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Five topics from the City Six

1. Two more shots Penn has its last two chances this week to break a Big Five losing streak that stands at 15 going into Wednesday night's game against Temple at the Liacouras Center. The Quakers haven't won a City Series game since Jan. 24, 2007, when th

Zack Rosen has never won a Big 5 game while at Penn. (Steven M. Falk/Staff file photo)
Zack Rosen has never won a Big 5 game while at Penn. (Steven M. Falk/Staff file photo)Read more

1. Two more shots

Penn has its last two chances this week to break a Big Five losing streak that stands at 15 going into Wednesday night's game against Temple at the Liacouras Center. The Quakers haven't won a City Series game since Jan. 24, 2007, when they defeated Temple, 76-74, in Fran Dunphy's first Palestra contest since leaving Penn to coach the Owls. The only current Quakers, now fifth-year seniors, to be a part of that win were Darren Smith, who played four minutes in the game, and Andres Schreiber. Should Penn fall against the Owls, its last opportunity will come Saturday night against St. Joseph's at the Palestra.

2. Uh-oh, it's the Dukes

After administering a thorough thumping to Temple last weekend, Duquesne will visit La Salle on Wednesday night for a chance at its own mythical City Series title. The Dukes knocked off St. Joseph's, 75-63, on Jan. 5 at Hawk Hill and upset the then-No. 19 Owls, 78-66, in Pittsburgh. The Dukes use their press to create an up-tempo game; they lead the Atlantic Ten in scoring (80.8 points per game) and turnovers forced (20.2). The Explorers are right behind Duquesne in scoring at 77.9 points, and rank third in shooting - overall and from three-point range. Given the challenges they have faced on defense all season, the Explorers may find their best chance will be to try to outscore the visitors.

3. Can't be the three

Temple has made it apparent that the three-point basket is not a significant part of its offensive toolbox. The Owls, who top the "also receiving votes" category in this week's Associated Press poll, rank at the bottom of the Atlantic Ten in both three-pointers made (4.8 per game) and three-point percentage (30.2). Guard Juan Fernandez, who knocked down 73 threes last season and shot 45.3 percent from beyond the arc, has just 18 in 14 games this season and is hitting a dreadful 26.5 percent from deep. Scootie Randall leads the Owls with 20 three-balls while Ramone Moore (18) is shooting a team-high 40 percent.

4. Two against one

It was hard to fathom that Drexel, one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, would get beaten on the boards by William and Mary in its loss Saturday. The Tribe have barely outrebounded the opposition through 17 games while the Dragons are plus-11.1 in rebound margin, fourth in the nation. But 60 percent shooting told the tale for William and Mary in its victory. The front line of Samme Givens, Daryl McCoy, and Dartaye Ruffin have combined to average 25.6 rebounds for the Dragons, who will play Wednesday night at George Mason.

5. Come to our house

A few readers wondered why Villanova had to play Connecticut at Gampel Pavilion, the Huskies' on-campus arena in Storrs, instead of the larger (and not as deafening) XL Center in nearby Hartford. According to John Paquette, the Big East's associate commissioner for communications: "The school makes these choices. Both venues are acceptable to the Big East. Every Big East team has played at Gampel." This season, the Huskies have four conference opponents (Villanova, Louisville, Providence, Notre Dame) at Gampel, and the other five at the XL Center. That's the same 4-5 Big East breakdown as Villanova has scheduled for the Pavilion and the Wells Fargo Center.

Big East Conference

No. 7 Villanova and No. 3 Syracuse fell from the ranks of Big East unbeatens Monday, leaving fifth-ranked Pittsburgh as the only team undefeated (6-0) in conference play. The Wildcats and the Orange, who will play Saturday at the Carrier Dome, are joined by No. 19 Louisville as the three teams with one loss apiece, although none of the three has the same number of victories. Villanova handed the Cardinals their only Big East defeat.

Atlantic Ten Conference

Still looking for their first conference wins, La Salle will get a crack at Duquesne, the hottest team in the A-10, at Tom Gola Arena, while St. Joseph's will return home against Rhode Island. The bottom two teams in the final standings don't qualify for the conference tournament. Temple, the preseason conference favorite, will try to recover from Saturday's loss to Duquesne with a Big Five game against Penn.

Colonial Athletic Association

After losing at William and Mary on Saturday, Drexel is stuck in the middle of the pack in the CAA. The Dragons are tied with three other teams, and trailing another five. James Madison, Virginia Commonwealth, and Hofstra are tied for first. Drexel's next two outings will be at George Mason on Wednesday and at home against Northeastern on Saturday.

Ivy League

Penn and Princeton are the only teams in the Ivy League that have yet to play within the conference. Harvard, Columbia, and Yale are 1-0. Brown, Cornell, and Dartmouth are 0-1. Three Ancient Eight games are on tap Saturday, and the league will kick into full gear the weekend of Jan. 28. Penn will open at home against Yale that night, and then the Quakers will host Brown on Jan. 29.