Quakers Headed West To Battle UCLA

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - After getting back to .500 with Wednesday's 69-60 win over Delaware, the 5-5 Penn Quakers will now head to California for a Saturday night match-up with UCLA.

Click to listsen to Matt Leon's interview with Jerome Allen...

As for that win against the Blue Hens, Penn head coach Jerome Allen liked what he saw.

"I thought defensively we probably played our best game of the season in terms of being consistent for 40 minutes."

Allen will look for his squad to continue that defensive success against a struggling Bruins team. UCLA is just 2-5 and one of those wins came against Division II Chaminade in Hawaii, but Allen isn't sleeping on them.

"Obviously, they are extremely talented. I think they are a lot better than what their record currently indicates. They have a number of weapons. They are big, they are athletic, they have shooters, they have guys that can penetrate the gaps. For us, it's a tall task. But it's always a tall task at this level anytime you try and go and get a win on the road."

UCLA has struggled defensively around the perimeter, as teams are hitting 47 percent of their three point shots. Allen talks about what he hopes his team can achieve offensively against the Bruins.

"We just want to take good, quality shots, play sound basketball offensively and trust our system. Get ball and body movement. I think if we do those things and screen well, and cut hard, I think we'll give ourselves the opportunity to have open shots. Now whether we make them or not is a different story, but at least we know that our goal is to take quality shots."

This will easily be the longest road trip of the season to this point for the Quakers. Prior to this, the furthest they had traveled for a road game was Catonsville, Maryland to play UMBC.

Tip-off on Saturday is set for 7:00 p.m.