PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — A struggling Washington State squad seeks a rare nonconference road win Friday when it faces a surging Penn team at The Palestra. The Cougars (1-11) enter on a five-game losing streak, most recently falling 74-65 at Seton Hall on Tuesday. Their lone victory came against Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 28. The Quakers (7-3) have won three of their last four, including a 65-52 road win over La Salle on Dec. 7 in their most recent outing. Washington State will lean heavily on guard Eleonora Villa, who has been a consistent bright spot during the difficult start. She is averaging 18.1 points per game over her last seven contests, including a 25-point effort in the team’s sole win and a 23-point performance in a narrow two-point loss at BYU. Villa scored 17 points with five assists in the loss to Seton Hall. Penn counters with its own standout in guard Katie Collins. She is coming off a 20-point game against La Salle and has shown versatile production, posting 18 points and eight rebounds in a win over St. Thomas and nearly a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds in a loss at then-Texas. The matchup pits one of the nation’s toughest defenses against an offense searching for consistency. Penn has held opponents to 52.8 points per game and under 60 points in six of its seven wins. Washington State, meanwhile, has been held under 60 points in six of its 11 losses and faces a Quakers team allowing just 35.4% shooting from the field. History is also against the Cougars, who are 0-6 away from home this season. The Palestra, a historic venue and a tough home court for Penn, presents another significant challenge. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST Friday. Penn hosts Maryland-Eastern Shore on Dec. 29 in Hackensack, New Jersey. Washington State returns home to face Pepperdine on Dec. 28.