Tuesday, November 18th, 10:05 a.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Daskalakis Athletic Center (2,300) -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Television: ESPN. Home Record: Penn 0-0, Drexel 0-0. Away Record: Penn 0-1, Drexel 0-0. Neutral Record: Penn 0-0, Drexel 0-0. Conference Record: Penn 0-0, Drexel 0-0. Series Record: Penn leads, 15-5.

GAME NOTES: In-town rivals collide on the hardwood in the City of Brotherly Love today, as the Penn Quakers are set to take on the Drexel Dragons in the annual "Battle of 33rd Street" at the Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia. The Quakers season started off on a sour note last Saturday, as the club lost a 86-71 decision at top-ranked North Carolina. The Quakers, however, figure to be one of the best programs in the Ivy League this season, as Penn returns four starters and a solid freshman class. As for Drexel, the Dragons begin their 2008-09 campaign with this contest, coming off a disappointing 12-20 season that saw the departure of the club's best player, Frank Elegar. Today's game will be the 13th straight season the teams have met, and Penn owns a 15-5 lead in terms of the all-time series between the two programs. Drexel did however, steal a 67-59 overtime victory in last year's meeting.

Tyler Bernardini led the way for the Quakers with 26 points during the loss to UNC, tying a career-high he coincidentally set last year against the Tar Heels. Bernardini shot 9-for-18 from the floor to lead all scorers, including a 4-for-9 effort from beyond the arc. Jack Eggleston scored 11 points to go with a game-high 12 rebounds during the contest, while Kevin Egee added 11 points of his own. Harrison Gaines chipped in 10 points for Penn, which allowed UNC to shoot at a solid 46.7 percent clip from the field. Bernardini was second on the team in scoring a year ago, posting 12.9 ppg en route to the Ivy League Rookie of the Year award. Also factoring into the mix for the Quakers this season will be Eggleston, who averaged 8.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 2007-08, and Gaines who produced 6.7 ppg and 3.6 apg.

There's plenty resting on the shoulders of seniors Tremayne Hawthorne and Scott Rogers this year at Drexel, as the loss of Elegar will not be an easy turnaround to overcome. Hawthorne was the team's second leading scorer (11.2 ppg) last season behind Elegar, followed by Rodgers and his 9.2 ppg in 31 starts. Despite the loss of Elegar, head coach Bruiser Flint won't go into rebuilding mode just yet, as the Dragons have nine upperclassmen on their 15- man roster.

The Quakers have owned this series in seasons past, and today's contest should be no different. The Dragons are definitely hurting after losing their best player, and will struggle to keep up with a solid Penn offense.

Predicted Outcome

Penn 76, Drexel 56