Penn Opens Ivy Slate Saturday Vs. Princeton
By Matt Leon
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – It's the Ivy League opener for the Penn Quakers on Saturday night as they welcome rival Princeton to the Palestra.
The Quakers are coming off a 76-57 loss to La Salle last time out on Saturday. Penn played that game without sophomore starting center Darien Nelson-Henry, he's actually missed the last four games because of concussion. Head coach Jerome Allen talks about whether he'll be available against the Tigers.
"We hope," Allen tells KYW Newsradio. "We're definitely not sure. I'm confident that if he's ready, we're going to be ready to roll. And if he's not, someone else will have an opportunity to contribute."
The first two months of the season were not kind to the Quakers. Penn is just 2-10 as they get ready for league play.
"You have to learn how to win," Allen says. "It's always a process and I think we're moving forward."
It has been an outstanding season for Princeton to this point. The Tigers are 11-2 this season and coming off a Saturday win at Liberty.
"They play selfless basketball," Allen says. "They share the ball, they screen for one another. They help out on defense. They don't turn the ball over, they space you out. Everyone trusts the system. I take my hat off to their staff, they've done a tremendous job of preparing them thus far."
Princeton has dominated the series with the Quakers as of late, winning eight of the last nine match-ups, including both last season.
Tip-off on Saturday is set for 6:00pm.
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