GAME NOTES: A pair of Philadelphia-based programs prepare to close out the 2014 portion of the schedule on Tuesday night, as the La Salle Explorers entertain the Penn Quakers at Tom Gola Arena.

The Explorers, who are back at home for the first time in two weeks and have defeated 21 of their last 25 non-conference opponents in Gola Arena, have won two straight games and three of their last four overall. The team last played a week ago, taking down Hofstra on the road by a score of 83-74.

Meanwhile, the Quakers have had a rough time of it through the first six weeks of the campaign, losing twice as many games as they've won. However, after dropping five in a row to begin the 2014-15 campaign, the program responded with a three-game win streak. Unfortunately, that positive run came to an end eight days ago when Penn bowed to Vanderbilt, 79-50, in the first of four straight road games.

These Big 5 members are meeting for the 69th time, with the Quakers owning a 38-29 advantage. However, La Salle has won seven straight over Penn, its longest winning streak in the series, with four of the last five conquests coming by double figures.

After a break of nearly two weeks, the Quakers got back to playing basketball against the Commodores in Nashville and were turned back in a lopsided 29- point decision. Only two players knocked down more than three field goals for the visitors as Tony Hicks and Matt Howard accounted for 16 and 11 points, respectively, for a program that shot just 19-of-55 from the floor and 5-of-19 behind the 3-point line, not to mention a disappointing 7-of-13 at the charity stripe as well.

Hicks, who is tied for the team lead with 17 3-point baskets, paces the entire group in scoring with 14.8 ppg. Despite fouling out of four games, more than all of his teammates combined, Hicks is also first in assists (32) and accounts for nearly four rebounds per outing. Darien Nelson-Henry steps in with another 10.2 ppg and a team-best 6.9 rpg, but still the unit is being outscored by more than three points per game.

La Salle allowed the Pride to get out to a 3-point lead in the first minute of action at the Mack Sports Complex, but the advantage for the hosts was short lived as the Explorers responded with 54.5 percent shooting from the field in the first half and a more impressive 64.0 percent after intermission. Jordan Price led the way with a game-high 28 points, adding seven assists and five rebounds, while Cleon Roberts and Jerrell Wright pitched in with 18 and 13 points, respectively, the latter adding 10 rebounds. Steve Zack came up two points shy of his own double-double as he tallied a game-high 11 boards.

Price has raised his scoring output to 18.8 ppg, even though he has converted just 40.7 percent of his field goal tries. He has enjoyed quite a bit of success at the free-throw line (64-of-78) where he has already made more shots than any of his teammates have attempted. Wright checks in with another 11.8 ppg and is one of the better rebounders for the group with 6.9 rpg, trailing only Zack (7.6 ppg) who carves out plenty of space in the paint in order to come away with 9.1 rpg and 21 blocked shots.

Hicks is a player to watch for the Quakers, but beyond him the team needs some serious help on offense, which is why La Salle should come out on top in this meeting.