host St. Joseph’s (2-3) on Wednesday (8:30 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus) as part of a Big 5 doubleheader at the Palestra. La Salle plays Temple in the first game at 6 p.m.
Ivy League play doesn’t start until Jan. 2, but the Quakers will have their first taste of a rivalry as they look for local bragging rights in the coming weeks.
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Villanova has dominated the Big 5 in recent memory, capturing seven of the last eight titles.
Penn guards Jordan Dingle and Clark Slajchert led the Quakers to three wins at the Cathedral Classic over the weekend. Dingle averaged 22.7 points over the three games, and Monday was named Ivy League player of the week for the third time in his career. Slajchert scored a career-high 33 points in an 81-69 victory over Colgate on Saturday.
Forwards Nick Spinoso and Max Martz have been timely and needed contributors. Martz, a junior, is averaging 8.9 points and shooting 45.5% from three-point range this season. Spinoso, a sophomore, is coming off the best performance of his young career with 18 points and nine assists in an 86-73 victory over Delaware on Sunday.
Sophomore guard Erik Reynolds II has carried the Hawks’ offensive load (18.4 points per game) on efficient shooting splits (.492/.448/.955) for a team that has otherwise struggled to score.
“It’s funny — I think for all of [the Big 5 teams] there’s really good potential, and it looks like all of us are trying to figure it out,” Penn coach Steve Donahue said.