GAME NOTES: The Penn Quakers play the second of three straight home games to kick off the 2014-15 season, as they host the Rider Broncs in non-conference action The Palestra on Tuesday night.

On Saturday afternoon, the Quakers played host to Delaware State and more than had their hands full with the Hornets as the visitors pulled off a surprising 77-75 overtime victory. Penn, which doesn't leave the city of Philadelphia until Nov. 29 when it visits Wagner in New York, will host Lafayette this weekend and then make the short trek to Temple a week from now for an inner- city rivalry clash.

Meanwhile, the Broncs are facing off against a second straight member of the Ancient Eight, having bowed to the Princeton Tigers over in New Jersey in the opener last Friday night, 64-58. Unfortunately for Rider, the team has just a single home game (Lehigh on Nov. 21) on the schedule through to Dec. 3.

In terms of the all-time series between the programs, the Broncs own a 3-1 advantage, with the most recent victory coming last season just after Christmas by a score of 89-88. A close game, it was the only one of the previous four not to go to overtime.

Inside Jadwin Gym on Friday, the Broncs shot just 35.7 percent from the field in the first half, yet trailed by only three points at the break (28-25). The team elevated to 51.7 percent after intermission, but failed to make an impact at the free-throw line in the frame (0-of-1) or in the game overall (2-of-4), allowing the Tigers to hold on for the victory. Teddy Okereafor was the lone double-digit scorer for Rider with his 16 points, adding four rebounds and four assists. The Broncs managed to force 15 turnovers, but still it was the lack of scoring at the charity stripe that hurt the visitors the most, especially as Princeton knocked down 17-of-20 at the line.

Last season, when the Broncs finished 14-17 overall and 9-11 against the rest of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, they performed quite well at the free-throw line, hitting at a 73.1 percent clip, so hopefully it is not time to be concerned for that aspect of the game.

In a game that featured six ties and eight lead changes, Penn led by as many as eight with just over six minutes remaining in regulation, but the Hornets got the meeting into overtime and there the visitors stole a huge victory. Tony Hicks tried to get the Quakers over the hump with his game-high 31 points, shooting 9-of-20 from the field, but the rest of the unit was only 16- of-40 from the floor. Reserve Antonio Woods was the only other player in double figures for the hosts with 11 points, converting just 1-of-5 behind the 3-point line.

Penn's overall accuracy from the field (.417) was not entirely awful especially when you consider the team came away with more offensive rebounds (21) than defensive (19), although converting a collective 8-of-28 out on the perimeter certainly didn't help matters.

As long as Hicks is on the case the Quakers will have an opportunity to get into the win column on Tuesday, but he'll also need the assistance of his fellow starters who failed to show up in the opener.