GAME NOTES: Off to a lackluster start to the season, the Saint Joseph's Hawks step out of conference for a Big 5 battle with the Penn Quakers at The Palestra.

The Hawks, losers in five of their last seven games, posted a 62-56 home victory over Massachusetts on Wednesday.

The Quakers have also struggled this season and are coming off a 71-56 home defeat to Monmouth on Wednesday.

Saint Joseph's leads the all-time series, 49-34 and has captured seven of the last nine meetings. Last season, the Hawks made 13-of-15 3-point shots in the first half and raced out to a 57-23 lead by the break before posting an 85-68 victory.

DeAndre' Bembry posted a game-high 25 points, pulled down eight rebounds, handed out seven assists and blocked three shots in the win over UMass. Bembry, who shot 9-of-16 from the field, added eight rebounds and five steals. Isaiah Miles notched 18 points.

Bembry, a sophomore forward, leads the Hawks in scoring (17.1 ppg), rebounding (6.7 rpg) and assists (3.1 apg). He is also shooting a team-leading 34.4 percent from 3-point range. That's well above the 28.1 percent team average. Miles (10.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg) has scored in double figures nine times this season. Junior reserve Aaron Brown (9.9 ppg), a transfer from West Virginia, is the third-leading scorer. Guards Chris Wilson (7.9 ppg) and Shavar Newkirk (3.5 ppg) are both battling ankle injuries. Wilson is expected to play in this game, but Newkirk is listed as questionable. Freshman James Demery (6.6 ppg) has made just 3-of-20 attempts from beyond the arc. The Hawks net 62.5 ppg and allow only 65 ppg.

Sophomore Matt Howard scored 14 points and Darien Nelson-Henry tallied 12 points and six rebounds in Penn's recent loss to Monmouth. The Quakers shot 27.8 percent from 3-point range and had a 13-of-21 effort at the foul line, while allowing Monmouth to hit at a 56.3 percent clip from the field. Tony Hicks (13.9 ppg), who leads the Quakers in scoring, was limited to just eight points.

Nelson-Henry (10.9 ppg) is shooting a blistering 54.8 percent from the field. Howard (8.7 ppg) and Antonio Woods (7.8 ppg) are the next two scoring leaders for a team that averages 63.8 ppg while allowing 68.6 ppg. The Quakers have outrebounded 10 of their 14 opponents this season. Senior forward Greg Louis has made 12 of his 18 shots over the last five contests.

The Hawks are 1-1 in Big 5 play this season, having beaten Temple and lost to Villanova. The final city series game for Phil Martelli's team will be Tuesday with a visit to La Salle. Meanwhile, the Quakers lost at Temple by nine points on Nov. 25 and fell to La Salle by 17 on Dec. 30, and versus nationally-ranked Villanova by 15 on Jan. 17.

Both teams are scuffling at this point, but if Bembry has another solid all- around game, Saint Joseph's should squeak out its third win over the last four games.