W. Hoops set for trip to Hawk Hill

Neighborhood pride is at stake tonight as the Penn women's basketball team travels to Hawk Hill for a tilt with crosstown rival St. Joseph's. The game has an added significance for the Quakers, as a loss would drop them to 0-4 in the Big 5 and ensure them of their second consecutive last-place finish in the round robin city series. The Red and Blue would go winless in the series for the first time since 1999, when the team finished 12-14 overall. "It's very important to us," said sophomore center Katie Kilker of the city's prized basketball tradition. "I know that the coaches and all of my teammates feel the same way about it, that these aren't just any other games. It's a really special part of Philadelphia." Tonight's game presents a golden opportunity for the Quakers, who will be idle for an entire week until next Tuesday's trip when they take on Lehigh. Not only would they save face in the Big 5, but a victory could also serve to jumpstart a heretofore lukewarm season. Penn has rebounded from a 1-5 start to win three of its last five, but is still struggling to reach a comfortable level of consistency. The Quakers will look to bounce back from Saturday's disappointing Ivy League opener, a 56-51 setback at Princeton. The Tigers fought off a steady Penn comeback over the game's final seven minutes, seeing their lead wane from seven, to five, to three, to one. However, a pair Katy O'Brien free throws opened up a three point advantage for the Tigers with only 23 seconds remaining in regulation. When sophomore guard Karen Habrukowich's potential game-tying three-pointer came up short, Princeton was ensured a third straight victory over their hated Ivy rivals. The Hawks have been somewhat of a surprise during the new year. After an unimpressive 4-6 start, St. Joe's has taken three out of three games in the conference, and opened an early two-game lead in the Atlantic 10 East. The City Liners are led by versatile 6-5 center Irina Krasnoshiok, whose unusual combination of talent both inside and on the perimeter have given opposing coaches fits. On Saturday, the junior poured in a career-high 32 points on 12-for-17 shooting as the Hawks dominated Rhode Island, 73-53. Complementing Krasnoshiok is shooting guard Erin Brady, the reigning Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week, who has come on particularly strong for coach Cindy Griffin as of late. The junior's efficient shooting and careful passing have made her a dangerous weapon for the Hawks thus far. In Wednesday's 68-61 win at Massachusetts, she matched her career-high with 26 points on 8-for-13 shooting. Her 5.2 assists per game is a team high and her 10.6 points per game is good for third on the Hawks. Despite their early misfortune, Kilker is confident that the Quakers better play of late is a direct result of some of their earlier tough losses. "We have lost some games early on," Kilker said. "But we've learned something with each game we've lost, and we try to take those lessons and apply them to our next opponents." Game time is 7 p.m. at the Alumni Fieldhouse. The game will also be broadcast on XPN.

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